Dont despair if your lucky bamboo is turning yellowheres how to make your plant green again.
So if your lucky bamboo starts to flag, just take a moment to set it right.
The fixes are as easy as reconsidering how you water the plant or moving it to the right spot.
Credit:Elizabeth Fernandez / Getty Images
What is lucky bamboo?
Although they look a lot alike, lucky bamboo is not atrue bamboo.
It is actually a bang out ofDracaenaknown asDracaena sanderiana.
Keep an eye on the stalks, which can turn yellow from the bottom up.
By the time the stalks turn yellow, it might be too late to take action.
Try cutting the green top off and starting a new plant.
Here are some possible causes of a lucky bamboo plant turning yellow, along with fixes.
Watering Problems
Yes, its possible to overwater a plant that can live in a container full of water.
A luckybamboo that sits in soggy soil will drownbecause its roots cannot get oxygen.
As the roots rot, its leaves turn yellow and die.
As the lucky bamboo loses the nutrient war, its leaves turn yellow.
Solution:Keep the potting mix loose and well-drained when growing lucky bamboo in soil.
The soil should be moist but not soggy.
Using an opaque container blocks sunlight and slows algae growth.
Solution:Grow lucky bamboo in filtered or distilled water, orcollect rainwaterto keep the roots and plant healthy.
Let tap water sit out for 24 hours to let the harsh chemicals dissipate.
Growing your lucky bamboo in soil?
Drafts
Lucky bamboo is a tropical plant that needs temperatures between 60 and 90 degrees to thrive.
The abrupt temperature change stresses the plant and causes the leaves to turn yellow.
Too Much Sunlight
Lucky bamboo prefersbright but indirect light.
If it receives direct sunlight, its leaves will turn yellow from stress ormay even be burnedand turn brown.
Put your plant within 4 feet of an east-facing window to receive bright morning light.
Dont place lucky bamboo in direct sunlight.
Lucky bamboo tolerates low light, so a north-facing window will do if you dont have an east-facing window.
Too Much Fertilizer
Overfeeding lucky bamboo can burn the roots and cause the leaves to turn yellow.
For lucky bamboo grown in water, add a few drops of diluted fertilizer every three months.
Less is always better when it comes to fertilizing this plant.
Age
Like all houseplants, lucky bamboo sheds old leaves to make room for new ones.
Those yellow leaves may mean your plant is going through its natural life cycle.
The plant may be fine if you see new growth on the lucky bamboo alongside the yellow leaves.
Lucky bamboo grown in water can outgrow its container, too.
If the roots look crowded in the water, that could also result in yellow leaves.
For lucky bamboo growing in water, move it to a slightly larger vessel.
Pest Infestation
Like all houseplants, lucky bamboo is susceptible toaphids, spider mites, and mealybugs.
These insects suck the sap out of the plant, making the leaves turn yellow.
Inspect the plant for signs of an infestation.
Pests can be symptomatic of another plant problem because they tend to attack a plant that is already stressed.
Solution:Treat the plant with aneem oil sprayor insecticidal soap.
Spray the underside of the leaves and the top of the infested foliage two or three times.
While lucky bamboo plants are popular gifts, remember thatDracaenaplants are toxic to dogs and cats.
When it is grown in water, lucky bamboo lives one or two years.
However, if you transfer the plant to soil, it can live several years longer.
Lucky bamboo can grow up to 3 feet tall when grown as a houseplant.
It might be a humidity issue.
Monitor the humidity, especially in winter when heaters are being used.
If you dont like the look of the offshoots, you’re free to remove them.
Lucky Bamboos Many Meanings, Plus Care Tips.
The Old Farmers Almanac.
How can I save my lucky bamboo plant that is yellowing?
New York Botanical Garden.
American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.
Dracaena sanderiana.North Carolina State University Extension.
Root Awakening: Lucky Bamboo’s Nodes Will Produce New Growth.
“The Straits Times.
