Bamboo of happiness
This evergreen plant with straight tall stems and narrow long leaves is called.
Its real name is Draceana canderiana and it has nothing to do with bamboo, except for some external similarities.
The lucky bamboo is smaller in size and its stems are green and not as woody as those of real bamboo. It received its popular name thanks to the light hand of the British.
In China, this plant has been considered a symbol of prosperity for more than 4,000 years. Bamboo of happiness used in the practice of Feng Shui, where the world is the interaction of five elements or elements - water, fire, earth, wood and metal. With its green color and vertical shape, the lucky bamboo undoubtedly belongs to the element tree. Tree means growth, and according to feng shui, it increases wealth, luck and all the positive things you can imagine. Wherever you put it indoor plant, it will attract positive qi energy.
How to Make the Most of the Happiness Bamboo
- Three stems attract happiness.
- Five stems attract wealth.
- Seven stems bring good health.
- Twenty-one stems create prosperity and well-being.
Its popular name is Lucky bamboo - the British gave bamboo happiness Sometimes the lucky bamboo is tied with a red or gold ribbon to enhance the positive effect of this lucky talisman. If you want the lucky bamboo to bring you the greatest benefit, place it in a pot with an image of an animal that brings good luck. It could be a dragon, elephant, panda or frog. You can also hang various good luck talismans on the magical plant.
Lucky bamboo in a flower pot with an auspicious symbol is very good feng shui Lucky bamboo in a turtle-shaped flower pot is very good feng shui!
How to care for the bamboo of happiness?
Happiness bamboo can be kept in a glass of waterCaring for the happiness bamboo is very easy, as this indoor plant does not require special care. You can simply place it in a glass of water. Just make sure that the water is always fresh, adding a little mineral fertilizer to it from time to time.
Lucky Bamboo loves sunlight, but not direct sunlight. Also, he should wipe the leaves. The bamboo of happiness can be planted either in a pot with soil or in a glass vessel filled with colored granules. Also, yours will turn greener in distilled and spring water.
The bamboo of happiness is very unpretentious They say that the bamboo of happiness blooms very rarely. But if it blooms, then white flowers with a sweet aroma grow and bloom. The bamboo of happiness will last you a long time. Considering that the plant is unpretentious, it can also be placed at work, in the office.
Well, isn't this an amazing plant?
Often, “lucky bamboo” or “lucky bamboo” are grown in apartments. In fact, this is perennial, which is called Dracaena Sanderiana. It belongs to the Musculaceae family, trees or succulent shrubs. The annual sales volume of all types of dracaenas exceeds the sales of other indoor plants.
Dracaena sandera or "bamboo of happiness"
The word “bamboo” in the name appeared because of the similarity of this type of dracaena to bamboo. Why another word - “happiness”? There is a version that this name came from an Aztec legend. It said that a poor young man, in love with the ruler’s daughter, fulfilling his father’s condition, watered the dry stem of the dracaena for 5 days, after which leaves appeared on it. The beauty's father had no choice but to agree to the wedding.
Dracaena Sandera looks a little like bamboo and differs from most of its relatives in the thickened cylindrical stem from which shoots extend. It has gray-green, slightly twisted leaves, up to 23 cm long. There is a variety that has leaves with a dark green border. Often, during growth, the stem is given a spiral shape in various ways. This plant looks more interesting than the standard form.
Lucky bamboo is often given as a gift. This is a pretty good choice since the word happiness itself gives it a special meaning. Yes, the item itself will decorate the room and, with proper care, can serve its owner for a long time.
Lucky bamboo is good for feng shui. Its stem is a symbol of a strong life filled with prosperity. It is a favorite gift in business, for example for partners.
Values for the number of stems in lucky bamboo
The number of stems in one bunch is of great importance. The main principle is this: the more there are, the greater the blessings of luck and fortune. However, these are beliefs, and science has not found confirmation of the dependence of health, material well-being and similar serious things on the number of stems of “lucky bamboo” or other plants on the table.
The Chinese send two stalks of bamboo to express love. This number is said to double your luck.
Three stems are one of the most beloved combinations for the home. It brings three types of luck: happiness, longevity, wealth or career.
Four stems. In Chinese, the word for "four" sounds something like the word for "death." Number 4 attracts negative sha energy.
The five stems strengthen the five areas of your life: emotional, intuitive, mental, physical, spiritual.
Six stems attract prosperity and preconditions for wealth. In Chinese, the word for "six" sounds similar to the word for "luck".
Seven stems bring good health.
The Chinese word “eight” sounds like a word denoting growth and development.
Nine stems also symbolize and attract good luck.
If you were sent ten stalks of lucky bamboo, this means that the one who sent them to you wants everything in your life to be the way you want.
Twenty-one stems. If someone gives you so many stalks of lucky bamboo then he is expressing good wishes for you and your family in terms of great wealth and lasting health.
Growing Dracaena
In rooms, Dracaena Sander grows up to 70-100 cm, rarely up to 2 meters. It is an unpretentious plant. It can be kept in a container with water, but it is better in a container with soil. The best is a ceramic container, and besides it, a glass one.
Optimally formulated soil for dracaenas is available in specialized stores.
When keeping the “bamboo of happiness” in a container with soil, it must be watered as the soil dries. The soil should be well drained, but it is undesirable for the water to stagnate in it for a long time. Therefore, pebbles or coarse sand are placed in the lower part of the container with soil.
In addition to watering, caring for dracaena involves removing dust from the leaves, removing wilted leaves from the ground, and feeding the plant.
It is better to place the container with dracaena in a ventilated and bright place, but not in direct light. The “bamboo of happiness” tolerates dry air better than real bamboo.
It is enough to transplant the “bamboo of happiness” once a year, in the spring.
It can be propagated in one of two ways:
1. From the top cuttings, by further rooting them in water or moist soil.
2. Stem segments with ripening “dormant” buds.
When growing “bamboo of happiness”, its stem is often given curved shapes. For example, in the form of a spiral, heart, etc.
A composition of several Dracaena Sander plants, the stems of which are inclined and intertwined and grouped at the bottom, looks very beautiful.
Spirally twisted thick shoots called “Bamboo of Happiness” are often found on sale. They are sold as an independent piece product, in a bouquet of flowers or several shoots collected together. Such shoots can be kept in water or hydrogel, and when they take root, planted in soil and grown as a houseplant. Pyramids of their already rooted shoots are sold less frequently. In fact, this, of course, is not bamboo, but (Dracaena sanderiana).
The fashion for such “bamboo” came from China. The already well-known teaching of Feng Shui extends its rules and regulations not only to the arrangement of burial sites (where, in general, it began), but also to the creation of gardens and indoor floriculture.
In China, there are centuries-old traditions and customs associated with the “bamboo of happiness.” According to the teachings, the “bamboo of happiness” brings health and happiness, financial well-being to the inhabitants of the house, promotes the flow of positive energy, maintains a good mood, strengthens friendships and love ties and ensures longevity. Just like in a fairy tale - you placed a sprig of bamboo in the eastern corner of the bedroom, and happiness came to you for life. If only it were like this in reality! Through such faith in miracles, and even according to Feng Shui, they often give the most incredible advice and forecasts, so approach them soberly and critically.
But be that as it may, in China it is customary to give lucky bamboo, and not just like that, but with meaning. Several shoots of the “bamboo of happiness” in a floor vase are placed at the entrance to the house, thus showing respect to the guest and providing him with a charge of positive energy. In addition, there is a tradition when a guest is presented with a gift of a stem from a bunch kept by the owner of the house.
The Chinese consider the “bamboo of happiness” to be an ideal gift, so they give it for any occasion: housewarming, opening a new company, wedding, etc.
According to ancient custom, Chinese newlyweds present each guest at the wedding with 3 stems of bamboo, which means a guarantee of longevity of the marriage bond and a happy marriage of the newlyweds.
The number of “bamboo” shoots in the composition is not accidental and has a sacred meaning:
- if they wish for happiness, they give three escapes;
- for financial well-being, the bouquet must have five stems;
- wishes of health and longevity - a bouquet of seven shoots;
- if they wish all sorts of blessings at once, they present a bouquet of twenty-one stems.
But not only an odd number of stems is acceptable. So, it is enough to remove just one stem from the “Common Good” bouquet, and you get the “Tower of Love”. Such a gift is regarded in China as a gesture of care, friendship and compassion. If you place this composition in the south, east or southeast of the house, then it will no longer symbolize warmth and care, but will attract wealth and prosperity. That's how confusing it is.
Residents of the Celestial Empire use many methods by which, as they believe, they can further enhance the magical properties of the “bamboo of luck.” For example, if you use red and gold ribbons, tie them around bunches of shoots, put them in transparent glass vases, and even hang talismans on the curls of the stems - the house will become just a full bowl.
Chinese flower growers are also convinced that pots for the “lucky bamboo” should not be simple ones, but always with images of sacred animals, for example, a toad, a panda, a dragon or an elephant, and then you are guaranteed help in attracting good luck and happiness!
Try it, maybe it really helps!
Dracaena Sanderiana is called the bamboo of happiness in everyday life. This species differs from its “relatives” in that it is similar in appearance to bamboo, and not to a palm tree, like the others. However, this is only a superficial resemblance.
Sanderiana is widely used as a houseplant and as a decorative element. Shoots of the flower are very often sold in flower shops under the name Lucky Bamboo - in the photo (sometimes sellers don’t even know its real name).
According to the teachings of Feng Shui, the shoots of this plant can bring happiness and health to the house. According to Chinese tradition, placing a composition of green shoots of Sandera at the entrance to the house is a sign of respect for the guest. In addition, the Chinese consider it the most ideal gift for any occasion, and here we can agree, because such a wonderful plant will appeal to any person. Growing dracaena at home does not require much effort, and its ability to grow both in water and in soil allows you to create unusually beautiful and original compositions.
Features of the flower
The main feature of this plant is that it can grow simply in water. It doesn’t have to be planted in the ground; you can put it in a container with water and don’t forget to add some minerals to it, because without them the leaves of the flower will simply turn yellow. The plant can be found on sale in almost every flower shop, even where there are no indoor flowers. The formation of a shoot in the form of a spiral has become widespread.
Some gardeners who encounter this crop for the first time may become disappointed in it after some time. Why does this happen: after planting the stem, shoots begin to grow. And after some time, that small stick that you stuck in the ground becomes simply invisible behind the young shoots. To prevent this from happening, you need to regularly remove growing shoots.
How to care for Dracaena Sandera
Sanderiana is an unpretentious plant: it feels very good in bright and ventilated rooms, prefers diffused light, and direct sunlight can burn the leaves.
For a flower, water is an important aspect of life. In hot and warm months, the flower needs to be watered abundantly, and in winter period Watering should be moderate. If the flower is in water, then it is important to change it once every 2 weeks. We must not forget about fertilizers. The water in which the shoot grows must be distilled or, in extreme cases, filtered. If these care features are not followed, the leaves will quickly begin to turn yellow.
Still green shoots feel very good in a flower mixture of soil and sand. By growing them in regular soil, you can get better growth results for the leaves and the plant itself. The soil should be loose, acidity pH 6.5. It is contraindicated to overwater the plant when watering, as the roots and trunk may begin to rot. To accurately predict the watering, keep an eye on the top layer of soil; when it dries, then you can start watering little by little.
A curved leafless trunk like the one in the photo of a plant is obtained artificially - a young growing shoot is placed in a curved tube to give the shoot the appropriate configuration. The curved shoot, freed from the tube, retains its spiral shape, but in the process of growth it produces new shoots, becomes overgrown with leaves and subsequently grows like an ordinary upright Sanderiana.
Although the smooth stem of this plant with spectacular bridges looks like bamboo, its true name is Dracaena Sanderiana. The English “nickname” Lucky Bamboo (in the Russian manner - “Bamboo of Happiness” or “Happy Bamboo”) was assigned to these twisting green shoots not by chance. According to the teachings of Feng Shui, this plant brings success and prosperity to the home.
Photo "Bamboo of Happiness" is also popular in Russia
Dracaena sandera - perennial ornamental plant, which is characterized by increased unpretentiousness. It will outlive all the flowers in the bouquet and will grow and develop beautifully even in a glass of water. If you wish, you can plant your “lucky talisman” in the soil. With minimal care, the “Bamboo of Happiness” will delight you for many years.
Dracaena Sandera loves water. She needs abundant watering in summer and moderate watering in winter. Do not allow the soil to dry out.
If your stem grows in water, you need to update the water every 2 weeks by adding mineral fertilizers for growth (under natural conditions, all nutrients come to the plant from the soil). Water must be filtered, or preferably distilled, at room temperature. Otherwise, the leaves may turn yellow.
When choosing a place for your indoor “bamboo”, avoid a sun-drenched window sill. Direct sunlight can burn the leaves. For Dracaena Sander, diffused light is preferable.
“Bamboo of Happiness” tolerates dry air well and does not require constant spraying. Wipe the leaves from dust from time to time.
Comfortable temperature for plant growth is 18–35°C.
As soil for the “bamboo of happiness” you can use any flower mixture or a special one for dracaenas. The plant needs good drainage (small stones or expanded clay should be placed at the bottom of the pot). “Happy Bamboo” grows well in a mixture of equal parts of flower soil and sand. Keep in mind that the bare stems of the “lucky bamboo” look great in a transparent container filled with colored hydrogel.
Feeding: fertilizers for dracaenas.
It is enough to replant once a year in the spring.
Dracaena is propagated by apical cuttings rooted in water or moist soil, as well as by stem segments with “dormant” buds.
Over time, a real tree about 70 centimeters high with an erect stem and long leaves will grow from the planted shoot. Don't expect the stem to continue to curl and the leaves to fall off on their own (the beautiful curves are given to the plant artificially). Despite the fact that the “bamboo of happiness” will begin to resemble its prototype less and less, it will not lose any of its decorative value, thanks to its thick green foliage. If you want to enjoy the bare stem, you will have to break off the growing shoots.
“Bamboo of Happiness” and Feng Shui
Press service archives
Photo "Bamuk of Happiness" will be a good gift for a man
In China, there are centuries-old traditions and customs associated with the “bamboo of happiness.”
According to the teachings of Feng Shui, “bamboo of happiness” brings health and happiness, financial well-being to the inhabitants of the house, promotes the flow of positive energy, maintains a good mood, strengthens friendships and love relationships and ensures longevity.
The Chinese place several shoots of the “bamboo of happiness” in a floor vase at the entrance to the house, thus showing respect to the guest and providing him with a charge of positive energy. In addition, there is a tradition when a guest is presented with a gift of a stem from a bunch kept by the owner of the house.
Considering the “bamboo of happiness” to be an ideal gift, the Chinese give it for any occasion: housewarming, opening a new company, wedding. According to ancient custom, Chinese newlyweds present each wedding guest with 3 shoots of the plant - this should be the key to a long and happy marriage for the newlyweds.
The number of “bamboo” shoots in the composition has a certain meaning: three stems - attract happiness; five stems - predict wealth; seven stems - bestow good health; twenty-one stems - success in all endeavors.
The composition of 20 twisting stems is called the “Tower of Love.” Such a gift is regarded in China as a gesture of care, friendship and compassion. To achieve wealth and prosperity, the composition should be placed in the south, east or southeast of the house.
The spiraling shoot of Dracaena Sander is a wonderful addition to a bouquet addressed to a man. After all, bamboo in many cultures personifies male will and inflexibility.
Residents of the Celestial Empire use many methods by which, as they believe, they can further enhance the magical properties of the “bamboo of luck.” Such “happiness multipliers” are red and gold ribbons used to tie bunches of shoots, transparent glass vases, talismans hung on curls of “bamboo”. Chinese flower growers are also convinced that pots for “lucky bamboo” should not be simple ones, but must have images of sacred animals, for example, a toad, a panda, a dragon or an elephant.