Lucky Bamboo Is Turning Yellow – Reasons & Fix

Lucky bamboo is a typical houseplant that is often used as a showpiece in the home or office interiors. It is believed that lucky bamboo is a houseplant that brings luck and fortune to your place.

In short Reasons for Your Plant Turning Yellow: Planter Size, Sun exposure, Drafts, Fertilizer and nutrient abundance, Water quality, and schedule.

Occasionally, this unique-looking plant turns yellow, if it sits in an unsuitable circumstance for long. Hopefully, you can turn those yellow plants green again, if you detect them at their primary stage.

Reviving a yellow lucky bamboo is possible either when the reason behind this consequence is reversible. Here we come up with some smart hacks on how you can prevent your lucky bamboo plant from turning yellow and revive them effectively. Let’s check them out and start paying attention to this fortune purveyor in time-

Causes of Lucky Bamboo Turing Yellow:

Some of the common reasons which could make a lucky bamboo plant turn yellow are-

1. Too Much Sun Exposure:

Lucky bamboo plants couldn’t stand direct sun exposure. They thrive well under filtered sunlight circumstances. So, if you keep your planter under an open balcony or near an unshaded window for long, it will start losing its color soon.

2. Dehydration:

Water is an essential method for cultivating a lucky bamboo well. You can even use water as a growing medium instead of soil while growing a lucky bamboo plant indoors. Consequently, this plant can’t stay healthy, when you keep them thirsty or underwatered for long.

3. Improper Water Usage:

Using unpurified or normal tap water to grow a lucky bamboo plant is even worse than keeping it underwater. Always use distilled or filtered water to hydrate the growing medium of this plant. Normal water is filled with some unhealthy agents like chlorine or fluoride, which are harmful to the roots of a plant.

4. Overfertilization:

Another major reason for the yellow lucky bamboo plant is overfertilization. It is a low- to medium-feeder plant that needs a mild amount of fertilization with a proper schedule. If you feed your plant excessively with heavy fertilizer, it will scorch the leaves, wilt them and turn them yellow shortly.

5. Nutrient Deficiency:

Lack of fertilization is as much bad as excessive fertilization. If you don’t feed your plant 2-4 times a year with a suitable fertilizer, it won’t get its essential micronutrients for further growth. Macronutrients are potassium, nitrogen, magnesium, phosphorus, etc. other imperative properties, which your plant couldn’t get with the lack of fertilization. The absence of such compounds initiates yellow leaves soon in your plant.

6. Unsuitable Temperature:

Lucky bamboo plants are quite particular about their temperature needs. This plat prefers consistently warm conditions along with sun with partial shade exposure. It never tolerates excessive hot or too much freezing conditions at any time. If you put your planter in a spot with an unsuitable temperature for long, it will start turning yellow inevitably.

7. Improper Climate:

Like warm temperature, the lucky bamboo plant also likes a certain humidity level to thrive well. if you put your plant in a low-humid place for long, it will soon start wilting and eventually turn yellow for sure. The normal household humidity level is adjustable for a growing lucky bamboo plant.

8. Untreated Pest or Bugs Infestation:

Keeping your plant unsafe from pests and bugs is another common reason for letting them turn yellow. Aphids and turnips are two common nuisances you can often find around a growing lucky bamboo plant. Apply effective home remedies to get rid of them permanently, before they can damage your fortunate plant.

How to Fix Lucky Bamboo Yellowing Leaves

Fortunately, some keen changes in the caring methods of a growing lucky bamboo plant could help us immensely in this crisis and protect your plant from turning yellow again. Here are the best tricks in this regard-

1. Choose The Planter Wisely:

Be cautious when choosing the planter to plant your lucky bamboo plant. A good plant always holds the key to successful cultivation. Here are some useful tips in this attempt-

• Make sure the planter is made with visible or transparent material
• Use a pot that is up to 5-6 inches long
• And make sure that the planter has some properly working drainage holes

2. Apply Filtered Sunlight:

To be certain about providing the right amount of sunlight to your lucky bamboo plant, follow these tips-

• Place the planter away from unsheltered windowsills
• Put your plant under the sun with partial to full shade
• Avoid providing your plant bright sunlight for more than 3-4 hours a day

3. Pay Attention to Watering Method:

No matter you are using water to hydrate your plant or growing in the hydroponic farming process, both cases need proper watering methods, like-

• Always use distilled or filtered water and let the topsoil dry between watering
• If you want to use tap water, let it sit in an individual container for one day, before using. This will evaporate the unwanted compounds of water at the bottom.
• Keep changing the water every 1-2 weeks, if you are growing lucky bamboo hydroponically

4. Nutrify Your Plant Accordingly:

Following proper fertilization, the schedule is also necessary to keep your plant well-nutrified. Some tips in this regard-

• Avoid commercial fertilizer to feed a lucky bamboo plant
• Go with the organic ones like fish emulsion, compost, cured manure, etc.
• Feed your plant 2-3 times a year with fertilizer in diluted form

5. Maintain Proper Temperature:

To keep the temperature suitable for your growing lucky bamboo plant, follow these tips-

• Maintain a temperature between 65° to 85° F consistently
• Make sure the temperature never drops below 50° F or up more than 90° F
• Use an artificial warmer in the room, if you can’t maintain the needed temperature normally

6. Provide Perfect Climate:

Like temperature, an ideal humidity level is also essential to keep your lucky bamboo away from turning yellow. Here are some tips for this attempt-

• Keep the humidity of the room between 40%-50%, where you place the planter
• Using an artificial humidifier in it is needed to maintain the adequate humidity
• And you can even try simple organic methods to keep the humidity level up, like placing the planter in a tray with water and pebbles

7. Treat Pests Issues Mindfully:

To keep your plant safe from the grasp of pests and bugs, try these hacks-

• Give your plant a good rinse with soapy water
• Rub alcohol on the stems and leaves of your plant
• Use a homemade neem oil spray to kill the pests’ infestation from your plant effectively

8. Be Observant to Prune Your Plant:

Moreover, try to be absorbent towards your plant so then you can identify the cause of yellowing leaves at its primary stage and prevent time in time. Some tips in this regard-

• Pay close attention to your plant regularly
• Trim off any infected leaf and stem out of your plant immediately
• Cut off any yellow leaf once you find it on your plant

Few Quick Tips to Keep Your Lucky Bamboo Plant Green:

Here are some useful tips on how you can steal the evergreen look of a lucky bamboo effectively for the longest period –

• Always plant your lucky bamboo properly in the best suitable growing medium
• Use a planter that can drain well and never suffocate the root system ever
• Sprinkle any organic light fertilizer at the time of plantation and apply it periodically
• Place the plant a bit away from the open windows or exposed balconies
• Arrange the stalks of this plant well by trimming and binding them smartly
• Trim down any yellow, brown or wilted, or discolored leaf instantly once you find them
• Don’t forget to propagate your lucky bamboo plant, once it outgrows or turns hard to manage due to extra-long stalks.

Pinterest Image: How to Save a Dying Lucky Bamboo – Yellowing Friends