Written by Rachel Johnson Thursday, 28 January 2010 01:56

Lucky Bamboo and this COLD weather!

I don't know if you're experiencing cold like we are here, but most of January has been much colder than we're used to! Like me, my lucky bamboo plants at home are hunkering down and using all available resources to fend off the cool temps... just trying to survive! (I happen to be a baby in the cold!)

If it's cold where you are too, you may notice your lucky bamboo beginning to struggle a bit, especially if your house or the location of your lucky bamboo in your home routinely gets lower than 65 degrees. Evidence of this may be yellowing leaves and tips, a slight "wrinkling" effect in the skin of the stem** ... and of course a stem that has been too cold for too long will succumb to the fight and turn yellow all together. Poor thing.

The best thing you can do? Make your lucky bamboo as warm as possible. If you can’t turn up the thermostat, here are a few thoughts:

• Move your lucky bamboo to the sunniest room in your house or office during the coldest months. (Be careful that you don’t place the plant in direct sunlight though or it will get sunburned.)
• Place your plant on top of the refrigerator. Most models run a little warm on top and this could generate some much needed heat for your plant.
• Position the plant closer to a heating vent or radiator. (Don't let the hot air blow directly on it though.)
• If your plant is near a drafty window or is sitting on the cold floor, this can lower the temperature of the water by quite a bit. Consider repositioning it for the time being.
• When adding water make sure its warm, not cool.

**By the way, to bring the life back into a stem that is slightly wrinkled, give the entire plant a nice warm bath for 1/2 hour or so. You'd be amazed at how much better your plant looks after absorbing some water back into its stem!

Good luck and stay warm!