People who are adherents of the Feng Shui philosophy are convinced that indoor bamboo is able to bring luck, happiness and prosperity to its owner. This plant was brought to Russia from Asia, since then it has been widely used in the design of hotels, restaurants and offices. In this article you will find a description of bamboo, its photo and tips on growing and care.
Description
Indoor bamboo has only an outward resemblance to the whole well-known plant. Historically, these are completely different species that have nothing in common. So, the representative of the flora, which will be discussed in this article, is a variety of dracaena. It is also called Dracaena Sander. This evergreen plant is exotic, it can fit into the interior of any room. Its appearance is quite interesting: on the top of green or yellowish bare stems there are bright leaves. It does not reach a length of 40 meters, like a tropical bamboo. However, with good care it can grow up to two meters. The main secret of indoor bamboo care is to grow the plant in conditions that resemble its natural environment.
Cultivation methods
As already mentioned, indoor bamboo is unpretentious. This means that many popular methods of growing ornamental plants are suitable for him. What are these methods?
- In hydrogel. This is the best option of all presented. Hydrogel is a soil with a special composition. It is impregnated with a gel-like substance, which can have any color or be transparent. If you prefer this method, get a transparent pot so that you can see the colored gel.
- In water. This option cannot be called traditional. However, bamboo feels good even in water. It must be clean, it is best to pre-filter it. A layer of small pebbles is placed at the bottom of the pot, after which the plant is planted. In this case, care must be taken to ensure that the drainage does not exceed the level of the root system. An important condition that must be observed is the timely change or top-up of water.
- In a pot of soil. Like other indoor plants, bamboo feels comfortable in a pot of soil. It is best to give preference to soil intended for dracaena. At the bottom of the pot should be placed decorative glass or small pebbles. They will perform the function of drainage.
Seed growing
Indoor bamboo is propagated using seeds or cuttings. The first is suitable for spring planting. It is produced in March, since it is in this month that natural distillation begins. To do this, the seeds must be soaked in water and wait until they completely germinate. Then they land in the ground. The proportions are as follows: half of the whole is land, another ¼ of the mixture is sand and drainage. After the seeds are placed in the ground, they are covered with a film and, thus, create a greenhouse effect.
Propagation by cuttings
There is another way to grow a bamboo houseplant. First of all, it is necessary to pinch off the shoot from an adult plant and put it in water for three to four weeks. After this time, it will take root, that is, it will be possible to plant it in hydrogel, soil or water.
Of course, there are still ways to reproduce bamboo. For example, offspring or apical shoots. However, they are considered the most complex and are used only in extreme cases.
Indoor bamboo trim
Home care implies the timely conduct of a number of activities. These include pruning stems and shoots, which must be done annually. To do this, use special garden scissors or, in extreme cases, a pruner for indoor flowers.
Shoots that have been cut can be used as cuttings for propagating bamboo. They are simply placed in water and waiting for the roots to appear. So that the shoots do not rot in the water, lubricate the sections with liquid wax. Pruning can also speed up the formation of new shoots. To do this, you can cut off part of the trunk, after which leaflets will grow on the sides.
Lighting
A popular plant is indoor bamboo. How to care for him? It is necessary to ensure that the lighting at the place of its cultivation is scattered and direct sunlight does not fall on the plant. You can create such lighting by using a light, light-transmitting curtain on the windowsill. It is better to place bamboo from the west or east side. In Feng Shui, it is best to place the plant in the southeast of the room. This will allow him to fully manifest his magical properties. If the lighting is not chosen correctly, then the plant may lose leaves, as a result of which its growth will slow down.
Temperature
Bamboo is an unpretentious plant and can withstand even high temperatures reaching 30 degrees. However, he feels more comfortable with a value of 18 to 25 degrees to avoid the appearance of various diseases. It is not recommended to place bamboo next to heating radiators, as the air in such places is overdried.
Humidity
The plant is able to withstand different environmental conditions. However, you should regularly dust the leaves with a damp cloth to preserve the beauty of bamboo. At the same time, it is necessary to avoid an increased level of humidity in the room, as this can lead to yellowing of the leaves.
Watering
Indoor bamboo can be grown in three different ways. Depending on which one you prefer, the plant will be watered. So, when growing bamboo in water, you need to change it regularly. Every week you should get rid of old water so that the plant develops quickly and harmoniously.
The soil in which bamboo grows must always be moist, as its drying out can lead to plant diseases. In this case, it is impossible to allow the liquid to stagnate in the soil, since in this case mold may appear, which will not benefit the evergreen plant. Summer watering should be plentiful, but in winter and autumn they must be reduced to avoid yellowing and dying of leaves.
Top dressing
Many people who grow this exotic plant are wondering why indoor bamboo is turning yellow. The most common cause of this problem is the lack of fertilizer. The acquisition by the stem of an unhealthy yellow hue may be accompanied by the death of the leaves. Therefore, you need to make fertilizing on time. If bamboo is grown in water, then it is updated every 2-3 months. Use mineral fertilizer that is intended for dracaena. Fertilizers are applied in approximately the same way if bamboo grows in the soil. In this case, they are simply combined with water intended for irrigation.
Essential Bamboo Care Tips
Bamboo is a houseplant, the care of which involves a series of events. To summarize all of the above, we can list several principles for caring for him.
- Make plentiful watering in the summer and reduce it in the winter season.
- Feed fertilizer for dracaena once every two to three months.
- Watch the temperature in the room. If the plant is too hot, its leaves will turn yellow.
- Water only with settled water. Its temperature should be 18–20 degrees.
- Do not place bamboo on the windowsill on the side where direct sunlight.
- To avoid yellowing leaves, protect the plant from cold air and drafts.
Thus, it’s easy to take care of indoor bamboo, the main thing is to do it right.
How to spin a “bamboo of happiness”
Indoor bamboo, the photo of which is presented in this article, has been widely used in interior design for its stem. The fact is that there are no leaves on it, and it can be bent, creating unusual shapes and even exposure from the plant. Simply put, bamboo is "spun." How to do it yourself?
- To twist the plant, you need to place its stem in a plastic tube and leave it there for a while, but not less than a week. The tube can be bent in different ways, and after a long time spent in it, the stem will take its shape and subsequently will not change it. Of course, the handset will need to be picked up after a while.
- If the stems are young, that is, not yet stiff, you can simply bend them the way you want and fix them with wire. After a few weeks, the fasteners are removed, and the stem takes on the necessary shape.
It is important to remember that bamboo grows in height. To give it a beautiful shape, it is necessary to twist it artificially.
Feng Shui value
Indoor bamboo is grown by many people. This plant has a certain value, according to the teachings of Feng Shui. It all depends on how many stems are used in the composition. Three stems will bring joy, 5 - financial well-being, 7 - longevity, 20 - love and happiness in family life, 21 - success in all areas. In this case, one should not create compositions using 4 stems, since this number is unfavorable.
To enhance the magical properties of bamboo, the plant can be tied with ribbons of red or gold color, put decorative pebbles on the ground, as well as "plant" the figure of an elephant, dog, frog or panda.