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Esprit's FAQs and FACTs -
Page 2 of 3
Esprit receives many inquiries and comments to Frequently
Asked Questions (FAQs). We are in the process of adding a blog. In the meantime,
continue to email us your questions. We will respond personally and post your
question and our reply on these pages. Please feel free to add your two bits if you wish to elaborate on any of the subjects. We strive to respond quickly and completely.
Address your email to
esprit@espritdeisle.com. You may find the answers you need by reading the
following Frequently Asked Questions or click on Care
of Lucky Bamboo.
LUCKY BAMBOO IN THE CLASSROOM!
Q: Hi. I am a teacher and I'm
looking for a way to show soil-less plant growth. I have an aquarium with
some Koi, goldfish, and algae eaters in it. I was wondering if I could
suspend the Bamboo directly in the tank? I know that the bamboo will absorb
nutrients from the water, but would doing this harm either the fish or the
plants in any way? I hope you can help me out with this. Thanks, Steve
A: Great
question, Steve! Actually, you may create a great eco-system using fish,
lucky bamboo and water. I have stems of bamboo that have been immersed
in water for 3+ years. I have put a gold fish in with them and a beta
(Siamese fighting fish) with no ill effects to the fish. It creates an
environment beneficial to fish and plant.
Lucky bamboo is not toxic to humans, fish, fowl or animals. An aquarium
should be a great setup but I would suggest that you do as I have or
something similar.
What I have is a tall glass vase with a hurricane chimney in the middle.
I've used clear glass "marbles" - the kind you find in craft stores, to
build a foundation for the roots of the bamboo to rest upon. I don't
know if that's especially necessary or not but I find it easier to
clean. My original thought was that roots might develop up the stems
but that has not happened.
I think this is a fine way to demonstrate
hydroponics. Please feel free
to direct your students to my site. I am adding sections on
water
features and bonsai, along with expanding
growing plants from seeds for
their unique value.
What grades do you teach? I will be posting your question on my FAQs
and FACTS page within a few days. Thank you for writing me.
R:
Thanks for your response, Esprit. I teach 6th grade science in central
New York State. The aquarium I have is 55 gal. I have cut a hole in the
tank hood, and I was thinking about just suspending the roots 2 or 3
inches into the tank and then figuring out how to support the rest of
the plant... thought about using Saran wrap, a thin sponge with holes
big enough for the stems, or maybe some sort of a soft-grip clamp for
the stems or something else I haven't thought of yet. We'll see! I'll
let you know how it works out. Steve
HOW DO I CHANGE WATER
IN THE BAMBOO POT? Q: I am so happy to have found you!
My question is about a bamboo I bought with three stalks, one of which has
died. What is the best way to water these? Should I tip over the pot (square
glass) to take it out and change water? I've got it on a shelf that doesn't
get direct sunlight, but the room I think is fairly bright (it has the most
windows). I thought it shouldn't be in direct light.
Anyway, I'm at a loss as to what to do with
this. I don't want to lose any more of it than I have. Any advise from you
would be appreciated! Thank you! Romilie
A: I'm sorry you
lost one of the stalks. The problem is, when purchasing lucky bamboo
arrangements, there is no way of telling how old the stalks are. In
their natural environment, they do have an ageing process and are
able to propagate by the stems drooping to touch soil or water, then
rooting at the leaf bract. New stalks sprout upwards from there.
Some arrangements are
secured in loose gravel, some are in a hard, compacted gravel that
almost seems glued. In any case, you certainly may tip the pot and
pour the water out, then refill the container. Just be careful, if
the gravel is loose, that you don't allow any of the little stones
to get into your drain.
Or, you may put the
container with the plants in it right into a sink and simply run
fresh water into the pot until it runs over and out, circulating the
fresh water without disturbing the roots.
After refilling, you
may want to add a few drops of liquid fertilizer - diluted according
to manufacturer's directions.
If your water has
fluoride added, we recommend using bottled natural water for all of
your house plants, not just Lucky Bamboo. Fluoride does adversely
affect many plants causing leaves to have brown tips. They prefer
rain water or natural fresh water rather that "city water".
KEEPING LEAVES GREEN & WHAT IS JELLY
WATER?
Q: My sister and I both bought bamboo
-very tall, 3 feet and over. Hers started to yellow so she took them out of the
water. She has them in a clear vase on the floor by a window with indirect
light. When she adds water, they turn yellow. When she takes them out of the
water, they are fine! Mine go through stages and turn yellow. I remove the
yellow leaves and then they seem fine. My aunt planted a few stems in soil and
they are gorgeous. I just bought a new, shorter bamboo in an arrangement with 3
heights in a circle. It came in a jellied type water. Please advise. -- Sylvia
A: Thank you for the
complex questions, Sylvia. Hmm. The yellowing question is difficult to
determine but I'll give it my best guess. (1) Be sure we are both talking
about Lucky Bamboo, which is a dracaena, not a true bamboo. Lucky Bamboo is
also called "ribbon plant" because of the stripes in the leaves. (2) Lucky
Bamboo grows wild in tropical climates, in bogs with fresh water. Therefore,
they do not do well with city water which often contains fluoride. Fluoride
can cause house plant leaves to yellow and turn brown. It is better to water
your house plants with bottled water from natural springs, artesian wells,
rain water or other natural sources for pure water. Lucky Bamboo also likes
to be misted with fresh water occasionally. If the atmosphere is too dry,
they are susceptible to spider mites. (3) Are your sister's stems in soil? I
can't imagine not being able to add water to keep the roots moist. Martha
Stewart recommends planting Lucky Bamboo in soil when they become top-heavy.
You can do this and they will be fine for quite a long time. However, the
stalk will not grow. Only the sprouts and leaves will grow. They may become
spindly and thin and the leaves will not be very healthy looking. The spouts
can be pruned from the original stalk and rooted, forming new plants.
The arrangement you have
just purchased is in a
polymer gel that has been reconstituted with water.
This is good. In its original form, the gel looks like a yellowish plastic
crystal. Add water, and it turns into a clear, gelatinous substance that
holds water while it provides moisture for the plants to survive. You will
have to add water as the gel dehydrates from atmosphere and as the plant
draws the moisture into itself. If the gel becomes discolored from algae or
iron in the water, you may remove it from the pot and mix it in with regular
potting soil creating a mix for other that retains water for other
houseplants. Your bamboo can be repotted in plain water and gravel.
HOW DO I KEEP MY
LUCKY BAMBOO CURLY?
Q: I was given a
lucky bamboo by a co-worker who resigned. The lucky bamboo that I received has a
spiral shape to it. My question is how do I continue to make the stalks spiral
upward toward the leaves? Was this particular plant bred that way or forced to
grow that way. I think it is absolutely beautiful. Secondly how tall will the
lucky bamboo get and as it grows will I need to repot it? (Wendy)
A:
Thank you for your great questions, Wendy! Unfortunately you will not be able to make
the new growth curl like the main stem of your plant. They are forced by a
special, time consuming process where the grower actually places the stalks into
a tube and directs the growth by (1) either revolving the tube in front of a
primary light source, or (2) revolving the light source around the tube - very
slowly - causing the plant to reach for the light.
The stalks should remain
"curly" as long as the roots do not dry out. If they go without water, the stem
wilts a little and loses the nice curly shape. Curly bamboo is considered very
lucky especially when combined with straight stems, signifying the Dollar ($)
sign.
The main stems do NOT
continue to grow. Only the green, leafy crown grows as long as the plant has optimal growing
conditions: fresh water and a little nourishment once in a while. If it
becomes top heavy, you can repot it being sure the new pot is tall enough to
support the stems (to help prevent them from falling over), and deep enough so
that you can add enough gravel to hold the plant erect. You may put it in a
tall, clear glass vase which displays the plant nicely and provides support to
the stems.
For helpful hints on how to
care for your lucky bamboo, how to prune the leaves and how to prune the roots,
see Care Of Lucky
Bamboo.
I THINK MY PLANT IS DYING!
Q: I have had a bamboo plants for about
2 years now. It was growing wonderfully in its pot with water and rocks. About 2
weeks ago the stems started to turn yellow, one by one and now one is turning
brown, they look like they are dying a slow death. Please help me save this
plant. What do I need to do to save it? Please let me know. (Liana)
A: Yellow and
brown are definitely bad signs, Liana. Without knowing how tall the stems
are, how tall the sprouts (with green leaves) are, I’d say your best bet is
to root the green stems and begin anew. There’s no telling how old the stems
were when you acquired the plants. Some “demise” is to be expected if the
stems were old when you purchased the arrangement. Lucky bamboo is an
aquatic plant that grows in wetlands or ponds. Typically, the stems become
top-heavy, bow down and where the stems touch water or damp soil, they root
and the new crown grows upright. You do know that this is a type of water
lily – not the bamboo trees or brush.
Cut the stem just below
the leaf bracts. That is the circular marks on the stalk. You’ll need to do
that where the stems remain green above the bract. Then place it in water
until new roots form. Keep out of direct sunlight – a protected corner in
your kitchen will be fine.
Did you add fertilizer
to the water? They don’t need a whole lot. I have five year old plants that
have never been fertilized and they are still doing well. Too much
fertilizer will harm the plant from the roots up. City water, or fluoride
water, is not good for aquatic plants. If you are not on a private well, you
should buy bottled water for your delicate, exotic house plants.
After they form a new
and healthy root system, go ahead and repot them in the water and rocks.
When the new growth gets tall and heavy, just cut it down and root what
you’ve cut off in water. You’ll continue to have new plants.
IS LUCKY BAMBOO POISONOUS?
Q:< I was hoping that you could tell
me if Lucky Bamboo is poisonous to cats? My bamboo has outgrown its pot in the
kitchen window and I wanted to put it in a bigger pot for the floor, but was
concerned with any toxicity. Do you know? (Paige)
A: A member of the tropical
water lily family (Dracaena Sanderiana )Lucky Bamboo is not reported to be toxic
to either animals or humans. I checked this out on a web site that lists
plants known for toxicity:
Center
for Health Promotion and Preventive Medicine
The site is sponsored by the US Army and has a wealth of current information ranging from pesticides, West
Nile virus, poisonous spiders, toxic plants and much more.
UNCOMPLIMENTARY
COLORS - YELLOW LEAVES WITH BROWN TIPS
Q: I've noticed that the leaves on
my Lucky Bamboo are growing out yellow from the center of the crown, and some of
the leaves have brown tips. Does this mean my plant is dying? (Junebug)
A: No. This is a normal condition
that frequently happens when you've had your plant for several months. If your
tap water is treated with fluoride, this can cause the tips of the leaves to
turn brown as the minerals build up in your plant. Remember, your plant is a
member of the water lily variety and thrives in fresh, natural, untreated
water. Drain the water from the pot and wash away any mineral deposits
that have formed inside the pot. Then, using a pure and natural bottled water,
rinse the roots of your plant and the gravel (if any). Then replace the plant
into the pot, using the clean gravel to hold it in place and fill the pot with
bottled water.
If the brown tips are quite unsightly, you
may take a pair of sharp scissors and clip the ends of the leaves, making sure
to cut them on an angle to retain as much of a point as possible while removing
the brown tip.
The yellowing condition could be caused by
a couple of things. The plant might need a little more diffused daylight, it
might need a dose of liquid fertilizer containing nitrogen, or both. Try moving
the plant to a different location in the room and add a drop of the fertilizer
to the water. Wait two weeks before adding more fertilizer. In the
meantime, continue to change the water once a week - so you will have one week
with fertilizer and one without, one with and one without - until the condition
improves.
MY PLANT IS TOO BIG FOR
ITS BRITCHES - I MEAN POT!
Q: My wife and I have had our Lucky
Bamboo for about two years. It still looks great but it has grown way too tall
above the stems and the roots are climbing out of the pot. I don't really
want to buy a bigger pot as it looked so nice where it is, and I'd need to move
it. What can I do with it? (Max)
A: You can do one of two things. You
know what the first is - but you don't want to do that. The alternative method
is quite safe and the bonus is that you wind up with plants to spare and to
share. Remove the stems from the pot and, using a pair of sharp scissors, trim
the roots back by a third. Then you will need to do some selective pruning
of the crown. You'll have to be the judge on how tall you want your plant
to be. Use this as a rule of thumb for pruning. If the top growth is 12 inches
above the stem, measure down to 8 or 9 inches, which would be 3 or 4 inches
above the stem. Select an area of the top shoot just above the leaf bract (or
ring) and make a clean cut, effectively topping the shoot. You may apply a thin
coat of paraffin to the fresh cut to avoid damping off. Continue this on each
stalk until they have all been pruned. Be careful about damaging the leaves that
remain on the stem. Then replace the main plant into the planter, add gravel to
hold it securely, add fresh pure water and put the plant back into its favorite
location.
Take the stems that you removed from the
crown and place them in water until they form roots. You may then either create
a new Lucky Bamboo arrangement for yourself or hand them over to a friend. (See
also Care of
Lucky Bamboo.)
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