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Why is my Lucky Bamboo wilting?

Lucky bamboo is a popular houseplant in homes, offices, and stores and is known in Feng Shui to help promote good luck and prosperity. It might seem slightly unlucky if your bamboo’s green leaves all of a sudden start to wilt. Wilting leaves can be a sign there’s something wrong with the watering, temperature, or lighting. If you catch any of these issues early, you should be able to help your bamboo recover.

Watering

If your lucky bamboo is in soil, water when the top 50% of soil is dry. Water thoroughly until it flows out of the drainage hole and discard any excess water. If the plant sits in soggy soil the roots are not able to breathe which can lead to root rot and wilting leaves.

On the other hand, if the plant gets too dry for too long, it can cause the roots to dry back and they begin to die off. As long as this does not happen too often, a good watering should perk it right back up.

If your bamboo is in water, be sure to keep the water clean. Change the water weekly or as needed to keep the water clean to discourage fungal and bacterial growth.

Lighting

Too much light will cause your lucky bamboo to turn a pale brown or yellow and cause the leaves to wilt. Your plant prefers bright, but indirect light. An easter or northern window should work well for this plant.

Lucky bamboo is very forgiving, thriving in temperatures between 65-95° F. However, rapid shifts in temperature can cause the plant to go into shock, so try to keep your plant away from any drafty windows or air vents.

Need more help?

We're confident your Lucky Bamboo will be back to normal in no-time, but if you've followed the steps above and things just aren't improving you can contact us here.