Lucky Bamboo, also known as Dracaena sanderiana, grows well in the soil as well as water.
But does it really need soil as the growing medium?
Or should you just put it in the water?
I know there are a lot of questions about this topic.
So, let's try and understand more about it in the following guide.
Does Lucky Bamboo Need Soil?
Lucky Bamboo doesn't need soil to continue its growing cycle.
As mentioned earlier, it also does well in plain water.
For an indoor plant like this, you just need to provide a decent growing medium.
And it will do alright!
But if you want to grow your Lucky Bamboo plant in soil, you may do so without any issues.
Having said that, the plant does require other elements that are crucial for its overall growth.
Without these elements, you will see significantly less growth in this type of plant.
So, what are these essential elements?
Well, it's the sunlight and nutrients!
If your Lucky Bambo can get both these essentials in the right quantity, the plant will reward you with vigorous growth.
Soil vs. Water: What's The Best Growing Medium For Lucky Bamboo?
If you are confused about these two mediums, you should just close your eyes and go for the soil.
You won't find any better growing medium than soil to grow your Lucky Bamboo plant.
And the reason is self-explanatory, too!
Plants require nutrients to fulfill their needs.
If they don't receive nutrients from their growing medium, they tend to show slow growth in their life cycle.
When I say slow growth, it generally means you will have fewer leaves and branches on the plant.
And the existing ones will probably look pale and dull, as there won't be enough resources in the system.
The available resources will always be used for the survival of your plant rather than the growth aspect of the plant.
If you have been growing your Lucky Bamboo in the water for a long time, you will probably see these signs on the plant.
Hence, you should move your plant to the soil-based pot, which will help grow it faster in this medium.
But what if you want to keep it in the water only?
Well, you certainly can!
If water is your choice, you will have to use liquid fertilizers for better growth instead of regular fertilizers.
And that's the only difference here.
Best Soil For Lucky Bamboo
As you know, Lucky Bamboo is one of those plants that grow in soil as well as water.
But if you have decided to grow this plant in the soil, you will need to select the best one.
So, let's understand more about the soil requirement of the Lucky Bamboo plant.
1. Get Well-Draining Soil
That's right!
This is the only requirement for the type of soil you need for your Lucky Bamboo.
You must use well-draining soil for this plant, as its water requirements are not too high.
Even though the plant does alright in water as a growing medium, it doesn't like wet soil at all.
And that's because the soil contains millions of bacteria and other pests, which can affect the growth of your plant.
Hence, you should think of getting soil with a good drainage quality.
2. Add Pebbles And Rocks To The Soil
Along with the soil, you should also add some pebbles and rocks to the potting mixture.
These additional ingredients benefit in two ways.
Firstly, they make more room for the water to drain out easily.
And secondly, they add to the beauty of the pot.
So, do consider adding a few pebbles to your Lucky Bamboo soil.
3. Use Pot With A Few Drainage Holes
No matter how good the soil is, the pot should have at least a couple of drainage holes at the bottom.
These holes help remove excess water from the soil, which is absolutely not required for the plant's growth.
Also, the drainage holes allow the soil to dry out quickly.
When the soil stays relatively dry, it also reduces the probability of plants catching fungus or any such issues.
So, keeping these three points in mind while selecting the soil as a growing medium for your Lucky Bamboo plant is important.
Now, in the next section, let's learn about the watering requirements of this plant.
How Much Water Does Lucky Bamboo Need?
When you place your Lucky Bamboo in the soil, its water requirement decreases significantly.
Wondering why?
Well, it's more to do with the water holding capacity of the soil.
Soil as a growing medium does a great job holding water for quite some time.
Therefore, even if you use well-draining soil, you will not have to water the plant every other day.
So, what's the right watering schedule for Lucky Bamboo?
It depends on the size of your plant as well as the weather conditions.
Still, you can generally water your Lucky Bamboo every 10-15 days.
This plant doesn't require a lot of water when it's in the soil.
Hence, you must hold your urge to water this plant.
The other way to know when to water is by looking at the soil condition.
If the soil seems dry and you haven't watered in a while, you can surely go ahead with it.
You may also look at the leaves to know more about the watering requirement.
If they look droopy, it means they need water immediately.
On the other hand, if the plant is in water, you will have to keep changing it every couple of days.
If you keep the same water in the pot for more than 4-5 days, it might attract unwanted elements that won't be beneficial for your plant.
In the following section, I have shared answers to some of the FAQs related to this topic.
Do take a look at them if you have any such questions.
FAQs
It grows better in the soil because it contains some essential nutrients for the growth of your plant.
In the water, the plant will not have access to any such elements.
In both conditions, however, you will have to provide some fertilizers to see the growth.
It's the only thing that will make your plant grow at a standard rate.
In case you have kept it in the water, you should feed liquid fertilizers in the required quantities.
Do not use regular fertilizer for this growing medium, as you will have to change the water every few days.
Lucky Bamboo can be grown in the water.
It doesn't require soil for its growing medium.
The roots generally soak up the required amount of water from the pot, and the leaves produce food from the available sunlight.
But as I mentioned earlier, the plant will need some nutrients for its growth.
And you need to provide them with the help of available fertilizers.
No, Lucky Bamboo can't grow without roots!
In fact, there aren't many plants that can grow without the help of roots.
The root is an essential part of the plant's system, as it brings water and nutrients to other parts of the plant.
So, to answer again, the Lucky Bamboo plant will need roots.
And if your plant doesn't have roots, you can simply put the stem in a glass of water.
It should help in propagating new roots from the nodes of this piece.
Note: You will have to change the water after a few days.
Depending on the soil and weather conditions, you can water your Lucky Bamboo every 10-15 days.
If the soil is wet, you shouldn't water the plant.
It will lead to the root rot or stem rot issue later.
In summers, you can increase the watering frequency, as the soil dries out fairly quickly during this period.
The Lucky Bamboo plant needs well-draining soil.
It doesn't want soil that holds a lot of water in it.
So, you shouldn't add cocopeat or peat moss-like growing medium to your potting mixture.
Instead, get something that drains water quickly and keeps the soil moist.
Over To You
So, does your Lucky Bamboo need soil?
Not really!
As I discussed in the above guide, this plant doesn't care much about the growing medium.
As long it receives water, sunlight, and nutrients, it will have a great time in your pot.
Well, I hope you found this guide helpful in understanding this topic.
If you did, please share it with your friends and family.
But if you have any more questions, feel free to leave them in the comments below.
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