Rooted
At times I can be utterly surprised about nature's wonders and how it seems to have a will of its own. A few weeks ago I bought some lucky bamboo and when I took them out of their plastic flower tubes I had to cut the plastic caps so I wouldn't damage the fragile roots. I bought them at my favourite love-hate store which is a risk basically, since they don't seem to care about any living organism in general and particularly those that use photosynthesis.
So of course when I took them out of their tubes it started to reek of hydrogen sulphide because the water had not been changed in days [wouldn't surprise me if that would be weeks actually]. Some of the roots didn't look well, as in rotten or disintegrated, and I was wondering if the bamboo would even survive this traumatic experience of extreme neglect. I wasn't willing to give up, so I planted them as I intended to do: in a glass vase filled with small stones.
I was extremely careful handling the roots but I could see most damage was already done and I just had to be patient to see what would happen over the next few days. I filled the vase with a small amount of water, just enough to keep the stems covered in about 5cm. To my surprise I noticed the stems started to grow new roots. It's amazing to see how they slowly seem to find their way through the gaps between the stones, extending each day and carefully growing in any possible direction.
Over the last couple of days the water level started to come down and one tiny new root basically ended up above water level, so I kept an eye on it, curious to see what would happen. It could start to dry out so I would have to top up the water to keep it alive. To my surprise the root had a growth spurt all of a sudden and while the water level was going down the root was growing almost twice as fast to keep its tip in contact with the surface of the water.
I wish I hadn't watched it because now I'm stuck with these questions in my head, I already seem to have a reputation for coming up with odd and weird questions. But it's stuff I wonder about like: how does it 'know' where to find water? Why is the root growing; in search of what?
Snippet:
According to Feng Shui masters, having Lucky Bamboo in the home or office will help to ensure good fortune. In Asia, bamboo is a symbol of health and wellbeing, while in India it is a symbol of friendship.
In several Asian cultures, it is believed that humanity emerged from a bamboo stem. In the Philippine creation myth, legend tells that the first man and the first woman were split open from a bamboo stem that emerged on an island created after the battle of the elemental forces. In Malaysian legends a similar story includes a man who dreams of a beautiful woman while sleeping under a bamboo plant; he wakes up and breaks the bamboo stem, discovering the woman inside. In Japan, a bamboo forest sometimes surrounds a Shinto shrine as part of a sacred barrier against evils.
In Chinese culture, the bamboo, along with the plum blossom, orchids, and chrysanthemums are all held in high esteem and are collectively referred as "the four of great nobility", with one representing each of the seasons.
Source: Flower Encyclopedia
What also amazes me is how strong those little guys can be. Wreaking havoc on sidewalks and such while on their quests.
As fragile as they appear to be, they can break things that I cannot without the help of tools. . . and they are persistent, aren't they?
Tess! I did email you back already, resend it just now to be sure.
Let me know if you got it ok?
I'm leaving tomorrow afternoon!
Issey
This was an interesting article especially the Asian stuff, I do have small bamboo however I think i need to change the pot they've grown too much now and the pot is too small.
Hi Tess, I was missing reading your interesting posts. I have been extremely busy lately with all the house stuff :)
Those are very interesting questions...I also wonder how can the plant know where the water is to look for it and reach it! It is amazing how powerful the survival instinct is :)
TESS ~ oh that's SO interesting! I read when you got your bamboo plant and look at it flourishing!
I was attempting to find my very own little bamboo plant but none has yet to call my name. :) I'll get one though!
Hugs lady! Great questions, and I dunno the answers
Love and Light,
Mon
Oh guys, I'm so behind, sorry about the late response! I will look into this and if I find my answers I'll let you guys know! Thanks for your comments :)
Jim: you're right! Strong they are but if it wasn't for their strength I wouldn't be able to show you cool pictures of Highgate cemetery, I like them causing havoc and being persistent, sounds like me alright *hehe* ;)
Ismoyo: I had a great time with you on Tuesday and it was lovely to meet you, I hope you had fun at the studio taking the pictures and being with family and friends in Amsterdam! Have a safe trip back to NY :)
Reuben: bamboo in a pot? You have the perfect weather conditions to have it grow wild ;) I so envy you *hehe* Please put it in a bigger pot so you can enjoy a bigger bush or even better, plant it in the ground [pictures?]! :)
Wen: thank you Wen! I must say I have been busy myself and still need to catch up on all the other blogs. I hope your move is going well and smooth!!! You think it's survival instinct yes? I think so too... but I will look for answers because I'd really like to know!
Monica: it's going wild! I can't believe how fast it grows. Oh you'll find one for your spot, but wouldn't you rather have a large one? You too have the perfect spot to grow a forest *hehe* I'm bad, I know but if I would have a garden like that I would turn it into a bamboo forest and be Jane instead of Tess :p
Well not just the right weather but it seems to like it and yeah I will certainly go on a larger pot, should be a good step up. Nah no pictures
Too funny :-)
Hurray for root havoc and Tessie and her camera :-)
And speaking of cool, looks like some cool stuff to see today.