How to Care for Your Dying Bamboo Plant

The most important thing to realize about caring for your dying bamboo plant is that the plant is most likely not bamboo. Plants sold across the country and identified as "Lucky Bamboo" are generally a member of the lily family and do not have the same nutritional or sunlight needs as true bamboo.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Scissors
• Plant food
• Clay pot
• Large stones

How to Save a Dying Bamboo Plant

1. Check that the bamboo plant is getting plenty of water, but not too much. Generally, the plant should only need to have its pot filled with water about once a month. If you are filling it more often, check for standing, stagnant water in the pot. Remove all the stones in the pot. If stones are all dry, water the plant to bring it back to life.

2. Determine if your lucky bamboo is getting too much or too little sunlight. If the part that is dying is far away from the window, move the plant closer to the window. If the part that is dying is closest to the window and has dry, brown leaves, move the pot away from the window.

3. Remove the rocks from the clay pot that houses your bamboo. Put them in a strainer and rinse with cool, clean water. If there is moss or algae growing on the rocks, scrub them clean (without soap) before returning them to the pot. While they are out of the pot, make sure the roots of the plant are not a tangled knot like overdone spaghetti.

4. Consider moving the bamboo to a larger pot. If the roots look like tangled spaghetti or are stuffed tightly into the planter, the plant may not have enough room to grow. Plants will start to die off to preserve the portion of the plant that has room to grow.

5. Trim off a live section of the plant and place it in water to grow new roots. Use plant food to strengthen the plant as it roots.

6. Check your bamboo for mites of other insects. If you have evidence of insect damage (or see mites), begin by giving the plant a good shower to wash off as many of the bugs as possible. Then, seal the plant in a clear plastic bag for a week to try to kill off as many of the bugs as possible. As a last resort, consider an insecticide.

Tips & Warnings

• Lucky bamboo is a member of the lily family which means it is highly toxic for cats, but some cats like the taste anyway. Look for evidence your cat has been chewing and put a stop to it immediately. If you must resort to insecticide to kill mites or other pests, be sure to check for products that are not toxic to children or pets.