Cutting Lucky Bamboo

Cutting lucky bamboo to make new plant shoots and create more lucky bamboo stems or an intricate design is a fun way to show your creativity. 

Before a plant can be cut, lucky bamboo care instructions must be followed to ensure that the original plant and the shoot are both indeed growing lucky bamboo. 

A plant should not be cut unless it is healthy and the correct lucky bamboo plant care regimen has been followed. 

The care of lucky bamboo plants encompasses five main areas. 

They are sunlight, watering, temperature, potting material, and food/fertilizer. 

Sunlight: Lucky bamboos prefer bright but indirect sunlight. Direct sunlight will scorch the leaves. Too little light is better than too much. If the plant begins to stretch, or the green starts to fade, provide more light.

Watering: Growing lucky bamboo need only about and an inch of water to thrive. Water the lucky bamboo only with bottled or distilled water, or tap water that has been left out for at least a day this allows the chlorine to evaporate. Healthy lucky bamboo roots are red, so don't be alarmed when you see them. Good lucky bamboo plant care hygiene dictates that you change the water weekly.

Temperature: Lucky bamboo likes warmer temperatures of between 65ºF and 90ºF. Do not place the plants in front of air conditioning or heating vents.

Potting Media: In addition to water, lucky bamboo can be grown in a well-drained, rich potting soil. Keep the soil moist, but not soaking.

Fertilizer: Plants grown in water will only need to be fed every other month or so, using a very weak liquid fertilizer. A single drop of liquid fertilizer is plenty for most lucky bamboo arrangements. Specialty lucky bamboo fertilizers are available, using these help to keep the care of lucky bamboo plants simple. 

New stalks can be created from the original plant by using a sharp knife to cut through a stalk - just below the joint. Cutting the lucky bamboo with one quick motion, place the cutting in fresh, clean water. A fine mist spray to stalks is a good thing to stimulate new bud growth.

Trimming is an important part of keeping your lucky bamboo healthy. Over time, most plants will become too top heavy, and designs will begin to lose their form. It's not a good idea to cut the main stalk of a lucky bamboo. When cutting lucky bamboo, cut the offshoots with sterile plant clippers.

Trim offshoots within an inch or two of the main stem. New shoots will soon emerge, and the resulting plant will be bushier. To discourage new growth, dip the cut end in paraffin wax.
If you want to change its shape dramatically, you can cut a whole offshoot flush against the main stalk.

A tan scar will result, and new shoots may or may not emerge from the cut. Don't throw the trimmings away, as they can be used to start a new plant.  If you need to trim a main stalk for some reason, new shoots will emerge from below the cut, and the top portion—assuming it's healthy—can be used to start a new plant.