Vastu tips for keeping bamboo plant at home

Bamboo plants are considered very lucky and auspicious, according to Vastu Shastra, as well as Feng Shui. It is believed that keeping bamboo plants at home and in the office, brings good luck, wealth and fortune. Over a period of time, bamboo plants have been modified, for keeping it indoor as a houseplant. Today, bamboo plants are available in different sizes and varieties – from small size ‘friendship plants’, where logs of bamboos are stacked together and tied with a red ribbon and placed in glass vase filled with stones, pebbles and water, to the larger ones with long height and thick stems and leaves. You can find a variety of bamboo plants in gift shops, as well as nurseries. Here, we look at everything you need to know about bamboo plants and where to place it in the house.

Benefits of lucky bamboo plant 

The bamboo plant, which originated in south-east Asia, is one of the easiest houseplant to care for. It is a tropical water lily-type of plant that is widely preferred by people due to its benefits:

• Bamboo helps to keep the environment clean as it is a natural air purifier.
• The plant is known for bringing good luck and good fortune to the household.
• Bamboo plants can be easily grown in directions where there is low and indirect light.
• The stems of this plant give an appealing look to the décor of any style of home.
• Lucky bamboo plant is believed to create positive energy and safety for house owners.

Meaning of lucky bamboo as per Feng Shui

Bamboo plants are believed to bring peaceful energy to your home. It represents flexibility and freedom and therefore, people prefer to keep it in the office environment, as well. The bamboo plant arrangement also represents the five elements of earth, the foundation of a harmonious universe.

See also: Vastu tips for positive energy at home

Why bamboo plants are considered so lucky?

The bamboo plants are considered as lucky plants as per the Feng Shui. According to Feng Shui, the hollow structure of the plant helps in the movement of Chi energy. It is believed that the bamboo plant helps in the movement of positive energy, in turn, generating more abundance and prosperity. Apart from this, the pipe-like structure of the plant also signifies the wisdom of letting the energy flow from within to the outside world, thus, calming your mind and soul.

How to arrange bamboo plants

If you are planning to keep bamboo plants at home or office, the number of stalks should be selected with proper care, as each arrangement has a specific purpose, according to Feng Shui. There are some traditional beliefs regarding bamboo plant arrangement and placement and are believed to be more fruitful, when practiced diligently.

Avoid gifting a stack of four bamboo plants, as it signifies a wish for death.

Where to place the bamboo plant in your home?

• Preferably, keep the bamboo plant in the east corner. You can keep the bamboo plant in the south-east zone, if you want to attract wealth and fortune. It is believed that you can also get rid of financial hassles and achieve prosperity, if you keep it in this corner.
• Bamboo plants also act as air purifiers and remove pollutants from the surroundings. They grow to heights of two to three ft and are easy to care for.
• Avoid keeping the plant under direct sunlight.
• Keep the plant in a transparent container, so that the roots are visible. Also, this container should have all the five elements – earth, metal, wood, water and fire.

Here is an easy way to include these elements in the container:

• While bamboo does not need much water to survive, you can plant it as per your choice. If you are planting it in water, the roots should stay covered with water. If you are planting it in soil, it should remain damp, always. However, do not water it excessively.

See also: Bamboo is the new steel

• Do not keep a bamboo plant which has yellow or dark green-coloured stems. Avoid using chlorinated water in the container. Instead, use tap water which has more natural minerals. Replenish the fresh water every seven to 10 days, to keep it healthy.
• You can also use a liquid houseplant fertiliser once in a month, to keep pests away. Always remove the yellow leaves and re-pot the bamboo as it outgrows the container.

Common shapes of lucky bamboo plant

Two-layer lucky bamboo plant

Such bamboo plants grow well in bright and filtered sunlight. Most of the two-layer lucky bamboo plants are generally grown in glass vases filled with pebbles and water but they can also be potted in well-aerated soil.

Three-layer lucky bamboo plant

This type of bamboo plant is a low-maintenance plant that can grow well even in poor lighting conditions and adverse situations. These are the most common indoor plants found in Indian households.

Seven-layer lucky bamboo plant

This plant is one of the easiest to grow and is mostly used for gifting purposes. It ensures good fortune and brings serenity and calmness to your home and office. It is advisable to use filtered water for seven-layer bamboo plants and change the water every week, to prevent the roots from decaying.

How to care for lucky bamboo plants?

Follow these tips to take care of the bamboo plants:

• Lucky bamboo grows well under bright light. It can also tolerate lower light levels but it will not grow much.
• Do not use tap water, if the water is hard. Your lucky bamboo will grow much better with distilled or purified water.
• Do not let the lucky bamboo dry out – keep the roots covered with water at all times.
• Do not keep the water level too high and ensure that only the roots are submerged.
• Do not place the lucky bamboo plant near a heating or cooling vent. Also, keep it away from any cold air.
• Do not let dust collect on the leaves, as the plant needs to breathe through the pores. Periodically clean the leaves with a brush, damp rag and/or spray water on it.
• Tie the stalks in place with ribbon. This is to ensure that there are no chances of your plant falling over due to its own weight.
• If your bamboo outgrows its original container, you may need to transfer it into another container that can sustain it.
• To transfer it, gently dig up the bamboo plant and wash the pebbles, before transferring it to the new pot. Add the bamboo plant, carefully burying the roots beneath the pebbles, to ensure it is completely covered. Keep the water level high enough to cover the roots but not so high that it wets the bamboo stalks.
• If your lucky bamboo is growing in soil, make sure its container has good drainage.
• Lucky bamboo plants prefer moist soil but adding too much water to the soil can negatively impact the plant’s growth.
• Water the soil only when the top inch of the soil is dry.

Can you buy your own bamboo plant

Many people may think or wonder if it is okay to buy a lucky bamboo plant for yourself. It is believed that bamboo plants are lucky, only if it is gifted and somehow the luck will not get transmitted if it is not given as a gift. However, all these beliefs are false and even if you buy the plant for yourself, it is considered lucky.

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