Cutting Lucky Bamboo

Lucky bamboo, the botanical name Dracaena, is a plant that and belongs to the lily family, and grows without the need for direct sunlight. This plant is mainly found in the tropical rain-forests of Africa and South-East Asia. Lucky bamboo is linked with FengShui, and is used to bring the natural elements; fire, water, wood, earth and metal to form a proper balance, to bring harmony to the environment. At times, a red ribbon is tied around the stalk of the plant, which is thought to bring positive energy into the room. Lucky bamboo is said to be a flourishing example of all the five natural elements. In which, the bamboo represents wood, the rocks that support the plant represents the earth, the water which enables the plant to grow, represents water, while the glass pot represents, metal. If the lucky bamboo is planted in anything other than a glass pot, a metal coin is placed inside the pot to symbolize metal. In Feng Shui, three stacks of lucky bamboo is believed to bring in happiness, five is associated with wealth and six, for health. Four stacks are not preferred because, in Chinese, the word four, sounds similar to the word death. Let us now turn our attention to, lucky bamboo care and cutting lucky bamboo plants.

Lucky bamboo care
If the lucky bamboo is exposed to direct sunlight, the leaves may turn yellow. Salt water also makes the leaves turn yellow. To grow a new plant, cut it with a sharp knife through the stalk just below the joint. Lucky bamboo plants can be shifted from one pot, to another. While doing this, take care to allow the top of the soil dry out between the waterings. For the growth of a new bud, use a fine mist spray pump, to water it. The water should be changed every week, thus keeping it fresh, this will help you a lot in lucky bamboo plant care. The level of water should be an inch from the base of the canes. This plant thrives best in indirect sunlight. The temperature of the room should be around 65 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit. The plant should be often treated with an African Violet fertilizer. This will control the growth of your plant, which in turn, will help you in the taking care of lucky bamboo plants. The information mentioned above, should about cover all there is to know about, how to take care of lucky bamboo?'. We shall now move on to ways of cutting lucky bamboo plants.

How to cut lucky bamboo
You first need to obtain a few items, necessary for cutting lucky bamboo, they are; a sharp pair of shears or scissors, paraffin wax, toothpicks or cotton swabs and distilled water.

• Use the shears or scissors to clip the green growth, sprouting from the stalks, 1 to 2 inches from the stack. This will make the plant grow to its full length, and also look neat and clean.
• Take a 1/8 measure of melted paraffin wax in a cup. Do not bombard the plant with hot wax. With a cotton swab or toothpick, apply wax on the fresh cuts, made in the beginning. This will avoid the invasion of bacteria to the interior parts of the plant, thus, preventing it from rotting.
• If the roots in the pot have become dense, it is advised to have them trimmed. For trimming the roots, dislodge the plant from its container, gently, as there are chances of the gravel getting entangled with the roots and damaging them.
• With the help of the scissors or sharp shears, trim the ends of the roots. After that, place the plant back into the container.
• If you wish, you can root the stems that you have cut. Fill the glass with distilled water since it is free from all kinds of impurities. Place these stems in the glass and set it near its mother plant. This will help you in growing lucky bamboo cuttings.

This article should now give you an idea about cutting lucky bamboo plants and also, information on lucky bamboo care. Among houseplants, the lucky bamboo is one of the most preferred plants, not only for its aesthetic value, but also as a means of decorating one's house. So, why not plant a lucky bamboo plant in your house, and make it a 'lucky' place to stay in.