How to replant bamboo/water based plants

Question

I have had a bamboo for several years in this tiny glass pot. It has grown very much, but its time to move her to a bigger home. But how? the pot she was brought home in was large at the bottom and narrow at the top. How do I remove her without ripping her roots to shreds? I would prefer not to break the glass.

Also, what else should I be aware of when transferring a water based plant. This is unfamiliar territory. How should general care differ from soil based plants?

This picture should illustrate the trouble I am having removing the bamboo from its original pot.

Answer 1

First, you must be doing pretty much everything right if you have been growing this plant for "several years" :)

Second, I'm guessing that what you have is "Lucky Bamboo", if I have that correct, try the following:

• Before transplanting into a larger pot, I would take a cutting or two from the plant (if it's viable, I can't tell from the photo as it doesn't show the top/whole of the plant) and propagate those cuttings, just in case something goes wrong during the transplant process.

  • Here is a video on "How To Propagate Your Lucky Bamboo" that may prove helpful/useful.

To remove the plant from its current pot, I would get something like the narrowest, thinnest and most flexible decorators/painters/cake-makers knife I could, then:

• Gently slide the knife down the inside of the glass pot.

• Once the knife is gently inserted as far as it will go, carefully draw the knife around the perimeter of the glass pot.

• Once you have gone around the perimeter once, you may find you can gently push the knife a little further down. If you find you were able to do that, afterwards carefully draw the knife around the perimeter of the glass pot once again.

• Repeat the above as many times as you can.

  • Once you have finished the above process, empty the water from the glass pot.

  • Wrap the glass pot in a tea-towel or something similar. I suggest doing this just in case the glass pot breaks on you during the next stage, you don't want to cut your hand with any broken glass.

  • With the tea-towel wrapped around the glass pot, hold the pot firmly in one hand (but try not to squeeze too hard, you don't want to crush the glass), then with the other hand gently, but firmly grasp the plant as close to the glass pot as you can and pull the plant out (if you can provide a slight twist as your pulling, you may find that helps with the removal).

  • Fingers-crossed the plant will come out in one smooth operation of pulling. If it doesn't, move your hand back down as close to the glass pot as possible and repeat.

• If you notice some of the plant still "stuck" to the inside of the glass pot after pulling, get you knife and try to "unstick" that part before pulling again.

Assuming the above has gone well, you should be ready to transplant your plant to its new (bigger) home.

Good luck.