Why do my bamboo plants keep dying?

Hi Employment Guy,

This is Ricks Picks. I work in the Garden Department forThe Home Depot. Thank you for your question. The biggest issue I have come across regarding Luck Bamboo has been the water. Many people do not realize that the water in the Luck Bamboo needs to be changed weekly! If you have pebbles in the vase, the pebbles and the vase should be washed out to remove any build up of

salts that naturally occur in the water. As the water evaporates and is used up by the plant, the salts will start to concentrate. Changing the water weekly will also help avoid the accumulation of chlorine and flouride in addition to the salts. It is best to leave an open container of water on the counter for 24 hrs to help dissipate the latter two additives before adding the water to the bamboo plant.

Since water has no nutrients, you will want to add a mild water soluble fertilizer such as an African Violet fertilizer. When the Lucky Bamboo is in water, it does not have the soil to buffer any of the salts from the fertilizer. It is a good idea to use the fertilizer gently and sparingly. Better to use too little than too much fertilizer! Be sure to wash the pebbles and the container out as well. Both of these can accumulate the salts, fluoride and chlorine. Since this process is important, I have mentioned it twice. Your local Home Depot or other garden supply center should have the Shultz African Violet Fertilizer on hand.

The bamboo is a very prolific plant under the right conditions. It is actually more tropical which is why it will grow in water as well as soil and thrives under a limited light setting. The actual botanical name is a Dracaena sanderiana and it is not a bamboo at all, but a member of the lily family, which grows in the dark tropical rain forests of Southeast Asia and Africa.

You may have to discard the parts that have turned yellow. Gently wash the roots of the plant out as well with temped water. Any part of the plant that has a “squishy” feel to it has probably started to rot and will have to be discarded as well. It you are in doubt, give it the sniff test. If it has begun to rot, you will experience an unpleasant odor similar to that of water that has set too long in a bucket and has become stagnant.

If you can find an area above the "yellow" area where is no sign of rot, cut that area away. Be careful not to touch ay part of the yellowing part of the plant with the knife or with your hands. Wash your hands and the knife with a light beach solution to kill off any of the bacteria, then cut above the bad part into the green part to avoid any of the rotted part of the plant.

I hope these suggestions will help you bring your Lucky Bamboo back to its prior state of healthiness. Be sure to take some pictures of your plant before and after so that you can share its progress with all of us.

This has been another of,

Ricks Picks

bamboo is not an aquatic plant. If you submerge it completely under water it will die. Make sure to keep it mostly out of water and it should survive.

Could be a scale insect infestation, fungal disease, or excess chlorine in the tap water. No way to tell which w/o pics.

Sounds to me like they got too much water.

They cannot be watered with tap water. It must be purified.

Your not asian or a panda.