Lucky Green Bamboo, A Great Houseplant For Beginners
Lucky Green Bamboo is the plant you’ve seen growing in a glass container with just pebbles to keep the roots in place and some water. The plant is also known as ribbon plant or its true name, Dracaena sanderiana. This popular houseplant is low maintenance, but technically it is not bamboo even though it sure looks like it. If you consider yourself a beginner, indoor gardener this houseplant might be for you.
When we say low maintenance, the plant needs a tiny amount of fertilizer and very little pruning – unless you really want to shape it. Hearsay about this plant is that it promotes happiness and prosperity (another reason to have it in your home or at the office). We recommend when you are looking to purchase this plant that you find a healthy one. A healthy plant is one where the entire plant has a vivid green color with no yellow on the plant. You should also look to make sure it has no bruises or blemishes. While the plant is very tough when buying one make sure there is no odor. If there is a sour odor, this means there is a problem with the plant. If you purchase your plant in a store, you might find gel in the water, this is to keep the plant watered when it is in the store.
Lucky Green Bamboo can be grown in water or soil. If it is grown in only water you need pebbles to keep the plant upright. Make sure there is enough water to cover the base of the plant (this includes the roots). Change the water once a week to keep the plant from rotting. Also, rinse the container and pebbles at the same time. If you choose to grow your plant in soil, make sure the soil is kept moist at all times.
If you want quicker growth of the plant you can add fertilizer but this step is not necessary. Prune any growth where the leaves are yellow. Keep the plant out of direct sunlight and water it once every two weeks and you’ll have a distinctive plant that will last for years. It almost falls into that “can’t be killed” category!
