Well that's nice of you to post this. I don't grow LB either, though, so I'm not sure I'd have any answers. (I do have a couple other dracaenas, though, so who knows...I could check.)
How unimaginably nasty that someone would go there and put them down! Anyone who has the time to post criticizing someone else's benign hobby really needs to find another hobby of his or her own.

I was just over there to snoop around and I see what you mean... But I think they are actually trying to educate rather than berate them. Hard to tell the difference sometimes.

Why is there a forum for a fad house plant anyway? Hummmm Probably to keep people from posting in the "Bamboo" forum. Don't get me wrong here, I'm not trying to be nasty.... but folks should be able to tell that it's truely not bamboo! LB is just a funky cutting of dracaena, and I do admit to having one.

They should be asking their questions here at the House plant forum. LB's are a fairly new 'thing' and unless you working a greenhouse that grows them, I don't think alot of their questions are even answerable!

My 2 cents.
Diane

I'm quessing that it might have been requested by the Bamboo folks, who get tied up in knots whenever someone posts a Lucky Bamboo question over there, lol.

It will never be a busy forum, that's for sure! I guess I'm in one of those 'rooting for the underdog' kind of moods. ;-)

It was requested long ago, and rejected by the former owner of the site as a, well, less than good idea. I think the new owners are granting some of those old requests for new forums as a matter of course, without examining them on their merits.

C'est la vie.

I'd also be happy to help, except I know nothing about lucky bamboo, except for the fact that they are dracaenas.

For my part I will suspend judgement until I know how sustainable Lucky Bamboo is. In my opinion a houseplant is a houseplant when you can keep it several years. Ive seen a LOT of L.B.look worse and worse until people toss them. So I ask how long can someone keep them anyway?

Sigh. Once you adapt an appropriate cultural program for this kind of horticulture, it's possible to keep a plant alive, and even thriving, for years. The trouble is, most people don't understand about the basic plant requirements nor how to deliver them to their plants via soil, let alone water!

Remember: plants need water, air, assorted elements, and sunlight. That's it. They don't need soil at all. ;-) They have adapted to living in soil (thank GOODNESS), but can be coaxed into surviving just fine without it....with a lot of manipulation on our part.

Many folks who grow these dracaenas just haven't learned how to put 1 and 1 together.

But again...I don't see that it is our place to judge the art-form (as some would call it). If you don't have helpful cultural advice, don't worry about it! There are scads of forums that I've never entered, out of total lack of interest!

I've had mine for about 5 years. I think most people get them because they "have a black thumb" and, I must admit, it is the easiest thing I've ever grown and visually pleasing (for me).

Mine is in a huge vase with those "crystals" that expand in water. The vase is in a corner where nothing else will thrive. The four canes have at least quadrupled in size to over 3' high.

All I do is keep the vase filled with water and every once in a while add a bit of half-strength DynaGro.

Back when I was doing private dog training, LB would often be the only plant in a client's home.

Linda

This is very nice of you Rhizo. I will try to pop over there now and then whenever I have free time (which is not very often these days (even to hang out here) :(

I'm also surprised that people would get nasty (if they are). Who cares what other people grow, or how. Right? Let people enjoy their hobbies.

Also, I grow every single plant in my home in hydroculture, along with the Lucky Bamboo in water. There are no soil plants anymore in my home, including cacti, succulents and even an Aloe.

Since I've been doing this for years and it's very successful, maybe I can offer some help on that water-grown Dracaena.

Thanks for bringing this to our attention. It's really nice to see that someone cares! :)

Rhizo, you are right! I couldn't believe some of the responses these people received. Thank you for taking the naysayers to task for their attitudes.

I wonder why they even go into that forum if they are so negative? There are lots of plants of which I'm not particularly fond. I would never dream of surfing those forums; let alone offering comments.

To each his or her own.

Linda

Rhizo, I explained myself to you on the Lucky Bamboo forum. Certainly didn't expect to have to do it again on another forum. If you were so upset by my comments then why didn't you send me an email rather than inviting another forums worth of people to bash me?

I went into that forum because I knew from years of work experience in horticulture that misinformation abounds about Lucky Bamboo.

I've spent hours both as a Master Gardener on the phone lines and on the job trying to help people who are disapointed in it or who think it is bamboo and have killed it by planting it outside. Many think it is an aquatic plant too and the pond forums that I frequent abound with people wanting to grow it in their ponds.

Most who grow it don't know that it is Dracaena sanderiana and that most of them aren't given proper care so that they stretch all out from lack of oxygen, nutrients and light.

Sure enough, there was post after post of people having problems with them because they were not given proper information about them when they bought them. My negative attitude was about the sellers/growers, NOT the people on the forum. As I explained on that forum when you said I was being rude.

I WAS trying to educate not berate.

I was pointing out facts, I feel that people should have accurate information.

Lucky Bamboo IS a fad.

The plants don't normally grow without the leaves, they do have to be manually stripped and turned to curl. Therefore the version of Dracaena sanderiana grown as Lucky Bamboo IS abnormal.

I NEVER called anyone stupid for liking it or intended to be berating anyone.

I am not from the Bamboo forum and know nothing of those poor people being chased out or harassed. Although I do understand how and why the Bamboo forum would get upset by constant posts about Lucky Bamboo.

Hi all:

I can understand all the misconceptions re: LB. In fact I have to put a good part of the blame on those that supply the plants to the nurseries/stores.

I was given one recently for the pot in which it grows. I collect a certain style of pottery and this would fit right in. It's beautiful!! However, the opening is only an inch wide. the pot bottom is six inches wide. The gravel is glued into the opening with the dracaena literally squeezed into the mouth. Now, what happens when the roots fill the pot? What happens when you cannot water it? This is pretty to look at but not at all practical. No wonder so many folk are having problems. I, myself will be taking the dracaena out of the pot and try in another container or plant in soil.

I looked at a number of them at a nursery yesterday and with few exceptions, most were not put together for the growing of the plant, but for the look of decor!

I too will check in to the LB forum . I don't have too much experience in that form of growing plants but will find out what I can and offer help if possible.

Joy, you've hit the nail on the head when you stated, "most were not put together for the growing of the plant, but for the look of decor!" This is so true.
To be honest, I think most ppl who shop at stores that sell LB, etc, see these plants and buy them for a temporary scheme. Just like they do Azaleas, cyclmens and many other holdiay plants.
Did you ever walk in your grocery store and see ceramic, tiny pots w/either Pothos or ivy growing in them? And the cost starts at 12.95. Truthfully, these plants are bought by people who do not intend to keep them. They set on a table, and display, until the plant dies..Unfortunatly, I truly believe most ppl toss than keep. It's sad, but that's where they make the big bucks..I see people buying these little containers w/a plant that'll eventually grow out of the pot..What a rip off!! What's funny is, most of these containers can be bought at the dollar store and the plant for .99..If people really wanted a plant to look like those they sell, they can make one up themselves, but they don't..Toni

All i'm gonna say is I love LB. The oldest one is 4 yrs old and they're the easiest thing to grow. O though sometimes Some leaves or stems turn yellow so i have to toss them. But they're so cheap here, I just go off and get another. I love the way they look. Especially those with the interesting shapes. Here's the pic of my oldest one, I really love this one cause it's shaped like a vase!

Here is a link that might be useful: Lucky bamboo with Angel snow fittonia

buyorsell, no one is bashing....at least I don't 'think' so. I think it's all constructive. You've proven yourself a knowledgeable, able 'educator', but you sometimes allow your disdain of the 'fad' to color what you are saying. It comes across as condescending to those who like LB.

I've been accused of being obnoxious in the past (maybe even in the present!!!!), so try to always present my thoughts or concerns in as positive a light as possible. And remember, if you will, the topic my original post was to get some of these good forum folks to answer questions for the LB growers. Not to bash you. It's not about you; it's about reaching out to the others. Let's not turn it into something else. ;-)

snithjm: I have never seen one like that before. It is truly a live sculpture.

Thank you high. I haven't seen one like that anywhere else. I bought this one at the mall of all places. But my mother recentley told me, they have a big store at the flea market here and all they sell is LB and different kinda pots to put them in. I'm going this weekend to check it out.

smithjm, that's so pretty. I've never seen one like that anywhere either. It's so wonderfully healthy too. I have quite a few very tall stalks at home in a large vase (not as fancy as yours!). They receive some morning sun and I change the water every two weeks. They are so green, lush, healthy and headed for the ceiling...LOL... I find that these plants enjoy brighter light. While they don't appreciate direct midday sun all that much, some early morning sun does wonders for them and so does regular changing of the water.

Again, your LB is gorgeous!

Rhizo, I am new to Garden Web. Maybe I don't understand the "culture" here. On the other forums I frequent disagreements are usually done by email or private messaging and certainly involving other forums or sections of the forum isn't done.

I was very surprised and felt attacked by your post here which I thought was going to be about a totally different subject. I was thinking the plants sold under the Angel tradename.

Since I read it the day after you had chastized me on the LB forum I naturally assumed it was about me as I'm sure anyone who has now read both forums does too.

I am sorry that you or anyone else feels that I was being condescending. I was not intending to be condescending or to say that anyone who likes LB is stupid or that LB is stupid.

I was trying to be factual about it. To me, facts aren't emotional.

On a different subject in this thread:

Based on my selling plants to the public between 1980 and 2004 at garden centers, grocery stores and florists. MOST people DO expect all plants they buy to live.

Experienced plant folks know that potted holiday plants or dish gardens etc. are designed to be like cut flowers, enjoy them and toss them or repot them but the general public does not.

If you display a dish garden or planter that is properly potted to live, people won't buy it because it isn't lush enough.

Ditto blooming plants, the ones in full open bloom sell much, much better than the ones in bud. Especially bulb plants which really should be purchased when they are barely growing up out of the soil.

It was one of the major frustrations over the years but when you make a living in retail you have to buy what sells.....

BTW, I refused to buy LB with glued down rocks or impossible containers or that was infested with mites or already stretched out. I also included a fact sheet on proper care with each one and had signage.

I also refuse to buy LB with glued on rocks. I think is ridiculous, and really don't understand why they do it other than to keep the rocks in place. But really! is not like your're gonna be shaking and bouncing the plant allover the place. I also think it's sad when ppl just buy plants for 1 week or so, just for show and just throw them away even when the plant, is perfectly fine. But to each is own. I'm just a softy for plants and if I fine one on the street or someone has one that looks terrible, and they don't want it anymore, i'm the one that wants to rescue them and give them all the tlc they need.

Smith, ppl buying temporary plants is quite common..when I used to walk my dog in the alleys, I'd see all types of plants in the trash..tall plants, including tropicals..I know ppl who go out and spend 30.00 on a tree hibiscus, only to toss in fall..it's really a waste, but the stores love it..they dote on the idea ppl discarding plants..Heck, this way they make money..Toni

It'd be really cool to open up a place for plants that ppl don't want anymore. Go all around the place and gather these and nurse them back to health and re-sell them. Unless they're completley distroyed.

They glue the rocks to keep them in place in shipping.
Ditto planters with succulents and pseudo bonsais.

The glue is supposed to disolve and allow water access but that has not been my experience with them.

Many plants are shipped clear across the US before being sold to the public. Mostly from CA and FL.

Then, many are trucked from distribution centers to the individual stores and not on trucks or by truckers specifically for plants.

Almost all grocery chains ship the plants with the produce and it is often too cold.

I've received boxes of plants upside down, dropped, smashed etc. You'd be surprised at what many plants go through, especially those at mass markets/grocery stores.

Buyorsell; I can attest to that also as I'm sure most here will too. Just the other day, I stopped at a box store that I know usually marks down culled plants for rescue. They had just got a shipment that was placed on one of those low metal carts to be placed on the shelves. They were in such bad condition that, with few exceptions, you could not tell the culled from the new. Such a shame!