Plant Tips

Lucky Bamboo is a common houseplant that is famous for its ability to grow in pure water. But this ability also comes with its own challenges. So here is everything you need to know about lucky bamboo plant care. Let’s keep your plant green, growing, and pest-free!

*Don’t have one of these plants yet? You can buy lucky bamboo plants here!*

**Note: This post contains affiliate links, which if purchased, I will receive a small portion of the profits. This helps me to keep providing awesome information to all of you!**

Lucky Bamboo Plant Care: Light Requirements

As you might already know, Lucky Bamboo isn’t actually a bamboo plant. Instead, it is actually a Dracaena. Because of this, it needs to be treated like a dracaena, especially when it comes to lighting.

Place your lucky bamboo somewhere it will only get indirect sunlight. Keep it out of direct sunlight. This plant will easily burn if it gets too much direct sunlight. If this happens, the leaf will begin to turn a pale yellow color. These portions can be trimmed off and removed, only make sure that it is safe from getting sunburned in the future. This plant also does well in low light situations but growth will be slower.

Lucky Bamboo Plant Care: Water Requirements

I usually see one of two problems with lucky bamboo watering. First, people buy large, tall vases for their bamboo plant and fill the entire, tall base with water. This can be very bad for your plant. IF the water level is too far above the root system, then it has to potential to cause stem rot. Instead, only water your plant until the roots have about an inch of water covering them.

The second problem that I see is watering with tap water. Dracaenas are particularly susceptible to the chlorine and mineral deposits that are contained in tap water. If the sides of your container has a white, crusty layer, or if the tips of your plant are turning yellow, this is a sign that you’ll need to switch to distilled or bottled water.

Lucky Bamboo Plant Care: Additional Tips

I’ve heard people go back and forth on fertilizer needs of this plant, but I highly recommend it. To fertilize correctly though, purchase special lucky bamboo fertilizer. Then, only fertilize two to three times each summer, starting with a single application in the spring once your plant is starting to produce new growth.

Next, make sure that you are changing out the water in your container. This is very important to do, as algae or bacteria can start growing in your containers and can even cause root rot in your plants. Change out the water every 2 weeks.

If you see any algae or bacterial growth, thoroughly clean your container and any pebbles or rocks you have in it. Then, rinse your plant’s roots well and place it back in the container. Repeat this once a week until no algae or bacteria has been seen for a month, then you can go back to changing out the water every two weeks.

It is also best to fertilize your plant when you add new water so your lucky bamboo will have a week or two to absorb the nutrients before the water is switched out.

I hope you enjoy carrying for your lucky bamboo plant and that it brings you added prosperity and happiness! Leave any additional comments or questions below!

Happy Digging!

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Money trees are sold for their beautifully braided trunks, their bonsai shape, or as a good luck charm that bring wealth and prosperity to the space. It’s no wonder this plant appeals to so many different people! But now the question becomes… how do I keep my money tree alive?!?! Because a dead money tree definitely won’t be bringing you any of its good luck charm! So here is what you need to know to properly care for your money tree!

Don’t have one of these awesome plants yet?! You can get one here!

**Note: This post contains affiliate links, which if purchased, I will receive a portion of the profits. This helps me to keep providing awesome information to all of you!**

Just to be clear… in this post, we are talking about the money tree, Pachira aquatica. There are two other plants that are commonly referred to as a money tree. These are jade plants, and Chinese money tree plants, or Pilea peperomioides.

Money Tree Plant Care: Light Requirements

Money trees are some of the best indoor plants due to the fact that they aren’t very picky when it comes to lighting. Try to give them bright, indirect light, but they will do okay in lower light settings as well, especially during the winter when the plant isn’t actively growing. Just be sure to keep it out of hot, direct sunlight. Money tree leaves are sensitive to direct sunlight and will easily burn. If your leaves are looking pale, white, and wrinkled on the edges, this is a sign of too much sunlight and you should immediately move it to a location with less sunlight.

Money Tree Plant Care: Water Requirements

Money tree is sensitive to root rot. This means that it doesn’t like being wet for too long without having a chance to dry out its roots. So to keep it happy, only water your plant once the top several inches of the soil is dry (more or less depending on how big your pot is). Then water thoroughly. Also make sure that your pot has good drainage to help it to dry out quickly in between waterings. But if your plant is still wet a week after watering, then you’ll need to increase your drainage, as well as add water in smaller amounts.

Money Tree Plant Care: Additional Tips

The last thing that I need to address is that money trees NEED high humidity. This can be achieved in several ways. You can either grow it in a group of several other high-humidity plants, spray it often, or purchase and use a humidifier nearby. You can also place it on a tray of pebbles that is filled with water. All of these methods can be used to boost humidity levels. And just like palm trees, if a money tree isn’t getting enough humidity, it’s leaf tips will start to turn brown. This is the plant’s signal that you need to increase the humidity.

Also, if you move your plant (like when you first bring your plant home), it might drop some leaves simply due to the change in environment. Because of this, try not to move your plant once it gets settled. And if you’ve recently moved your plant, then don’t be surprised by a few leaves dropping.

I hope these money tree plant care tips help you to keep your plant alive and healthy for years to come! Feel free to leave any questions or comments below! I love hearing from all of you! And for some plant inspiration, check out my list of easy, low-maintenance plants!

Happy Digging!

During the winter holiday season, poinsettias can be found EVERYWHERE! This can be stunning in the right settings, but what if your cat starts nibbling them? Or maybe your two year old keeps pulling off the leaves and putting them in her mouth? This begs the question… are poinsettias poisonous??? Should I feel safe having them in my home with my pets and small children?

Well the answer is yes, and no…

**Note: This post contains affiliate links, which if purchased, I will receive a portion of the profits. This helps me to keep providing awesome information to all of you!**

Is It Poisonous?

Eating the leaves of poinsettia plants won’t cause any harm. That being said, if a large amount of leaves are ingested, they can make children and pets mildly sick. However, this is usually not life threatening. But if you’re still worried, you can always call poison control here!

So not really anything to worry about as far as a few little nibbles.

What you Need to Worry About…

BUT the big thing that people NEED to be aware of is LATEX ALLERGIES. This plant’s sap contains latex, which will cause some people to form a rash where they come in contact with the sap.

The things you need to do if you have a latex allergy:

1. Use gloves any time you touch a poinsettia
2. Avoid touching your eyes and mouth after handling a poinsettia
3. Wash your hands thoroughly after handling a poinsettia
4. Watch for signs of difficulty breathing

Some people are extremely sensitive to latex and can have an allergic reaction just being in close proximity with poinsettias. Always be aware of yourself and others in areas with large concentrations of this plant. Although this reaction is extremely rare, it’s always best to stay informed.

So the takeaway from all of this is that poinsettias are not poisonous when eaten (aka they will not cause death), but people with latex allergies need to be aware that this plant can cause a reaction. So if this is you, please be careful and always wear gloves! I hope this article has helped, and feel free to leave any further questions or comments below!

Wishing you a safe, and joyful holiday season!

And of course… Happy Digging!

Tis the season to decorate the home with tinsel, trees, and poinsettias! But the hard part is that sometimes your poinsettia plant can be hit-or-miss as to if it will actually last until Christmas. But this doesn’t have to be the case! Follow these poinsettia care tips and your poinsettia will not only last the season, it’ll last all year!

Order your poinsettias here and get them delivered straight to your home!

**Note: This post contains affiliate links, which if purchased, I will receive a portion of the profits. This helps me to keep providing awesome information to all of you!**

Poinsettia Care Tip #1: Purchase a healthy plant!

So this all makes sense to people. Of course no one is going to buy the sad, dying plant in the corner. But poinsettias sometimes don’t look sick until they all-of-a-sudden keel over dead! Basically, they’re really good at pretending they’re just fine until the very end… so here’s what you need to do to make sure that your plant is healthy BEFORE you put down the money…

Before you buy!

1. Choose plants that are away from the door

The closer these guys are to the store’s door, the colder they get… and let me say, these guys HATE the cold!!! (They originate in Mexico, so it’s no wonder!) If there is a strip of poinsettias being sold, choose one from the end that is furthest from any cold, drafty doors!

2. Look for healthy flowers

At the center of the poinsettia plant lies the actual flowers. This isn’t the bright red part. These are actually special bracts that this plant produces. (Amazing, right?!?!) Instead, look at the center of the colorful bracts. These flowers should be green or yellow, small, and look healthy. If these are brown or wilted, this can be a sign of cold damage, improper watering, or just overall lack of vitality. So to make sure you have the best plant possible, make sure that these flowers look healthy!

3. Check the soil

Sometimes these department stores have people take care of their poinsettia supply, even though they don’t know anything about plant care. This can cause plants to die shortly after they are purchased. So feel the soil! If it is super dry, or if it is super wet (you push on the soil and a puddle of water forms), then it isn’t in the best place. You can definitely remedy this, but I’d suggest you simply buy your plants somewhere else.

Poinsettia Care #2: In Transit

Once you purchas your poinsettia, make sure that it stays warm during your trip home. If you are out shopping with another person, have them pre-heat the car and pick you up at the front of the store. This way your poinsettia has the least amount of shock from the cold as possible.

Another way to protect your plant is to place an extra bag around the top of your plant and try to seal it at the base with your hands. This will trap a small amount of the warm store-temperature air around the poinsettia to give it just a touch more protection as you travel to your car.

Next, as you’d imagine, make sure that you don’t leave your plant in a cold car, and that you bring it indoors (into warmer temperatures) as soon as possible. This will help it to stay as healthy as possible!

Poinsettia Care #3: At Home

Now that you’ve chosen a healthy plant and you’ve painstakingly protected it from the cold, let’s talk about what to do with it at your home! To keep your poinsettia happy, place it in a location where it will start away from cold drafts and where it will possibly get a few hours on sunshine. If you only want it to last through the season then low light is fine, but if you want to keep it longer, make sure it gets a few hours of direct sunlight, or several hours of indirect sunlight each day. Just keep it away from hot, afternoon sunlight as this can scorch the plant’s leaves.

When watering, remember that less is more. Only water it when the top of the soil feels dry. This should be anywhere between once every couple of days (for light watering), or once a week (for large, thorough watering). Just keep feeling the soil each morning that first week to give yourself a good gauge for watering times. Also, make sure to remove the decorative wrapping when watering. This is because it will catch the excess water, causing your plant to get too much water and eventually rot and die. So yeah. Just take it off, let the pot drain into a sink or bathtub for a few minutes, then put it back in! Keep it pretty, but also healthy!

That’s all the poinsettia care instructions I’ve got for you today! For instructions on how to get your poinsettia to bloom for next year, follow these instructions!

Also, to make your holiday season more meaningful, join thousands of people around the globe in the daily December challenge, Light the World! I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas season!

Happy Digging!