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 Posted: Thu Jun 02, 2011 4:34 pm
Okay. I know this really isn't pet but I have bamboo that I could put in my tank once I have up but right now I have it in a vase on top of my hutch *my cats love to try and eat it* and its not looking really good. I need a little help. What can I do or use to make it more healthy? I might put it in my tank I might not. If not what type of vase should I put it in? I have had it for almost a year since my hubby got it at the fair for me last year. C=
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Posted: Thu Jun 02, 2011 6:55 pm
Bamboo...are you talking about "Lucky Bamboo", Dracaena sanderiana?
If so...
You mention putting it into a tank and/or vase... you aren't keeping it in water, are you?
Dracaena sanderiana is a completely terrestrial plant. They eventually rot and decline when kept in water (though time varies before you actually see them decline- some dracaenas, the hardy plants they are, can manage years in water. but it always eventually kills them).
Why do people always put them in water and why are they always sold in water? Simple- it's just a marketing gimmick, similar to Bettas in bowls and what-have-you. People think it looks nice. Same thing with calling it 'bamboo'- it's not a type of bamboo at all, it's...well...Dracaena sanderiana!
If you're keeping it in water, then move it into dirt.
Get a pot appropriate for its size, never get a pot too big and always get a pot with drainage holes. Also get some potting soil (ONLY potting soil- never use topsoil, gardening soil, or compost, which has too poor of drainage for houseplants!), as well as a small bag of perlite (which is a white, fine dusty rock that improves aeration. you can find it at Home Depot or Lowes and similar stores for like 3 dollars). Most/all commercial potting soils are peat-based and have poor drainage and aeration, which consequently causes issues with our plants and slow growth and all that. You mix in some of the perlite to help it out a bit, about a 3:1 ratio of potting mix to perlite.
Transplant the plant into soil. It will be a few weeks until the plant recovers and starts to grow again, since their root structure has to completely change in order to adjust to being in soil rather than water. Never fertilize until it's fully recovered and growing- when you do fertilize, liquid fertilizers heavily diluted with water are a good idea.
I would also move it into a sunnier location- never full sun, but partial sun if you don't already have it there.
Moving it into a proper growing medium and into a sunnier location should help it out. With transplanting, remember the effects aren't immediate and it will take a few weeks to a month for the plant to recover from the stress.
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Posted: Thu Jun 02, 2011 8:00 pm
Its not Lucky bamboo. I got it from the local chinese family that was selling it. Its about a half inch in diameter and is about 6 inches high. The person I bought it from said to keep it in water and just spray it to keep it moist. he said he grows them at his home.
It is in a partial sunny location. here its at it gets some sun from the widows. the only thing Im actually worry about is some dry leaves and the damage my cats did when they tried to eat it. It did flourish until that happen.
But when I get the money I will try to get it into soil but that would be months from now since my hubby is the only one working.
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Posted: Thu Jun 02, 2011 8:09 pm
If it's not Lucky Bamboo, then it may actually be an aquatic plant and be fine in water. You would need to know its name to find out if it's aquatic or not, though, to determine that.
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