Recipe: Lucky Bamboo Growing Tips - Chinese Water Bamboo is dying...... the research that i did...

My bamboo is dying... after thriving for 3 years in water & growing to over 3 times its original height, its stalks and leaves are now turning yellow & for the first time the water smells bad & feels slimy. I normally change water once a month & am now doing it 3 times a week!
So I went on the net & found this website...only to find a lot more questions & few answers.
Am posting what I found on some other sites (of some use , for all owners...hope its useful)
Rest of message is long but useful, I promise...so do read on.
And if any of you has specifically dealt with this problem, with success, please do tell me what to do!
Article 1:

Some questions from Emily's mailbox:

Q: Hi, I just bought my fourth Lucky Bamboo plant and was wondering if I could plant it in a metal container. My other three are in pottery containers with only water and stones. The new plant has 40 stalks....8 rows of 5 each, with them secured so that they criss-cross when the plant is stretched open to it full capacity. I have a great metal planter that is perfect for this type of bamboo plant. Can I use it or should I stick to a ceramic pot?

A: I would hate to have my metal container leach some mineral into the water, which disagrees with the lucky bamboo. The lucky bamboo seems to do well, except when it decides not to. Every once in a while a stalk decides that it wants to turn yellow and that's it for the stalk. We've never figured out what causes this, but it would seem to revolve around something in the water.

I would hate to experiment with such a large plant.

Q: On the Garden Web under Pond and aquatic plants sub section Dividing water hyacinth, one person claims to have lucky bamboo growing in their pond. I have questioned how to do this but got no answer. It doesn't seem possible to me. Do you know of a method? I have a large pond and would be interested in growing some.

A: Lucky bamboo is just a tropical plant (Dracaena sanderiana) that has been cut and trained.

We've never grown them in a pond, but if you can figure out how to hold them upright, say, in a pot with small stones all around one or more stalks, they would do ok. They also do well in very moist soil, so you could plant some in a pot with soil and then sink the entire pot in a pond, as you would with any other aquatic plant.

This disregards zone issues, of course. If you are in a northern zone, the dracaena would die in the winter.

Cannot hurt much to try.

Q: Several years ago, I planted my "lucky bamboo" in a pot with dirt. Since then, it has outgrown two pots. I cannot increase the pot size, so I trimmed the roots. Now it does not seem to be doing so well. The leaves on the plant are starting to yellow. Is there any way to save my plant? It's my favorite.

A: Yellow leaves always mean too much water. Or, too little. (I hate it when gardener's say that).

Lucky bamboo (Dracaena Sanderana) likes lots of water, so we'll bet that trimming the roots caused it not to be able to get as much water as it needs. Water it a lot until it can grow its roots back. This plant can live directly in water, so there is not much chance of hurting it with too much water.

Q: I would like to ask how can I propagate fortune bamboo plants. I only have one fortune bamboo at the moment but I want to propagate them.

A: 'Lucky Bamboo' isn't bamboo at all. It's botanically know as Dracaena Sanderana: commonly known as the ribbon plant. It will grow in water like cut flowers.

When we owned a retail store we sold many "Lucky Bamboo" and we had a lot of chances to experiment with propagation.

We never had any success at propagation from the stems that you buy as the lucky bamboo. Putting a stem in water may generate some roots, but the plants did not seem to put out any new leaves.

If we knocked a leaf shoot off a stem, putting the shoot in water, it would grow roots. It would grow well. However, never generate a thick stem.

Good luck.

Q: I have three pieces of lucky bamboo in a skinny vase with about 2" of water in it. One of them at the top has tuned yellow and is withering up. The rest of the stalk seems to be ok. I moved the plant away from a lamp that I had it by, thinking that the light was killing it. Can I cut the damaged part off or will it be ok. In addition, all three pieces have this white spider web sticky stuff on them. What can I do? I love my bamboo and do not want to lose it.

A: You were right to take the bamboo away from the intense source of light. It will do just fine in regular light and even does ok in a less light.
Rinse your bamboo off under the sink faucet with some regular dishwashing detergent. This should clean up the bamboo stalks.

Also change the water every couple of weeks, making sure the water has had a chance to stand 24 hrs to rid of the chlorine. If you have a well system that is fine, or use rain water. Even distilled water will do fine.

Cutting off the damaged part is fine.

Q: I was wondering whether I could cut from the bottom of my twisting lucky bamboo to make it shorter. Mine is getting rather tall, and I live in a dorm room. Thank you for your help.

A: If your lucky bamboo is getting too tall and top heavy for the container, cut right above a node. These are the rings that go around the bamboo. A growing center so to speak. Cut right above one of these. The take the top portion and start all over again and put in water. Roots should appear in time.

The bottom (still in the original container) will sprout more growth from where you cut.

Now you have two plants. The old one from where the cutting was taken and the new one (which is the top) in a new container waiting for roots.

Q: I was searching the web to try to figure out what has made my lucky bamboo sick. Two stalks have already died. I think it is because I started using a different fertilizer. I only use a few drops a month. A few days after I fertilize I noticed these white/green crystals that accumulate on the stalk and the container. Is this fertilizer killing my bamboo? Two stalks have turned yellow /brown and is soft and mushy. I discarded them.

A: Yes, the 'lucky bamboo' may start dying when it starts to turn yellow.

Once that happens I am afraid it is a goner.

I do not suggest fertilizing and if you do, just use a much-diluted water-soluble Miracle Grow or Peters.

Change the water every 2 weeks. This prevents bacteria from building up.

Distilled water seems to work very well.

Good bright light but not full sun.

This is a plant that must be ignored.

They tend to like being pot bound.

I grew it 30 years ago as a Ribbon plant, in a dirt pot.

It is a member of the corn plant family and although roots well and grows well in water it is not an aquatic plant.

Good luck.

Q: I was just wondering if it is possible to make another set of leaves grow off a stalk of lucky bamboo. I have a single stalk and a set of three, and in the set of three, two of the stalks have more than one set of leaves.

A: That is a good question. I generally just cut about one inch below the node for more roots to form when dividing a piece. However, growing more leaves is the luck of the draw. They pop out by the nodes and I suspect being root bound and having some age or maturity to the plant will help.

Q: I was just given three stalks of lucky bamboo. Two of the stalks are twisted, one is straight. How can I encourage the new growth to twist?

A: Getting the 'lucky bamboo' to twist is done in a very serious manner in nurseries before they are sold to the public.

Getting them to twist on your own is somewhat difficult. Try turning the plant away form the light every month or so. Plants will grow towards the light. It is the new growth on top that will lean

Source: EmilyCompost

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CHINESE WATER BAMBOO

Botanical name: Dracaena sanderiana.
Family: Agavceae.
Plant type: Evergreen perennial.
Size (HxW): 100cm x 50cm.
Depth and spacing: A plant that allows you to be creative. Consider planting in groups, pairs or alone in soil or water. They can be spaced or touching.
Watering: If grown in a potting mix it should be allowed to dry out on the soil surface before more watering takes place.
Frost tolerance: Frost tender, if planted outdoors make sure to protect this plant from heavy frosts.
Planting time: Anytime
Climate: Cool to Tropical.
Aspect: These plants need full sun to semi-shade when planted outdoors. Indoors they can survive without direct sunlight but will perform best in a well-lit area.
Fertilizer: Every 2 months feed with a small amount of any slow release fertilizer.
After flowering care: When the plant grows too large cut the cane below the lowest leaf, above a node at the desired height. New growth will shoot from the internode below.
Comments: If you choose to grow in water make sure that the water remains clean and clear. Try adding some pebbles at the base to keep the stems supported. Make sure the water level remains over the roots.

Source: Tesselaar Bulbs

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LUCKY BAMBOO, BOTANICAL NAME DRACAENA.
It is tough and resilient which does not require much of the direct sun light and can even grow in the place like bathroom where sun light is not available in most of the houses. It is very easy to take care, only water is needed.

Lucky Bamboo is one of the plants that recommended by Feng Shui masters and practitioners for improve Feng Shui and create a space where you feel safe and more energized to meet the demands of today's high-pressured world.

Since this kind of plant symbolizes good luck, nowadays, people believe not only it brings green color into your room, but also bring fortune and prosperity to any household, business or people you care. Many occasion you can use lucky bamboo, such as wedding favor, party favor, baby shower, birthday, promotion, graduation, holidays celebration, and etc.

Taking care of Lucky bamboo is fairly easy and almost care free, all you have to do is to put it in clean water. Lucky bamboo is very resilient, it preferred indoor environment with full light or without light, but avoid direct sun.

Source: Lucky-Bamboo

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IT'S ALL THE RAGE!

By now, if you haven't seen it in the florist or plant nurseries, you will.

'Lucky Bamboo' or 'Fortune Bamboo'. It's part of the Feng Shui way of life.

'Lucky Bamboo' isn't bamboo at all. It's botanically know as Dracaena Sanderiana: commonly known as the ribbon plant. It will grow in water like cut flowers.

It grows in 1/2 inch to two inches of water. Change the water every couple of weeks. It is not necessary to fertilize the plant but a diluted water-soluble fertilizer can be used. This plant prefers bright light, but not direct sunlight. Does well in low and fluorescent light.

Room temperature no lower than 55 degrees F. Place it away from air conditioning and heaters.

When the Chinese New Year arrives, a special occasion, or the purchase of a new home, 'Lucky Bamboo' is given.

New to you? It's fun and exciting to watch grow; and will last for years.

It's interesting, fun and a great conversation piece.

Enjoy it.