As a houseplant that is particularly easy to care for, the lucky bamboo, or lucky bamboo, is at home in many living rooms. Although this plant, which actually belongs to the dragon tree, is very easy to care for and in modern forms of husbandry it even thrives in a water-filled vase without any soil, it happens again and again that the leaves of the lucky bamboo turn yellow. With suitable measures, however, this damage to the Dracaena sanderiana can usually be brought under control quickly.
The causes of yellowing
Environmental conditions
In many cases, the cause of why a lucky bamboo can develop yellowing of the leaves has not been clarified. However, the following aspects influence the growth, sometimes significantly, and are therefore a sensible starting point for avoiding future yellow leaves:
- a bright and warm location
- sufficiently high humidity
- sufficient nutrients, for example in the form of a fertilizer mixture for hydroponics
- as low-calcium irrigation water as possible or water in the vase
pests
In addition, an infestation with pests for the local discoloration of the leaves in question. The aphid is the first to be mentioned here.
aphids
Aphids attack the leaves of Lucky Bamboo to get at the plant saps they contain. These can be easily removed with home remedies such as B. with a washing-up liquid solution.
aphid infestation
Diseases
If the plant continues to develop yellow leaf areas despite adjusting the general conditions and a targeted control for aphids, there is a possibility that, despite its robustness, it is affected by one of the few rare diseases of the dragon tree. Since the identification and control of the specific pathogen can hardly be mastered by the normal plant owner, there is actually the possibility in exceptional cases that yellow leaves indicate the beginning of the end and the plant can no longer be saved even using the remedies mentioned.
Treat yellow leaves
Once the lucky bamboo has developed yellow leaves, it is important to act quickly. Because yellow leaves are far from being a death sentence for Lucky Bamboo. First of all, the top priority is to remove the yellow areas to prevent rapid spread or even decay from the damaged leaf substance.
In the case of locally definable yellow spots, it may be sufficient to cut back the yellowed leaf. To do this, the sheet can be shortened around the affected areas with ordinary household scissors. Such a pruning can also be designed to look elegant without any problems. If, on the other hand, large areas of the leaf are affected, you should remove the entire leaf immediately at its root.
Lucky bamboo, Dracaena sanderiana
Remedy for insufficient ambient conditions
After the symptom has been eliminated, care must be taken to ensure that the causes also disappear. Because otherwise it is foreseeable that one leaf after the other will be affected until ultimately the entire lucky bamboo can no longer be saved. Even if the actual cause of the yellowing of the leaves cannot usually be narrowed down to a specific concern, a general improvement in the environmental conditions with the following measures usually helps:
location
Even if the previous location has already been specifically selected for the Lucky Bamboo, it should be checked again with regard to the three location factors of brightness, warmth and humidity. Even improvements that appear small can be the decisive factor in avoiding yellow leaves.
nutrient supply
Was sufficient fertilizer used? Is the fertilizer used suitable for a lucky bamboo? Here it is worth taking a look at the instructions for use of the available fertilizer to check the suitability and frequency of the doses. Since the lucky bamboo does not have any special requirements, normal fertilizer mixtures for indoor plants are sufficient when kept in soil. On the other hand, if it is cultivated in a vase with water, a special fertilizer for hydroponics should be used, since the water itself has no offer at all in this regard.
water
Is there sufficient moisture? Especially if the Dracaena Sanderiana is "only" grown in a vase anyway, this question is unnecessary. Then the type of water used in the vase or watering can can sometimes help to prevent yellowing of the foliage. The plants prefer water that is low in lime. If the normal tap water has too high a lime content, boiling can be a solution. Alternatively, rainwater can be collected on the balcony or terrace and used for the lucky bamboo.