How to Care for Indoor Bamboo Plants (Best Tips)

If you are wondering how you should take care of your indoor bamboo plant then let me tell you the process is very simple and affordable.

tips on how to care indoor bamboo plant

The bamboo plant is one of the easy to grow indoor plants and it needs minimal care to keep them healthy throughout the year. Generally, the bamboo plant we grow in our houses is the lucky bamboo or the Dracaena sanderiana.

Editors Suggestion: If you also have a great interest in growing pothos and ferns indoor, you will love to read about articles on how to care indoor pothos and how to care for ferns.

This species of bamboo plants are usually grown to the size ranging from 6 to 12 inches long and mostly grown in pebbles. Though soil can also be used with proper planning.

Buying Consideration 

Before buying a bamboo plant always make sure that the plant is evenly green throughout the length, and the leaves are not brown around the tips. Buying an unhealthy bamboo plant will need more effort for caring than a healthy one.

While buying a bamboo plant, always remember that if you smell a bad odor then do not buy it, as probably the plant is rotten from inside.

Step by Step Procedure for Caring Indoor Bamboo Plants

Caring for an in-house healthy bamboo plant does not involve much stress or time or even money. These simple and easy caring steps can make your indoor bamboo plant healthy and green.

1. Choose your planter carefully

Most bamboo plants come with ready-made planters from the nursery. But I will recommend you to replace it and use a planter of 2 inches larger in diameter than the plan.

Using a clean planter is appreciated. If your planter does not need to move frequently then you can use heavy glass made planters as with them you can clearly see the roots of the plant.

Ceramic planters also can be used. In that case, do not forget to have a drainage hole in them as it will drain out the excess water.

2. What to use in the planter – soil or water?

Both options can be used. But if using soil then you need to be careful of using the amount of fertilizer in it. and in the case you are using water then make sure the amount of water in the planter is adequate to cover the roots of the plant. 1 inch of water can be sufficient.

In water to hold the plant in its place, you will need some pebbles. Any size and type of a pebble can be used. Using distilled water is recommended. But if you are using normal tap water then you have to make it sit for the whole night.

Chemicals like chlorine and fluoride can cause the browning or yellowish color of the leaves and stalks.

3. Plant it with extreme care:

After selecting a healthy plant and the planter it’s time to plant your bamboo plant properly. In case you have already planted, then you can take all products out of the planter and replant again (if planted wrongly).

If you are using water then use a clean pot and pebbles with distilled water, then plant the bamboo plant in the upright position with the help of pebbles. You can use as much as you can.

Now if you want to use soil in the planter, then use one-third each of sand, moss, and soil and also keep a drainage hole for proper drainage of excess water.

4. Watering techniques:

Naturally, if you are using water to plant then you don’t need to water your plant but you have to change the water once a week.

In the case of soil, you have to water the plant properly so that the soil stays moist. Flooding with excess water can harm the planter.

After watering you need to keep track when the soil gets dry, as a bamboo plant grows well in moist soil and lack of water can hamper the whole procedure.

5. Sufficient Air, light, and temperature for proper growth:

Direct sunlight is very bad for a bamboo plant. A bamboo plant prefers a medium temperature ranging from 60 to 70 F. So exposing it to more than that temperature can result in browning of the stalks.

You can keep the pot aside of your window so that it can get an adequate amount of heat light and air.

6. Using the fertilizer wisely:

Using fertilizer for in-house plants need extreme care. Indoor plants do not get exposed to direct sunlight or rain so the fertilizer you apply remains undiluted for many days.

So using fertilizer in a little amount will be smart enough. I will recommend you to use a liquid fertilizer and spray it occasionally on the bamboo plant.

7. Cutting out the yellow and deceased parts:

This step is very crucial. When your leaves turn to yellow it means the plant is not getting enough water. If that starts to happen or you see any kind of insect harming your plant then clean the container and the pebbles.

Also, rinse the plant in the sink but not for a long time. Then use a pair of sterilized scissors and cut all those affected parts so that it cannot contaminate the fresh ones.

If your plant continues to be yellow then change the water or use distilled water and keep it away from direct sunlight.

8. Curling or Straightening of the green stalks:

Caring for the tree also involves the styling process. To make the bamboo plant look unique you can curl the stalks or you can straighten them. It’s totally up to you.

To make them grow straight you can plant them in a line or row. But to make the stalks curl you have to take the help of a cupboard.

Cut the below and one side of the cupboard and put it over of your plant facing the side cutting portion towards the light.

Then your plant will grow in the direction of the light and form a curve. For another curve repeat this action and you will get a perfectly curled bamboo plant.

Remember this step can only be performed on the young stalks. Mature stalks cannot be curled or arranged.

9. Arranging it in a proper manner:

This step is for them who have already planted the bamboo plant but now they are growing without any arrangement.

To arrange the stalks properly and make it look beautiful you can tie them together with a wire or ribbon.

You can use a colorful ribbon to do that. People usually use a golden ribbon to tie the green stalks.

10. Trimming while necessary:

With proper care and maintenance, the bamboo plant grows very quickly. Within a year it can grow up to 10 inches. But I have seen that most of the people prefer to keep a short-sized plant in their homes.

If you are one of them and want to keep your plant to its present height then one thing you can do is to trim it carefully so that it remains in its present height for a longer time.

You can also use those cutout stalks for planting again. Though trimming process needs extreme care as wrong trimming can result into delayed growth of the plant.

Overall everyone will easily agree that a bamboo plant needs minimum care but adds a special charm to their in-house beauty.

Try these steps and let us know if you need any suggestion.

by | Updated: November 18, 2016



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