Who wouldn't like to be surrounded by a bamboo orchard, right in one's living room? So, let's learn the manner of caring for this 'lucky' plant.

A decorative requisite these days, indoor bamboo plants can be seen adorning interiors, right from office desks to homes. Also called the 'ribbon plant', it is indigenous to West Africa. It actually has no connection with the Asian bamboo plant. These plants are available with a number of cultivars and very famous as houseplants. While they also grow well in soil, they are majorly grown as water plants. Their stalks can be twisted and curled in a myriad of attractive shapes.

'Lucky bamboo' gets its name from the ancient eastern Feng Shui practice. Feng Shui is supposedly based on the five living elements, namely water, fire, earth, metal, and wood. The lucky bamboo is a symbol of wood and water, which helps in maintaining balance in our life. Also the red ribbon that is seen tied to it signifies the positive energy of the fire. It is also believed to be a symbol of success and good fortune.

It is an aquatic plant, often kept in a small pot submerged in the rock wool. The plant makes indoor gardening areas very tranquil and extremely decorative. In reality, the job doesn't end here. If the sprouts of the plant are not provided an area to grow above the water surface, the plant will end up dying. So, proper maintenance of the lucky bamboo is very essential.

That doesn't mean that they are very difficult to grow and maintain; they just need a bit extra care, just like newborn babies. Let's find out how to take care of your precious indoor bamboo plants.

How to Care for Indoor Bamboo Plants
Like any other ordinary plant, this plant too needs water, nutrition and sunlight. Yes, it requires care but it doesn't like to get extra pampered. If you take more care than is required, it won't do much good to the plant.

Water Indoor bamboo is a hydroponic plant and does great when provided with plenty of water. The water level must be 2 to 3 inches above the root level. The most important thing while watering the bamboo plant is, avoiding water containing excessive amounts of fluoride and chlorine. If you don't have the water purifying system, then simply take some water in a container. Keep it there uncovered, for a day. Then water the plant with it or simply use distilled water. Watering weekly is sufficient for its proper growth. The indoor bamboo does well when provided with the used water from the aquarium.

SunlightAvoiding extreme temperatures is the basic thing to do while maintaining the indoor bamboo plant. The normal room temperature with moderate sunlight is best suited for these plants. Hence, avoid placing it near sunny windowsills. Shift the plant in the sunny room of the house for a couple of days but that will be it. It may survive there during the gloomy days, but it cannot withstand the direct sunlight for longer durations. Continuous direct sunlight may make the leaves to turn yellow.

FeedingIf the bamboo plant becomes pale and lank, move it to a brighter place for a while. Sometimes the plant grows yellow right after buying it; this is a sign that there was an excessive use of fertilizers, a trick used to attract buyers. This is the time when you have to provide it with some diluted plant food (the plant food must be diluted in 1:10 ratio with pure water).

You don't need to feed the plant every time you water it. But feed it after every two months. It takes a while for its height to grow and a short plant doesn't mean that it needs food. Don't worry, it's doing fine.

RepottingThe indoor plant is repotted in a 2 inches larger pot, than the original one. It is necessary to avoid the rotting of its roots. For that, plant it in a loose mixture of soil and clay.

Buying and Planting Tips
The bamboo plant, often sold with its original name Dracaena sanderiana, is a good option to gift your near and dear ones. But before buying it, just confirm that the plant is smelling fresh. It is better if it is kept in a far corner, away from the AC and other such equipment.

The pot in which you will be planting the bamboo must be at least 2 inches bigger in its diameter than the plant. Cover the base of the pot with clay, pebbles, shingles, some peat moss and soil, and then plant the bamboo there. See to it that the water level is maintained above this mixture of soil and pebbles.

Different numbers of stalks of the bamboo indicate different lucky effects. Such as-

• Two stalks stand for love
• Six stalks mean happiness
• Seven stalks are associated with good health
• Eight stalks are associated with wealth and fertility
• Nine are believed to bring good fortune
• Twenty-one stalks signify blessings and prosperity.

Bring home some beautiful bamboo stalks and raise them the way you like. We're sure, if you take proper care of the indoor plants, they won't disappoint in charming you!