Question
I recieved a bamboo plant  (2 stalks) which was potted in a quite small pot in 2003 in just dirt. The plant continued to grow and then the ends of the leaves looked light brown, I thought maybe the pot was too small so I replanted it in a larger clear pot, putting small stones on the bottom and dirt on top of that (so I can see the roots growing through the stones).  The ends of the leaves are getting light brown again and the plant is of course getting bigger, should I replant it again in just dirt in a bigger pot? Can you rot the roots by having too much water in the pot for too long? And it is growing taller so I lightly bound the two stalks together with thread. Any advice about the growing taller of the bamboo? Thanks.  

Answer
Hi Kristin,

I am going to assume that your bamboo is what is commonly called Lucky Bamboo. That is a very different plant than a true bamboo. If my assumption is not correct, please let me know.

The size or height of a plant is a poor indicator of a plants' needing a larger pot. So are brown leaf tips.

You didn't say much about the pot that it is in right now, but we need to take a look at that first. Using clear pots is not a good idea as the sun and light can damage the roots. Putting stones in the bottom of the pot is also not a good idea and seeing the roots among the stones will not reliably tell you if the plant needs repotting. If there are no drainage holes in the bottom of the pot, then you will definitely need a new pot that has holes and that is opaque.

The right sized pot is one that is just large enough to hold the roots and a very small quantity of surrounding soil. In general, the smaller the pot, the better it is for the plant. If you can email a photo of the plant and its pot to my address below, I can give you a better assessment of pot size.

The brown tips have multiple possible causes including improper watering, inadequate light, and using hard water.

You cannot correct an overgrown plant by putting it in a larger pot. The solution is to prune it back so that it won't flop over, doesn't need support, and will remain full and compact. Lucky bamboos stems can be cut back at any point and new growth will emerge just below where you make the pruning cut.

Please let me know if any of this is unclear or if you have any additional questions.

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Regards,
Will Creed, Interior Landscaper
Horticultural Help, NYC

You can E-mail me directly at: [email protected]

Visit my website at  www.HorticulturalHelp.com

If you would like to e-mail me some photos, I may be able to provide some additional insights.