It’s no wonder the peace lily (Spathiphyllum wallisii) is one of the most popular houseplants available today. With its glossy dark green leaves and dramatic hooded white flowers, it makes a fabulous focal point in any room. This visitor from the tropical rainforests of South America has been brightening up our homes since the 1870s, thanks to its good looks and easy-going nature. Here’s how to keep your peace lily looking its best.
Where to grow a peace lily
Being rainforest plants, peace lilies like a warm, humid and semi-shaded environment. Place your peace lily out of direct sunlight and stand the pot on a water-filled saucer of pebbles to increase the humidity level around the plant. Peace lilies are good at letting you know when they need watering, as they’ll start to wilt. Ideally, you should water regularly enough to prevent them wilting, but if you do occasionally forget, don’t worry – peace lilies revive amazingly well. Feed once a month from spring to autumn with a balanced liquid houseplant feed, and wipe the leaves with a damp cloth to remove dust.
Always keep peace lilies away from pets, as the plants contain oxalates which are toxic to both cats and dogs.
Getting a peace lily to flower
Peace lilies flower best in bright but indirect light, and usually flower in spring, producing one or two white hooded blooms that can last for over a month. They may occasionally flower again in autumn. Once the flowers have faded, deadhead them to keep the plant looking neat.
If your peace lily’s roots are starting to grow out of the pot’s drainage holes, it’s time to repot it into a slightly larger container. Here’s how it’s done:
Water your peace lily the day before you repot it.
Fill the new container one-third full with multipurpose potting compost.
Remove the plant from its old container and tease the roots loose if necessary.
Place it in the new container, fill around the roots with compost and press down gently. Top up the box with compost to about 1cm (0.5in) below its rim.
Water well and allow to drain through, then place the new container on its drip tray.
Common problems with peace lilies
Browning leaf tips is a common problem, and this could be the result of overwatering, overfeeding, or a lack of humidity. Change one condition at a time and observe the effect on your plant.Yellowing leaves means that the plant is getting too much sunlight and needs to be moved out of direct light. Peace lilies are usually free from most pests and diseases, and regular wiping of the leaves will get rid of the occasional aphid or other pests.
Peace lilies and other houseplants help make our homes into calm and tranquil spaces. Contact us to find out more about our range of houseplants and other gardening products.
If you've been a little lax about watering your peace lily on schedule, or didn't water deeply enough, saturate the root ball after allowing the plant to dry out, your plant's soil may be dry even if you watered recently. Wilting or drooping leaves are a common sign that your peace lily needs a good watering.
The plant will droop a bit when thirsty, telling you when it needs a drink. If you pay attention to when it usually starts to sag, you can plan to water one day before it generally happens. Watering about once a week and spritzing leaves with water throughout the summer will help keep your peace lily hydrated.
Peace lilies can benefit from coffee grounds as they are a rich source of nutrients for the plant. Additionally, they prefer acidic soil, and coffee grounds add acidity to the soil. To get the maximum benefits from the grounds, use them as compost or liquid fertilizer.
Though most peace lilies are grown as houseplants, you can also grow them outside if you live in zones 10 to 12. Plant them in a shady spot (where they'll naturally get much more ambient light than if they were growing inside) in soil that's consistently slightly moist.
Grow peace lily in a bright spot out of direct sunlight. Water regularly, keeping the compost moist but not wet. In spring and summer, feed fortnightly with a liquid house-plant food. Deadhead spent blooms and dust or wipe the leaves regularly to ensure they photosynthesise well.
Maintain the original soil level: When repotting, make sure the peace lily sits at the same soil level as it was in its previous pot. Burying the plant too deep or too shallow can stress the plant and hinder its recovery.
Any water containing sugar or salt will hurt your plant! Like many tropical indoor plants, Peace Lily prefers a spot with much humidity. If leaf edges begin to curl or brown, mist with filtered lukewarm water on a regular basis, or place a humidifier nearby.
Recognizing the Signs of Thirst: Peace lilies will often signal when they're thirsty by a slight drooping of their leaves. This is your cue that it's time to water. Avoiding Overwatering: While they like consistent moisture, overwatering can be detrimental, leading to root rot.
Peace lilies don't need much fertilizer, but you can use a 20-20-20 fertilizer mixed at one quarter strength to fertilize through the growing season (spring and summer) every other month.
How long a peace lily lives depends on its care and environment. Many people consider three to five years an average peace lily lifespan. However, indoor peace lilies have been known to live two decades or more. Late winter or early spring is the best time to repot and propagate peace lilies.
This indicates the percentage of Nitrogen, Phosphorous, and Potassium in the mix. A balanced fertilizer like 20-20-20 is often recommended for Peace Lilies. It provides equal parts of all three essential nutrients, giving your plant a well-rounded meal.
The bedroom is considered an ideal place to keep peace lily plants. The peace lily Vastu direction is South or West. Hence, you can place the plant close to a bedroom window that faces. It will guarantee peaceful sleep at night and promote harmony.
Peace lilies are an especially great plant for bathrooms because they love the humidity you can't usually get indoors. With shower steam, they basically water themselves (most of the time). Just stick your finger in the soil occasionally — dry means it's go-time with the watering can.
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Introduction: My name is Cheryll Lueilwitz, I am a sparkling, clean, super, lucky, joyous, outstanding, lucky person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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