When you are selling your home, most people will give you the same advice.

1. Make your home look its best.
2. Price your home in the same range as other, similar homes.

However, unless you know what homebuyers are looking for, your ‘improvements’ may be a waste of time and money.

For example, there’s no point in repainting the bathroom if most buyers are interested in a sunny kitchen and a working fireplace in the living room.

In addition, when you know what the most popular homes have in common, you’ll know which homes are actually similar to yours.   Then, you can correctly set your price.

Let’s start with the issue of price.

PRICE YOUR HOME TO SELL

If yours is a ranch style home, you may be tempted to price your home at the same level as other ranch homes sold for. Too late, you may realize that you are actually competing with homes near the train station, or homes that have room for a vegetable garden. Those are the homes that should help you set your price.

Your home should never be the most expensive in its category, unless its extra value will be obvious to homebuyers.

On the other hand, if the price of your home seems too low, buyers may be suspicious. Nothing you can say will assure them that there isn’t a hidden defect.

So, here’s what to do.

Before selecting a realtor, ask several real estate professionals what current homebuyers are looking for. Identify the category or categories your house will compete in.

Survey the prices of the competition and set your asking price among the lowest, if you can.

MAKE YOUR HOME LOOK ITS BEST

After establishing a good selling price, review Feng Shui principles that can help your home sell.

After getting the clutter out, and applying basic Feng Shui, focus on the elements that you know buyers are looking for.

If most buyers want a low maintenance yard, plan your landscaping with this in mind. Use Feng Shui techniques to attract buyers’ attention to the most attractive, trouble-free details of your lawn and garden.

If most houses are selling to young couples starting a family, use Feng Shui to energize the children and family areas of your home. That may include painting bedrooms in appropriate pastel colors.

In the fame area of your home, place images related to babies and children. If you have a pair of bronze baby shoes in your attic, dust them off and place them in your fame area. Take some of your children’s drawings off the refrigerator, frame a few of them, and place them in your fame area, too.

FENG SHUI MAKES A DIFFERENCE

Feng Shui may be your most important money saving — and moneymaking — tool when you are selling your house.

A few hundred dollars spent applying Feng Shui principles can reap thousands of dollars in benefits and the quicker sale of your home.

In today’s housing market, that’s important.

It’s worthwhile to use Feng Shui to help sell your home.

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1. Keep the front and back yard balanced.

Alternate your gardening projects in the front and back yards so that both areas are in balance. The back yard is important for a sense of permanence and stability. The front yard symbolizes the energy of the home, and it should seem vital and fresh.

Avoid placing an abundance of flowers in the front yard (with few shrubs), and edging your back yard with trees and shrubs and no flowers, or vice versa. A balance of color and greenery is ideal for Feng Shui.

2. Use window boxes and hanging plants if you live in an apartment, or have a very small yard.

If your house is large and nearly fills the plot of land that you’re on, don’t overfill your yard with plants. Instead, add to the sense of depth by using hanging plants and window boxes where you can, on all four sides of your home.

Remember that you can also hang window boxes–and other potted plants–from fences with special hardware. Ask at your garden shop. You may be very pleasantly surprised by the many options.

If you live in an apartment, extend your Feng Shui luck with plants outside your doors and windows. Even if your only option is silk flowers, place a few in window boxes where you will see them.

Generally, flowers improve your money and wealth luck. Be sure to include them among the plants that you display. Ferns are a symbol of wealth in many cultures, if your climate will support them.

Many hanging plants need extra water to stay fresh and healthy. One of the easiest ways to keep the soil moist is to place a few ice cubes in the hanging baskets; the ice will melt slowly and provide plants with a steady supply of water.

3. Place hanging baskets close to walls or fences.

In Feng Shui, we avoid placing any object above eye level if the object might fall on someone. Even if it’s very unlikely that it will fall, if there is any possibility of that subconscious concern, we avoid it.

So, if you use hanging baskets–and they can be a lovely addition–place them close to a wall where no one is likely to sit or stand.

(If you or anyone in your home has had feelings of “the axe is about to fall” or other fleeting thoughts of impending doom, see if anything in your decor is above eye level and could seem a little threatening.)

4. Make certain that your backyard plants are uplifiting.

The visual lines of your backyard plants should generally emphasize upward growth. If you have a large downward-pointing plant or tree such as a weeping willow, balance that with strong upright lines. Bamboo plants are among the best to offset a weeping willow.

If your backyard slopes away from the house, consider a brick or stone wall in front of where it starts to slope, to keep too much “chi” (energy) from rolling right out of your life. Fast-growing trees and shrubs in the lower parts of the yard can also remedy this problem.

5. Remember to balance the five elements when you plan your landscaping.

The five elements in Feng Shui are: Water, wood, fire, earth, and metal.

For water, consider a small lucky koi pond if your climate is suited to it. Otherwise, any birdbath, pond, or artificial stream or waterfall can be beneficial.

Wood and earth are usually in abundance in most landscapes. However, if you cover the soil with mulch and your yard has a perfect lawn, add some interesting rocks and boulders to restore a strong presence of earth.

Metal is simple to add with lawn decorations, wind chimes, and even a barbecue. Likewise, the barbecue can symbolize fire.

If you don’t have a barbecue, or live in an apartment where you can’t have one, there are alternatives. These include the colors red and orange, and objects that are triangle shaped.

Our ancestors celebrated many holidays with bonfires. If you don’t have the space for one, consider a fire in an hibachi or barbecue, or even outdoor candles on special evenings.

6. Keep your garden fresh and just a little wild.

When flowers begin to fade or leaves turn yellow, pinch them immediately. Unless it is winter, when dead leaves can protect a living plant’s roots from frost, your plants should not have anything dead or dying on them.

At the other extreme, don’t over-prune your trees and shrubs. It’s fine to keep your greenery tidy, and even include some topiaries. However, balance remains important in feng shui. Find an area in which to include vines, rambling plants, and anything that adds a sense of wild beauty to your garden.

7. Be sure to include a sense of fun and entertainment.

Your yard should always provide a sense of beauty and relaxation. However, it’s also important to include elements that suggest fun and even recreation. Whether you add an outdoor chessboard, a swimming pool, or a badminton net, your back yard should have cues which remind people of fun.

In your front yard, add whimsical colors and plant designs. A fun topiary can bring you great luck, since it attracts favorable attention from passers-by.

To the side of the house or on your driveway, consider a hopscotch design, or a very artistic representation of a tic-tac-toe board. Anything fun and unexpected can increase your luck.

8. Follow the seasons and make small changes steadily.

Plant a few perennials and replace them seasonally, to give your garden a fresh new look.

If you use lawn and garden decorations, including outdoor flags, rotate them so that there is always something new and interesting to see when people visit you or drive past your home. Change the pillows on your lawn furniture. Place a potted plant on an outdoor table, or at your front stairs. Find small ways to change your outdoor environment to match the surrounding seasons.

By applying Feng Shui to what is outside our homes as well as inside, we achieve greater balance and harmony in our lives. Whether you’re working with a single window box outside your apartment, or acres of landscaping around your home, you can increase your luck by enhancing this bridge between the indoor and outdoor worlds.

The first thing to do when you’re applying Feng Shui to the outside of your home, is exactly what you’ve done inside: Clear out the clutter.

Take a notepad and pen outside and make notes as you examine the exterior of your home and your landscaping.

CURB APPEAL – PRETEND YOU’RE SELLING YOUR HOUSE

Start at the curb in front of your home. What’s the first thing that you notice about your home and yard? Amplify the plus points, and work on the minuses.

Are your shrubs and plants well-groomed?

Is there any dead wood that needs to be removed from trees?

Examine your lawn. If there are areas that need sod or reseeding, be sure to measure them. If you need to mow the lawn more often, note this as well.

Are dandelions or other weeds a problem? Add that to the family chore list each week until you get it under control.

Are grass and weeds growing through cracks in your sidewalk? Do you need to use an edging tool along the walks?

MAKE YOUR HOME LOOK ‘GOOD AS NEW’

What about your house; does anything need repair, such as a front light or doorbell? Is there any peeling paint?

Check the driveway. Automotive supply shops carry cleaning products that will lift most oil stains, if that’s a problem.

(Of course, if your driveway is home to a broken car, set a date no more than three months from now. If the car isn’t running and inspected by then, sell it or donate it to charity.)

THE GARAGE CAN BE MOST IMPORTANT

The garage can be a Feng Shui nightmare. If you’re storing junk in there, or if it’s cluttered, make this a very high priority as a weekend family project.

Almost every detached garage is either in the Money corner or Romance corner of your property.

If you’re nagged by old bills, or if your relationship seems to be weighed down by past issues, you may notice a big difference when the garage is clean and clutter-free.

After examining the front of the house, do the same kind of survey in your backyard.

FINALLY, GET ORGANIZED

Make a realistic schedule and budget to make the outside of your home reflect the kind of life that you want to live.

Stick to that plan as well as you can.

Feng Shui can make even bigger changes in your life when you apply these principles to the outside of your home, as they do indoors. Try it and see for yourself.

FENG SHUI AT YOUR FRONT DOOR

Start with the lawn around your home or office. If there are any bare or yellow areas, fill them with a hardy ground cover.

If nothing will grow in that spot, use mulch or gravel and install a Zen area, a sculpture or rock garden, or a pond or fountain. If you create a special garden, design it in an auspicious shape.

For example, to bring love into your life, the garden should be in the shape of a heart. For wealth, create a shape similar to a money bag with the mouth of the bag facing your building or–even better–the door. For children, design it in the shape of a smile.

If you have any water outside your home or office–including a new pond or fountain–install a mirror that reflects the water indoors. In almost every situation, water is very good luck and should be “brought indoors” by a mirror.

LOOK FOR THE IMPORTANT POINTS

Look outside each door and window, and see if the corners of any buildings are pointing poison arrows towards you. (For more information about poison arrows, see Poison Arrows and Killing Chi.)

If there are corners, signs or other objects that seem to point towards your home or office, place round-leafed plants in the windows facing the arrows. Or, use a sheer or lace curtain in the window so that light enters the room, but the apparent arrows cannot be clearly seen.

FENG SHUI… ON THE STREET WHERE YOU LIVE

On the other hand, if your home or office is at the end of a cul de sac or the road forms a “T” shape at your front door, you will need a more powerful remedy.

In some Asian cultures, if traffic seems to aim straight at a front door, it’s smart to place an eight-sided bagua mirror outside, just above the door and facing towards the oncoming traffic. Of course, this should be a weatherproof bagua mirror, but they usually are. (In traditional Feng Shui, a bagua mirror is never placed inside the home.)

REFLECTING GOOD FENG SHUI LUCK

However, in other cultures this could look odd and raise awkward questions. So, consider purchasing or creating a mosaic with broken pieces of china and/or tile, plus broken pieces of a mirror.

(This is one time when you won’t attract bad luck by breaking a mirror. But, if the idea bothers you too much, you can ask a less wary friend to break it for you.)

Start with a metal pie plate, a dish, or any round shape that you can use as a support. Glue the bits of mirror and ceramics in an interesting design. Then, use grout–the same as you’d use for kitchen or bathroom tile–around the pieces of the mosaic.

Hang this above your door, facing the oncoming traffic. The bits of mirror break up the approaching poison arrows of the cars coming towards your home or office.

THERE’S ALWAYS A REMEDY IN FENG SHUI

No matter how inauspicious the environment around you, there are always remedies. Whether you simply conceal the problem with curtains or hedges, or address it with plants, mirrors or other remedies, you can reduce the influence of bad luck.

KEEP IT IN BALANCE

Feng Shui is more about balance than banishing every unfortunate element in your environment or life. By changing what you can, and creating an abundance of good luck around you, anything less auspicious will have less influence on your happiness.

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Poison arrows are corners that jut out and seem to point into the room. Those corners are called poison arrows and can send negative energy–also called “killing chi” (or killing qi) in the direction of the imagined arrowhead.

In a previous article, Poison Arrows and Killing Chi, we discussed architectural “arrows” in your home and office.

Now, it’s time to talk about other sources of poison arrows, especially furniture.

SOURCES OF POISON ARROWS

Most tables, desks, counter tops, and major appliances have corners. Most TVs, computer monitors, and computer towers also have corners. You’ll find corners on bookcases, many chairs, filing cabinets, and photocopy machines or printers.

The larger the sides of each “corner,” the more powerful its energy is. Likewise, there is more negative energy from poison arrows related to appliances that use a lot of electricity.

(If you’ve been looking for an excuse to buy a flat-screen computer monitor or TV, this is it!)

If you are building a home, it’s smart to include built-in appliances in your kitchen. Ovens, refrigerators, and dishwashers can be designed into the walls rather than protruding into the room. Stovetops can be set into counters or islands.

When buying a new countertop, choose one with rounded corners. Design your cabinets so that they run all the way from one wall to the next; that will reduce the corner problem.

In your laundry room, either keep the door closed or design a closet (perhaps one with a folding door) that encloses your washer and dryer.

In other rooms, try to choose furniture–especially tables and desks–that have rounded corners.

But, what if you can’t avoid furniture with corners, such as file cabinets and bookcases?

SOFTEN THE CORNERS

In a household with small children, it’s good Feng Shui and a wise safety measure to use the rubber protective devices that keep little guys from bumping into corners or sharp edges. You can also drape a plant, a tablecloth, a runner or doily, or other soft decoration over an offending corner.

Do you have a floor-to-ceiling bookcase that juts into the room? Soften the corners by placing potted plants in front of them. Or, decorate the edges of the bookcase with tiny, sparkling holiday lights.

IF YOU CAN’T MOVE THE MOUNTAIN…

Finally, if there is no way to cover or soften a corner, you can arrange the room so that the “arrow” won’t point at anyone. If the refrigerator’s corners point at your kitchen table, move one of them or the other. If possible, move your refrigerator to an old-fashioned cupboard (they’re back in vogue).

Position your TV (unless it’s fairly flat and nearly corner-free) so that its corners don’t point at anyone. Place the TV between two potted plants or some soft and interesting sculptures.

If your computer monitor points towards areas where you or others work, one great decorating trick is to use wired swags of artificial flowers and/or ivy. Bend the wires so that they drape around the monitor and shield the corners as much as possible. If the swag wants to slip out of place, conceal small suction-cup hangers that hold the wires to the monitor.

Any interior can present challenges if you’re hoping to reduce poison arrows. However, if you keep an open mind and look for creative solutions, you can resolve most of them.

IF YOU’RE STUCK

What if there are no practical remedies for the arrows? In that case, view them as yang energy that you can offset with soft, yin elements in the room.

Worst case, invest in a fish tank and stock it with eight fish. In many traditions–including Feng Shui–fish absorb negative energy. So, if you have too many poison arrows in a room, the fish will remedy the problem.

Any fish that don’t survive–and some of them won’t, with or without poison arrows–should be replaced immediately.

But, never place a fish tank in your bedroom unless you have considered the location very carefully. In some Feng Shui traditions, a fish tank symbolizes relationships that never settle down and achieve long-term stability.

In our next article, Poison Arrows and the Environment, we’ll discuss poison arrows in the landscape outside your home or office, and how to remedy them.

The source of troubles can come from poison (or poisoned) arrows, also called “killing chi.” These are objects in your environment that seem to point into your home or office.

The most important poison arrows are the corners that jut into a room. Whether it’s the covering for pipes that run through the walls, or where the back wall of a closet “bumps out” the wall of the room on the other side of it, you’ll see corners in your room.

At left, you can see a typical floorplan with two poison arrows in it. Think of the “point” of each corner as the point of an arrow. The corners that jut out–where the red X symbols are–will send negative energy towards anyone who spends much time in the direction that the corner points.

PLANTS TO THE RESCUE

When the poison arrow is a room corner, remedy the problem by hanging a plant directly in line with that corner. If it’s a powerful poison arrow, you may have difficulty keeping that plant alive. In that case, substitute an artificial (silk) plant.

Never display dried flowers in your home or office. In Feng Shui, they are simply dead things, and we try not to have symbols of death around us.

If that area of your room already has too much wood energy (green things or rectangular shaped objects), or is not supported by wood elements, choose another remedy.

A hanging plant is good in your Money Corner (back left corner of the room or building, as you look into it from the main entryway) and also for the opposite corner, which represents Travel and Helpful People.

If it’s not practical to hang a plant in a location, you can achieve the same effects if you place a potted plant on the floor in that same area.

BRANCHES CAN HELP, TOO

For a more decorative effect, pick up some good tall, slender branches from the landscaping section of your gardening supply store. Or, collect your own in the woods from fallen trees.

(Wood is an exception to the “dead plants” rule, since we use wood throughout our homes.)

Securely prop those branches so that they are in front of the corner that produces the poison arrow, and in the area around it.

Then, place an upward-pointing light on the floor among the branches–but slightly hidden from sight, if possible–so that it shines light up through the branches.

The effect can be spectacular, as well as providing tremendously positive Feng Shui energy.

However, branches or a hanging plant would not be good in the back right corner (Relationships and Romance) or in the corner opposite it, which is the left corner as soon as you enter the room or building.

In those areas, it’s best to use remedies that are red, yellow, orange, or rust colored, such as a glass wind chime which is decorated with red painted accents. Or, you can use a clear crystal ornament to remedy the poison arrow there.

For example, you can use a metal or glass wind chime, or a lovely crystal (such as from a chandelier) or even a crystal sphere designed for this purpose.

Or, if you have a large decorating budget (or a good resource for quirky supplies), you could create an effect similar to the branches one described above… but using Lucite or other clear plastic rods or tubes, from floor to ceiling.

SUMMARY

The way to remedy poison arrows is to deflect their energy with something that symbolizes life and growth (such as a plant) or sufficient decorative effects to soften or “distract” the negative energy.

If you check your home and office for poison arrows and remedy them, you will soon notice a significant difference in how friendly people are and how helpful they seem in your day-to-day routines.

For more information about poison arrows created by furniture in your home or office, see Poison Arrows and Room Decor.

Especially when the seasons change, people are eager to avoid colds and viruses, and to recover quickly if they catch a bug.

While Feng Shui should never substitute for professional health care, there are some things that you can do to improve the luck and energy in the “Health area” of your home.

IDENTIFY YOUR HEALTH AREA

The center of your home and office–and the center of every room–is the Health area. The color yellow makes this area luckiest. If your living room is in your Health area, try adding a few sunny yellow pillows on your sofa.

Gold accents are also lucky for Health, so brass or golden-colored decorations–such as bookends or candlesticks–can be good.

If you use candlesticks, white, yellow or gold candles are ideal. Be sure to burn them, too; symbols of fire help energize Health.

WOOD’S NOT GOOD

The leading symbol for this area is earth, which means that plants (in ceramic pots) can be the simplest way to bring healing energy to your home or office. Just be sure that it’s a green plant, not something with a wooden trunk such as a bonsai tree.

Wood uproots earth, in Feng Shui planning, so wooden plants aren’t so good in the Health area.

(If you have a bonsai tree or a wooden sculpture in your Health area, move it to your Family/Stability area. In Black Hat Feng Shui, that’s the middle of the left side of the building or room, as you enter through the main door.)

You can also display crystals in this area, or your geode collection.

ART AND OTHER POSTERS

If you’re buying posters or other art, look for art and photos that show anything that is healthy and growing: Flowers and colorful gardens are best.

You might also display happy pictures that represent sunrises or sunsets, and lots of cheerful yellow colors.

FENG SHUI FOR MORE ENERGY

If you’re feeling tired, it’s a good time for “spring cleaning!”

Get all the dust and dirt out of your Health area. Vacuuming is excellent for energizing an area.

If you have windows that shine light into that central part of your home, office, or room, be sure that they’re sparkling clean and unobstructed.

If you have natural sunlight streaming into your Health area, that’s the very best.

EVERYTHING IN BALANCE AND MODERATION

What should you avoid?

Be sure not to display too much wood. This doesn’t mean that every bit of wood should be removed!

In Feng Shui, we’re working with balance, not extremes.

Every area in your home and office should include symbols of wood, water, fire, metal, and earth.

However, in the Health area, you should have slightly more earth and less wood than in other areas.

KEEP THE GREEN LEAN

Green is also less favored in your Health area.

Since we’ve already talked about plants being good in the Health area, you may be scratching your head about that.

Don’t worry. As long as it isn’t a leggy philodendron or an airplane plant that threatens to take over the entire room, you’re okay.

This isn’t a good area for displaying lots of plants, but one or two plants are a very good idea.

YELLOW IS YOUR FRIEND AND ALLY

What if your conservatory or greenhouse is in that location?

Well, you can offset all that greenery by putting your plants in yellow or white pots.

Or, put some indoor-outdoor carpeting underneath them, in sunny yellow colors.

If the room is painted yellow, that will make up for a lot of green and wooden elements.

EVERY ROOM HAS A HEALTH AREA

Remember also that the center (or middle area) is the Health area in every room, but especially in your bedroom.

Keep the very center of that room clean and bright, and use the color yellow there if you can.

If you have a loveseat or overstuffed chair in the middle of your bedroom, get a yellow throw or slipcover for it.

SUMMARY

By bringing yellow and sunshine into the middle of your home or office, you’ll not only make it more cheerful to look at, but add good luck to your Health area as well.

What do people see first when they walk through your front door?

Always present visitors with a focal point. That may be art, a great view, an impressive piece of furniture, or something else that’s positive.

Think of it like a movie poster in front of the theatre. Many decisions are made based on that first impression.

WHAT’S YOUR CLAIM TO FAME?

Fortunately, the space directly across from your front door is generally your Fame area.

Decorate it with symbols of what you want to be most famous for. Whether that’s a bowling trophy, a huge family portrait, your college diploma, or an investment-quality painting, make sure that it reflects well on you and your goals.

But, don’t pick just any goal; choose your most important one in terms of public relations.

Which of your goals do you want friends and visitors to support? Whether it’s romance or a new job, symbols of the soon-to-be-accomplished goal should be very visible in your home and office.

KEEP YOUR GOAL IN THE SPOTLIGHT

Also, keep that area clean, tidy, and uncluttered. Nothing should distract from the object that you choose as your focal point. If you’re displaying several items, use their arrangement and perhaps lighting to (literally) spotlight one item, and only one.

EVERY DOORWAY COUNTS

After you’ve transformed the entry to your home so that it puts your best foot forward, do this same thing with every room in your house: Pause in each doorway to see what visitors will look at first.

Then, check what visitors see when they leave the room. After all, doorways are generally two-way!

Provide continuous visual cues that remind visitors of their initial impression when they first entered your home.

This reinforces the imagery of your entry, and it provides visitors with a sense of comfort and well-being; your house will seem to have a positive and cohesive theme.

YOUR GOOD IMPRESSION SHOULD STAY WITH YOUR GUESTS

Check the view when people leave your home. If it’s not attractive, consider shrubs, a fence or panel, or some attractive plants that maintain the sense of comfort that visitors experienced in your home.

IN SUMMARY

Plan your doorways so that they remind you and your visitors of your goals and achievements, and provide a focal point that reflects positively on your and your home.

TO MAKE THE BAMBOO ‘CURL’

If you’d like your stalks of lucky bamboo to ‘curl’ or grow in spirals, place the plant in a slightly dim area, where there is sunlight coming into the room from one side. (Do not put the plant directly in sunlight, ever.) Over a period of days, your lucky bamboo will seem to “reach” for the light. When it’s grown in one direction for a few inches, turn the plant slightly. The plant will grow in the new direction. Keep turning the plant as it grows, and after a couple of months it will have that distinctive spiral.

BAMBOO AND FENG SHUI

Especially in recent years, bamboo plants–including “lucky bamboo”–have been used to enhance prosperity. In fact, some American post offices use bamboo plants in the prosperity corner of each postal clerk’s work area. Other businesses display lucky bamboo plants for luck, too. Symbolically, bamboo represents wood. This makes bamboo–and all plants–especially appropriate in the Family/Security area, as well as the Money corner. Except to balance the elements, it’s best not to display bamboo in the Knowledge area. (In BHS Feng Shui, that’s the area on your immediate left as you enter your home.) Otherwise, lucky bamboo can be used in any area of your home to energize that area of the bagua.

LANDSCAPING WITH BAMBOO

For balance, or to soften a pointed corner (called “shar chi”) in or outside of your home, bamboo plants can be a great choice. And, in an excessively yin environment, bamboo plants can provide an elegant yang design element.

Bamboo can be grown in damp soil. If willow trees flourish around your home, bamboo will probably do well, too.

SUMMARY

Indoors, “lucky bamboo” can grow in most light conditions, and in a wide variety of temperatures. In other words, it’s safe even if you have a “brown thumb” with plants.

With the popularity of Feng Shui, it’s easy to find lucky bamboo at most stores that carry plants.

The best locations to display your lucky bamboo plants are your Money or Family/Security areas. Lucky bamboo is also a perfect housewarming gift.

Lucky bamboo is “luckiest” if it is received as a gift.

Indirect sunlight is best, but you can successfully grow a lucky bamboo plant in a bathroom with no windows, if you give it some indirect sunlight once a week or so.

Because this plant thrives on water, it’s best to give it good water. Tap water is fine, but put the water in a glass or a bowl and let it sit for 24 hours before adding it to your lucky bamboo. The chlorine and fluoride in tap water will evaporate or neutralize during that time, and your lucky bamboo will be much happier with this purer water.

Most lucky bamboo plants are grown in pebbles and water. Change the water once a month.

To keep your plant extra healthy, add a couple of drops of aquarium plant food every couple of months, when you change the water. (It’s not necessary to add plant food every month.)

If your lucky bamboo has been grown in soil, keep the soil evenly moist. Plant food is not necessary if the plant is getting its nutrients from the soil.

A stalk that turns yellow has often been overfed with plant food, probably at the commercial greenhouse that sold it to the store. (They do this to encourage a spurt of growth, so the plants sell for higher prices.) If your plant is yellow, change the water immediately, and do not give it plant food for a month.

Once the stalk turns yellow, it’s very difficult to reverse the damage. If it’s clear that you can’t save that stalk, remove it immediately. This is for feng shui reasons (no dead plants) and to prevent any plant diseases from spreading to the other stalks.

With proper care, lucky bamboo plants can grow two or three feet tall, and last for years.