LUCKY BAMBOO

Lucky bamboo is a very popular household indoor plant. It is sold in the developed world as a Chinese decorative plant "Lucky Bamboo" (although unrelated to the Bamboo family and not a native to Asia). It is propagated from short cuttings, usually in water. It’s botanical name is Dracaena sanderiana.

Dracaena is a species, native to Cameroon which is located in tropical west Africa. It is a resilient member of the lily family and belongs to a group of small, shrubby species with slender stems and flexible strap-shaped leaves that grow as ground plants in the rainforests. It is an upright shrub growing to a height of 1.5 metres with leaves 15-25 cm long and 1.5-4 cm broad at the base.

Why is it called a :LUCKY BAMBOO”
Lucky bamboo (Dracaena Sanderiana) in Traditional Chinese characters are " 富貴竹-FU GUI ZHU" (富貴= rich & lucky; 竹=bamboo). When it was introduced to the out side world by China, because of these Chinese characters it was named as the lucky bamboo. In China it is believed to be a Feng Shui plant. The Chinese believe that it helps to bring living Chi into the place where it is kept. It reduces air pollution and noise.
Lucky Bamboo belongs to the Wood category of the five elements of Feng Shui, so it is suggested to place the bamboo on the east side of your residence or the office.

Tips for choosing a healthy Lucky Bamboo:
Press the stem between your fingures;it must be firm.
Check roots; the more fine roots in the roots system, the better.
Check by smelling - a healthy bamboo has a fresh smell, and no black spots on the bottom tip.
Check the leaves to make sure they are thick and dark green

Tips for the care of the Lucky Bamboo:
The water should be completely changed every two weeks. The water used should be distilled water, filtered water or soft tap water with very little fluoride and chlorine. If using tap water, it should be kept exposed to the air for a day so that the florurine and chloride are nutrialised.

It grows best in bright, indirect lighting and temperatures above 15 °C up to 25 °C.
If it is exposed to direct sunlight for long durations or the water used is contaminated with flouride or chlorine the leaves turn Yellow or brown at the edges. Salty or softened water can also cause this.

1. Keep the plant away from fluoridated or chlorinated water; exposing the tap water for more than 24 hour before you add water. We recommend distilled water or spring water.
2. Water is always at least one inch higher than the roots; you should replace all water if there is any growth of moss in the water.
3. Direct sun light will evaporate water inside the plant quickly and make the leaves turn brown.
4. Place lucky bamboo in a space with flow fresh air can help the plant grow and be healthy.
5. Clean dust on the surface of the leaves by mist spray as this helps the plant to breathe better and photosynthesis..
6. Wash all roots and trim the dead ones ever 2-3 months when you change the water, before putting lucky bamboo in the container and adding fresh water. If by mistake you have over trimmed the roots do not worry; the root system will generate new roots very soon.

Propagtion:
It is propagated in nature through root culture but in the nursery or at home, it is propagated from the canes which are harvested and cut into much smaller lengths of 10 to 20 cm. The tops of the canes are coated with wax so that the fungus or rot does not effect it. The canes are then bunched together and tied with a red band or ribbon. Place the new bunched up cutting in a small glass container with some pebbles or gel to keep them upright. Soon in 10-15 days fresh roots will appear at the bottom tips of the canes.

It is mainly grown verticle in the containers but beautifull twisted shapes can be produced by rotating the plant with respect to gravity and directed light sources. This is difficult to achieve for most home gardeners, but not impossible if you have the patience and time.

You can give a a variety of shapes to your lucky bamboo. As you know, the plants are always reaching towards the sky the gardener first inclines the bamboo stalk and fixes it at an angle of 15 to 20 degrees to the earth's surface. The top of the plant will reach toward the sun, on the second turn of the plant, tip the plant 90 degrees so this new growth is parallel to the earth (0 degrees). The top of the plant will again toward the sun. To get a spiral with two rings, the gardener next turn the plant 9 times. This process is completed in about110 to 120 days.

Fertilisation:
The Lucky Bamboo plants survive and grow without application of any fertilizers. They generate their food through the chlorophyll route from the sunlight.

Repotting Lucky Bamboo?
Like any other houseplant, Lucky Bamboo can be transferred to a vase or pot 2" larger than the original, or planted permanently into a loose sand or soil mixture that provides lots of bottom drainage. To avoid root rot, be careful to let the top of the soil dry out between waterings.