bamboo

by Kimberly A. Cook            (Twitter@ WarriorTales)

I’ve been doing a lot of projects lately. Granted, I always have projects to do, but these are the mundane drive me crazy kind of jobs. Feels great to accomplish them. Completed a rather sticky one two weeks ago.

A lucky bamboo plant a friend gave me a couple of years ago at work  was trying to eat my desk. It started out as a few short well-ordered stalks and then just kept growing. I find this amazing since I can pretty much kill cactus, but aside from the hardy African violets at home, growing a plant at the day job under fluorescent lights seemed like a challenge. Bamboo appeared to be pretty happy after all.

So when the plant grew taller than my desk shelf I had to move it out of the corner, then it began to block my hanging calendar view. Next thing I noticed it was trying to escape on its own. The roots were growing out of the vase. Root bound. Not wanting to stunt its growth, I found on the Internet how I was supposed to care for my bamboo plant. I’d been doing everything wrong. Oh well. Obviously my bamboo plant didn’t care.

Read the re-potting instructions and launching the space shuttle might be easier. So I did what I normally do, I took the advice I liked and struck out on my own. Directions said not to get a new vase more than an inch higher and 1 1/2 inches wider. Accomplished.

Airlifted bamboo home in my car, it fit perfectly in my drink cup holder if you don’t mind driving with fronds in your face. Bought new rocks at the craft store. Assembled my tools and  began to try to surgically remove the bamboo from the vase. Not budging. Okay. Rocks in there, tugging is in order. Major tugging. I may have shaved off a few roots in the meantime.

Long story shorter, planted in new vase and watered. Its been two weeks and the leaves are still green so I that’s good. Bamboo seems to like its new home where it gets light seven days a week instead of four. Now I just have to be careful it doesn’t try to eat my kitchen.

In fact, bamboo plant looked on while I watched the Seahawks pull out a miracle trip to the Super Bowl on Sunday. See, I had decided to sort my tax receipts during the commercials. Worked like a charm. Of course, during the Super Bowl that won’t work because the commercials are part of the show.  Alas, football will soon be  over. But there is basketball!

Do you need to be re-potted or moved or put in a different vase? A change of scenery can work wonders for bamboo plants and people. Especially if we get to pick the color of our own pretty rocks. Sunstones work for me. And diamonds. Rubies. Emeralds. Turquoise. I feel another project coming on…….