Help me save a dying plant?

Question

My friend gave me a dying bamboo plant that's in rocks. No dirt. It needs mineral water to live, but I don't have any right now. I can't drive, so I can't go get any. Is there any mixture of household things or something that I can sustain it with until I get mineral water?

Answer 1

Do you mean Lucky Bamboo?

You need to figure out why it is dying. Does it have a fungus infection or bacterial infection? Is the water cloudy or stinky?

Lucky Bamboo is just Dracena, a house plant that usually grows in dirt but will survive in water and has been marketed heavily. It really does better in dirt, you can try replanting in a pot with container soil.

If you want to keep it in water: Change the water and clean the container and rocks. Remove the plant and place in pot or vase with tap water. Inspect the plant and cut off any soft, slimy or brown areas. Its okay to cut off all the roots if necessary, it will grow new ones.

Clean the original container with soap and water, scrubbing off any green stuff. Then soak the container and rocks for about 15 minutes in water to which you have added a small amount of bleach. Discard the soaking water and rinse the container and rocks several times with tap water.

Finally, add the plant back to the container and rocks. Refill with tap water that you left out overnight in an open container so that the clorine could evaporates. It wouldn't hurt to add a small amount of liquid house plant fertilizer to the water, dilute it about 1/4 the recommended amount. The plant will survive in the tap water for quite a while, until you have time to get out and buy liquid fertilizer.

You don't need to use mineral water, just use tap water that has been allowed to sit out overnight. Or boil tap water, then allow it to cool.

Answer 2

I'm sorry, I had the same problem 2 years ago... I cut them also and for some pieces, the situation was improved. They are green again. But others... I lost them.

And after I did the cuts, I found out (on an american website) that the problem is the water. So I am using right now only plain water, from bottle. Because the composition of the sink water is different from country to country, but usually it has a high concentration of limestone in it. And this affects the plant. You should change the water once per week and you have to wash also the stones. I am using only plain water for 2 years now and I don't have any problem anymore.

Answer 3

The mineral water may be debatable..I have grown mine in regular tap water..but here is a link all about it..also to get the twirls in lucky bamboo you need to turn the plant every couple weeks about 1/2 a turn

http://www.espritdeisle.com/about-lucky-bamboo.htm