The lucky bamboo is a gorgeous, exotic plant that will grow quickly and beautifully in your home. But how do you know when it’s time to prune a lucky bamboo plant? In this post, we discuss everything you need to know about keeping your lucky bamboo in tip-top shape! Let’s get started…
Can You Prune a Lucky Bamboo?
Yes, it is possible to prune a lucky bamboo plant. In fact, it is a simple process that doesn’t require any advanced expertise or gear. All you need is the information, a pair of sharp scissors, some sterilisation liquid, and a steady hand.
What is a Lucky Bamboo?
The most common species are Dracaena sanderiana and Sansevieria trifasciata, which can be found in the tropical regions of Asia, Africa, Madagascar, and South America.
Lucky bamboos have thick stems that look like pieces of pipe. Along the stalk are nodes with little green leaves coming out of each one.
Lucky bamboo is a popular house plant because it requires little attention. It thrives in low light and can survive on the occasional misting with water every few days or so.
The lucky bamboo’s name comes from the Chinese phrase 一期兴旺, which means “to prosper with each other.”
Lucky bamboo plants are often given to celebrate a new job or milestone. When you receive your lucky plant, it is customary to say thank you by giving money in return. The amount of money depends on how happy you are to receive the plant.
In order for this lucky bamboo to continue living, it’s important that they be pruned and shaped periodically.
How Often Should You Prune a Lucky Bamboo?
Pruning is a necessary step when it comes to making sure that you keep your house looking clean and neat while growing a lucky bamboo. If left unchecked, long stems could potentially poke through planters or windowsills.
How to Prune Lucky Bamboo?
The first step when pruning a lucky bamboo is deciding what type of shape you want.
While you can use a kitchen knife for small plants, it is not advised to do this with sharp, sterile pruning shears to cut back your lucky bamboo. These are tough plants, but they will become infected if you accidentally make cuts with scissors that aren’t clean. I like to wipe isopropyl alcohol over each blade.
If your lucky bamboo contains shoots that are extremely long and thin, you may want to trim these down to a shorter size. Doing this will actually lead to new growth that looks a lot better than previously.
New shoots will emerge every time you trim your lucky bamboo plant. In fact, I regularly prune my lucky bamboo to achieve a bushier plant. You can put a stop to this growth by covering the cut ends with some paraffin.
Offshoot cuts can be made within an inch of the stem, but be sure to not touch the stem itself.
You should also trim away any dead leaves and make sure all of the roots are trimmed back so they don’t tangle around other plants’ roots. It’s important to cut the whole leaf off where it meets the stalk. Only cutting part of the leaf can invite bacteria into your beloved lucky bamboo plant.
When shaping lucky bamboo, try to keep it in an even shape at all times – if your plant starts drooping like a weeping willow tree, then there’s too much weight on one side of the stem!
Can I Make My Lucky Bamboo Shorter?
Yes, you can cut the stalk to the height you want. However, cutting the stalk/stem increases the chance of infection, so do so at your own risk.
Please be aware that the stem won’t grow any taller after you have made the cut. Of course, new shoots will keep growing from your plant, but the stalk won’t get taller.
Should I Trim Lucky Bamboo Roots?
You should trim the roots if your lucky bamboo’s roots have grown into a tight ball. This is done by:
- Making cuts with sterile, sharp scissors
- Leaving at least 1 inch of a healthy root still intact
- Completely cutting away all black roots
- Finish by adding fertilizer to the water
It might take more than two months for roots to grow again after cutting them. But if they are healthy enough, they’ll soon return back to their original form.
Conclusion
Lucky bamboo needs to be trimmed from time to time for the health of the plant.
It’s important not only because trimming helps maintain the shape of your plant, but also because too much growth can disrupt the decor in your home.
I hope this article has helped you learn how to prune and shape lucky bamboo plants. Of course, if you have any more questions about these unique house plants, please feel free to leave me a message.
If you enjoyed reading this blog post, don’t forget to share it with friends who might also enjoy learning from my experiences – stay tuned for future articles coming soon!
