Best Tips For Growing Indoor Plants ( Part 4 ) - Lucky Bamboo

Lucky bamboo is a low maintenance and easy to grow plant. It is not really a bamboo but a water lilly called Dracaena sanderiana. It is assumed to originated from Africa. Lucky bamboo is believed to bring good luck and fortune in the home, that's why it is very common in homes. 
Best thing about lucky bamboo is that it can grow in plain water, doesn't require soil at all. 
Lucky bamboo leaves are glossy, shiny but mildly toxic so it should be kept away from pets and children. It is also known as Ribbon plant or Ribbon dracaena.

Container

Use a tall glass vase or ceramic container or deep bowls. Put some stones or rock pieces to help it in standing straight. 

In case of growing in soil, make sure container is having adequate number of holes at bottom so that excess water could be drained out.

Soil

As mentioned earlier, Lucky bamboo can grow in water and doesn't require soil at all, however if you want to grow in soil then make sure soil is well drained. Almost any type of soil will do well in case of lucky bamboo. Soil should not be soggy as it induces root rot.

Light / Temperature

Lucky bamboo prefers bright, filtered sunlight. It can't tolerate direct sun light, leaves get scorched in such conditions. It can tolerate too little light than too much light. If the green color of stem and leaves starts fading, provide more light. It likes warm environment, temperature ranging 65 F - 90 F (18-32 C) . Avoid placing the plants in front of air conditioning or heating vents.

Watering

Fill the vase or container with 2-3 inches of water. Prefer using bottled or distilled water as tap water contains chlorine and chemicals which can be detrimental for the plant. Or use tap water which has been kept out for 24 hours to allow the chlorine to evaporate. Change the water weekly or whenever you find it turbid as dirty water can invite harmful bacteria and algae.

Fertilizer

Feed lucky bamboo every other month using a very weak liquid fertilizer. Add 1-2 drops of liquid fertilizer to the water. You can try specific fertilizers available for lucky bamboo too.

Trimming and Shaping

Lucky bamboo is shaped by rotating the plant stalks in front of a light source. This way plant tend to grow toward the light source and get shaped automatically, no need of using copper wires (done in case of bonsai).
To maintain the plant's shape, you will need trimming. Cut the offshoots growing out of main stem with help of pruning shears or any sterile sharp object. You can trim some offshoots back to few inches. If you cut main stalk itself then new growth will emerge from the cut, and the cutting can be used for propagating new plant. 

Caring

Chlorinated water will kill the plant over time. Dirty or turbid water will invite many disease causing bacteria and algae. So try to use bottled, distilled or De-chlorinated water. If green structure (algae) starts growing in the water, change it instantly and clear the vase. If algae keeps growing then switch to an opaque vase as in opaque vase light won't be available for algae to grow.
If stalk turns black and start to rot then take it out otherwise it will induce rotting in other stalks. In too much light or fertilizer, leaves turns yellow, so cut down on fertilizer and move the plant to shadier place. In low humidity conditions lucky bamboo's leaves turn brown so maintain required humidity level by misting the plant regularly.