How often to water lucky bamboo

The interval

Lucky bamboo is usually grown in a vase, and then the water is the whole story. Grown in water, change all of it every 7 days, in growing season and in winter alike, and keep the roots covered by about 5 cm. Growing season means the warm, bright months from spring to early autumn, roughly March to September in the northern hemisphere and September to March in the southern. In winter the plant drinks less and the level drops more slowly, but the weekly change does not stretch, because stale water is the danger and not thirst.

Check by sight, touch and smell, not weight. A vase in good order has clear water, firm pale roots and no smell. Water that is cloudy, green or slimy, or roots that feel soft, mean the change is overdue. If you grow it in compost instead, push a finger into the top 2 cm and water when it is dry, and lift the pot, which is lighter when dry.

The method is keep-moist. In a vase, pour out the old water, rinse the vase and the pebbles, and refill with rainwater, filtered water or tap water that has stood overnight. NC State Extension advises chlorine-free water and a weekly change, and the pebbles hold the stems upright and give the roots room. In compost, use a free draining mix and keep it lightly moist rather than wet, with the water draining out of the pot and the saucer emptied.

Too much water shows as yellowing leaves and a soft, rotting stem base, which NC State Extension names as the result of overwatering. In a vase the same thing comes from stale water. Too little is rare in a vase and shows in compost as browning at the tips, which fluoride and chlorine in tap water also cause, so change the water source before you change the amount.

What is particular to this plant is that it is not a bamboo but a Dracaena from west central tropical Africa, and the RHS lists dracaenas among the plants that dislike fluoride in tap water. The roots need to stay covered, and no more.

Related guides

How to tell whether a plant actually needs water

The finger, the weight, the leaf and the pot. Four ways to read a plant's thirst, and what overwatering actually is.

Rescuing an overwatered plant

How to tell overwatering from underwatering, how much root damage is recoverable, and the exact rescue steps once compost has stayed wet too long.

Watering through a southern winter

Winter in the southern hemisphere runs June to August, and houseplants drink far less then. How to read the soil, and why overwatering is the bigger risk.