How to Propagate the Lucky Bamboo Houseplant

Where Do You Start?

The lucky bamboo plant can be found in plant sections of most department stores and plant nurseries. They are usually tied in a cluster of several plants siting in a small amount of water that keeps the plants alive. They do not require special lighting, but do thrive on plenty of indirect sunlight for best growth and will also grow best at a temperature of 65-70 degrees. Shown at the top of this article is a photo taken of the original “Lucky Bamboo” plant which I used to propagate and using a simple cutting from it which we had purchased a couple of years ago. The plant was then about 7 inches tall. At the time of the cutting it had grown to over 30 inches. I am told that this is about the best age, i.e., 2 years to make a cutting for propagation. It should be noted that before attempting to propagate any golden bamboo the leaves should be healthy with a deep green color. Yellowing over time usually means low nutrient contents of the soil or strong sun. This plant is very forgiving and there should be very little problems in the growing process.

The Next Step To Make It Happen

There are a few ways to propagate plants in general, but one of the esiest is to make a slant cutting near the top of this plant. First, choose to make the cutting at least four leaves below the top using a very sharp knife choosing a point that is just below the joint and making the cut at a 45 degree angle. It can usually be placed in a glass of water, but again, being careful not to place in direct sunlight, since this will promote the growth of algae and mold which could promote the spread in the root system. It is preferred to use distilled water at this stage since flourine can affect the growth of the plant. Another way of starting the new growth is to lay it on its side in a shallow plate, even one made of styrofoam. The plant is not fussy. Just place a half inch layer of peat moss mix containing some nutrients on the bottom, lay the plant on its side and cover an inch or so with more of the same. Water generously but do not drown and keep moist. Roots should begin sprouting in about 3 weeks. To hasten the process, use rooting compound by soaking a wetted freshly cut stem in some which has been poured in a slight mound, or even soakin it directly inside the container it comes in. It is unfortunate that all you will need of the rooting compound is less than a gram to speed the root growth.

To avoid root rot, be careful to let the top of the soil dry out between watering. Shown below: Propagated “Lucky Bamboo”.

Just A Bit Of History On The “Lucky Bamboo”

Lucky Bamboo or Dracaena sanderiana has been around for centuries. The Chinese find it to be very lucky. It is not truly from the bamboo family even though it does resemble it a great deal. It does however have the botanical name: Dracaena and belongs to the lily family that grows in the dark, tropical rainforests of Southeast Asia and Africa. The Chinese also give three stalks as a wedding gift for happiness, five stalks for wealth, six stalks for health. It is said that four stalks are never presented since the word “four” in Chinese sounds too close to the Chinese word for “death”.