I have two sets of fake boo, I plant them in distilled water only and add a bit of superthrive every few months or so. So far have had them for over 6 years and still living. I keep some in a fish bowl with sand at the bottom and the other grouping I just keep in vase of water. Not sure about cutting it, it wont grow taller if you do, but not sure if it will sprout leaves or not. I have one set that is cut and the other was not topped off so it groes taller every year.

Why do all lucky boo prodigies try and grow the lucky in a vase of water. It should have been planted in soil. Will it die, live or who knows now, but it should be easy to replace if it does die.

I have several long stalks in soggy soil.. been there for 3+ years and is still growing and roots are spreading too.

They started in water for a year or so. Seem to do better in the soggy soil.
CJ

lkz5ia wrote: "Why do all lucky boo prodigies try and grow the lucky in a vase of water. It should have been planted in soil. Will it die, live or who knows now, but it should be easy to replace if it does die."

I grew it in water, because the instructions that came along with it told me to., The vase /planter that it came in had the gel like substance and H20 only, I swear !!
Also, all sellers recommend that even on the web, so how do you know which is right when you start off. Its only after they start dying EVEN after having followed all the instructions that came with it, that you get all worried. Plus a number of people do keep it in water and it thrives very well so that makes it more confusing... ( There is no"lucky bamboo" forum, to get this sorted now,is there,)

Just FYI..

They could possibly be kept in water if they are grown in such of a way as hydroponics. The problem with a glass of water is there are no nutrients. So you would have to add a diluted solution with many nutrients such as kevin.
Sounds like c.j. has a good way of doing it.

Trash it and get a life.

Wildcat you do have a point in some way.. lucky bamboo is so cheap that if its dying, just go buy another one. I would also agree with the soggy soil idea, I get no real new root growth with my lucky that is planted in sand in my fish bowl. It does not get any nutrients as I dont want to kill off my fish, but it has survived none the less for over a year, but growth on this one is very slow and not much foliage.

also nothing wrong with growing lucky boo, I am growing 4 other real boo's so I do have a life. Lucky is actually a pretty cool looking plant to have and grow so not sure the comment deserves much credit. Not sure why alot of boo people dislike lucky growers.. Mr Jake?

Actually, IMHO, its not about a plant being cheap or not, does it mean a costlier plant is worth saving and a cheap plant is not?
Also, wild cat jake, it is whether one loves gardening and /or plants and takes pleasure when they thrive. Anything can be trashed, but is that the solution?
I was hoping for some advice ( which I have received, thanks) , but anyone who loves plants/gardening in the true spirit would know better than to say "trash it" when something isn't doing well.
Just my humble two cents, Thanks

I have a majesty palm I thought has pretty much bought it, but I cut it down and replanted it and it seems to be recovering. Sometimes though you do have to throw in the towell. No sense spending more money trying to save something when it cost less to just replace it. My advice if you want to save it that bad is plant it in water with some soil and superthrive and give it some sun. I am not one to just trash things, believe me, my first year of learning how to garden I lost over a thousand dollars worth of palms do to lack of knowledge and the weather, so I dont take any plant expiring lightly..

Care of lucky bamboo:
All lucky bamboo needs to grow is a container,clean water and polished stones to keep the
stalks upright. It doesnÂt do well with fluoride,so tap water is not preferable.If you must use tap
water,let it sit out overnight before using.This will cause the chloride to evaporate,but wonÂt
get rid of the fluoride.Change the water once a month adding a drop of fertilizer if you want
rapid growth.It doesnÂt like to be over-fertilized though. DonÂt wash the stones as the nutrients
are stored in the rocks. Also donÂt fill the container too full (especially a tall vase) as they will
cause the bamboo to sprout roots higher on the stalk.The roots need to be totally submerged in
water though.
Place the bamboo in an area with bright filtered light.It will also do well in a room with no
natural light. Exposure to sunlight, treated water,roots that arenÂt in the water,or sudden tem-
perature changes can cause problems for lucky bamboo.If the leaves start to turn yellow,check
the lighting,change the water using only filtered or distilled water,and/or move it out of drafts
or away from furnace registers. Trim yellow leaves with a sharp clean scissors.This should bring
it back to health. High salt levels can also burn the tips of leaves.Salt buildup can come from
city water or fertilizer.Fertilize with care.

Why did you revive an old thread? Now there is a lucky bamboo forum on gardenweb.