Sick Ornamental Miniature Bamboo - needs help!?

I have an ornamental miniature bamboo my son gave me for mother's day 4 yrs ago. I'm afraid it may be sick. It smells terrible. I've cleaned the rocks and washed the roots. I've even snipped the bottoms of the bamboo to try to get rid of the darkened ends. Any advise? Do I have to throw it out. Is there something I can do to save it? Asprin maybe?

Sick Ornamental Miniature Bamboo - needs help!?
If it smells it is rotting. Chances are it's a gonner. If you want to try you can cut off the entire part that is black (or rotted) and put it in clean water (I'd use bottled water without chlorine) and see if it roots again. If it has enough stored food it could re-root and you'd be set. You have to change the water pretty often to avoid rotting in this kind of planting. Oh, and no fertilizer until the new roots are fairly well developed.
Reply:Is this product also called "Lucky Bamboo?" If so, read on. If not, I can't tell from your description what else it may be.





The odor you describe means to me that the root structure has gone anerobic. This is caused by the water not being changed periodically. The cure is mostly what you've already done, but the roots have to dry for a while first in order to kill off the anerobic bacteria.





Take the whole thing apart. Wash the stones and container in soapy water, rinse well, and let dry. Wash the plant's roots carefully in clear runnung water. Remove any that appear rotten. Lay the plant in the sunshine for an hour or so. Don't use any chemicals on it. Then put it all back together.





This should work if it's not too late. By the way, this plant is a Dracena, not Bamboo despite the name it's sold under, not that it matters.