The peace lily is a well-known houseplant, it is easy to grow and does not require much maintenance. In this post, we will share our experience of growing peace lily and also tell you some proven peace lily plant care methods. By using which you can grow healthy peace lily plants at home.
Introduction to Peace Lily
The peace lily houseplant is a family member of American tropical rainforest plants like the anthurium plant. It grows not more than 50 inches in height. Normally the height is depending upon the type of lily plant because the peace lilies are available in more than 40 types. So, while buying it from the garden ask them about the type of plant.
Further peace lilies are classified into two categories one is a normal plant and the other is a deluxe peace lily. Normal ones can grow from 24 to 40 inches whereas deluxe lilies grow 30 to 50 inches in height.
NOTE: Indoor plants depend upon us for food and favorable environmental conditions. So if you give good care to your indoor plant it will grow healthy and remains in good shape for many years with excellent bloom.
Best Soil for Peace Lily Houseplant
In rain forests, peace lilies grow in forest soil that is well-drained and has lots of organic matter which decays fast and release nutrients into the soil. You can also make such type of soil at home by mixing different materials.
Mix the peat-based soil with 20 % perlite, use sand if you do not have perlite. Add some compost into the mixture. This mixture is perfect for growing peace lily plants at home. In this type of soil, plant roots get plenty of oxygen which is required for healthy growth and drains the excess of water.
This houseplant required fertilizers in slow quantity and the soil mixture we suggested release the nutrients at a slower rate. This way your plant gets a continuous supply of nutrients all the time and you don’t need to fertilize it more than once a month.
If you do not want to make the soil mixture at home or you are a beginner and do not have much knowledge about the different growing mediums. You can use the premixed soil which comes in ready to use form. Choosing the right kind of soil is the first step of peace lily plant care. The soil should be well-drained.
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Peace lily plant care tips
Every plant needs Light, Water, Fertilizer, Good Environment, and perfect humidity level to grow strong. Let’s find out what your peace lily plant needs to grow indoor?
Light Requirements:
Choose a place where it gets enough bright light which comes in indirect form. Do not put your plant in sunlight this can damage it. Place it near the window where it can get enough light but if that window lets in sunlight then place it at least 10 feet away from it. Or you can cover the window by using curtains to reduce the amount of sunlight that is coming inside through it.
Protect your plant from direct bright light.
Do not worry about the low light conditions it can survive in it very well. The only problem will be weak or not bloom in the blooming season with the low light.
How to water peace lily plant?
Normally it is best to water your plant once in a week when the soil starts getting dry. Factors like weather conditions, soil type, and lighting affect your watering method. Good soil retains moisture for a long time and you do not need to water your plant more frequently.
We are using premixed soil and it has good moisture keeping qualities and we water our peace lilies after every 10 days.
In rainforests peace, lily grows in high humid conditions but this does not mean they need lots of water because they come from a rainforest.
Rainforests do receive plenty of rainfall but they have well-drained soil which drains the water into the earth and improves the water level under the earth.
The same rule applies when you grow the peace lilies at home. Before watering them check the condition of the soil. If you feel the soil is dry, add some water if you feel it has good moisture level then no need to water your plant. Excess of water can damage your plant and results in root rot which is a deadly disease for houseplants. 80% of the house plants do not survive in root rot conditions.
To check the soil moisture, insert your finger two inches deep into the mixture and feel the moisture if you feel the soil is wet no need to water if it is dry add some water immediately.
Whenever you see cracks in the soil water immediately. This is the sign of dried soil.
Which water is best to use Tap or Filtered?
Most of the rainforest plants are sensitive plants and peace lilies are no different. Use pure and clean water to water your peace lily. Tap water has some percentage of chlorine which is not good for plant health.
If you feel buying pure water separately for the plant is difficult for you than you can de-chlorinate the tap water.
Take the water in the big container and leave it as it is for 24 hours, this allows the chlorine to evaporate. Once it evaporates you can give this water to your plant.
Fertilizers for peace lily
Peace lilies are sensitive to chemicals so they do not require fertilization for healthy growth. But if you want big flowers than fertilize it once in a month with light fertilizer. But we do not suggest you fertilize your peace lily.
Overfertilization can kill your plant, do not fertilize it in fall and winter season
Temperature conditions
Since it is a rainforest plant means it likes to thrive in warm conditions. The temperature inside our home is perfect for this little plant. 17 to 30 degrees C is the normal temperature range that we have in our homes.
You need to be careful in winter, do not put your plant near the heater because a temperature less than 15 degrees C is not favorable for the plant.
Humidity for Peace lily plants
Peace lily plant is a resident of high humid areas. In rainforests, the humidity levels are 100% because the big tree does not allow direct sunlight to fall on the surface of the earth. This reduces the evaporation of moisture from the wet soil and maintains a high humid environment.
The lot of air movement in the forests spread the moisture equally in all parts of the forest. So, you also need to create the same conditions for your peace lily. But you cannot do this because the forest environment is different from the environment where humans live.
Using a humidifier at home is good for maintaining the perfect humidity level. There are other ways also by using which you can increase the humidity to a great level. But we do not recommend them because they are not guaranteed.
For example: To give a high humid environment to the plant people put their plants in the bathroom. The problem is we do not have fans in the bathroom. The plant also needs fresh air (oxygen) and bright light to grow. Nobody will like to use grow lights in the bathroom for the plant and the bathroom light is not enough for the plant to grow. Moreover, the humidity in the bathroom increases the chance of bacterial attack and fungus attack (due to no air movement) So, we do not suggest these types of tips. Using a humidifier is the best option.
When to water Your peace lily?
This is the step where most of the growers do wrong things. They water the plant too often to maintain the perfect moisture level in the soil but by doing this they damage their plant with own hands. It is true that it needs a good humidity percentage but this does not mean it needs a lot of water.
If you think, giving more water to plant keep the soil wet all the time and is good for it, think again. By doing so you are inviting the plant diseases like root rot, another fungus, etc. You need to maintain the humidity in the air not only in the soil.
Tropical rainforests receive a great amount of rainfall throughout the year. The soil in those areas is well-draining soil which allows water to go deep into the earth. This process makes the upper layer of the soil moist, not wet. So do not give your plant excess of water otherwise you will be lost it forever.
The best way to water them is to check the soil condition first.
If you feel the soil is dry you can give water to the plant otherwise do not water it. To check the soil moisture put your finger into the soil and feel the moisture (this is the best way). Or you can buy a soil tester kit to know the exact percentages of moisture and other soil content.
Another way of watering in peace lily plant care tips is to wait until the leaves start to droop and water your plant immediately. This is a little risky method if the plant lost 80% of its leaves then it will be difficult for it to bloom in the current year.
If you are not an experienced grower stick to the first suggested technique.
How to Report a Peace lily plant?
When you see roots are coming on the upper surface of the pot and most of them are visible, means it’s time for repotting peace lily. Crowded plant stalks are another sign of repotting.
The plant should be repotted into a new and better container after every year.
The first step is choosing the right container for it. Choose a container with a drainage hole at the bottom. Use any material pot for repotting, peace lilies do not care about the material for the pot.
The new pot should be 2 inches wide in diameter than the previous pot and choose height according to the height of your plant.
If your plant is unable to stand itself in the new pot use stake to support it.
Disease and Pests
Common houseplant problems like insect attack of spider mites and bugs do not bother peace lily. But to make sure your plant will not get infected by these insects do this. Every day wipe the leaves with a clean damp cloth (cotton cloth is best to use). This way you can prevent many diseases from your plant.
Daily inspection is required, it will take less than 2 minutes, check the leaves for spider mites, the upper side and downside of the leaf, and Inspect the soil and foliage. If you see the soil is covered with a grey color substance then no need to worry just clean it and it will not come again. This is a type of fungus and for safety, you can use sprinkling cinnamon to remove it and prevent it from coming back.
If you see the black coating on the foliage then this is a big problem. Your plant is suffering from a critical infection. Separate it immediately from other plants (wear gloves for your safety). Cut off the infected leaves this is the only trusted way to save your plant. If all leaves are infected then you can’t do anything (it’s too late).
The toxicity level of plant
This plant is toxic to pets but no deadly toxic. Just in case, your pet ingested it accidentally then it causes excessive drooling, dry mouth, etc. The peace lily is not tasty to eat so when your pet bites it first they leave it right away and do not bite it a second time due to its bad taste. This way they do not ingest it in high quantity.
They are not toxic to humans and you do not need to worry about pets. Dogs and cats have a habit to taste everything that comes new in the home (especially plants). When they will taste it first, they will never touch it again.
We have two cats and one dog and you will be surprised to know that we have 5 peace lily plants in our home. None of our pets eats this plant because this is not their food, they just smell it and lick it to know what it is? this is their way to know about things. Pets are smart animals.
When do they start blooming?
The natural time for blooming is late in winter and early summer. But nowadays we have many varieties of hybrid peace lilies that bloom over a long period. You can choose them if you want your plant to bloom for longer. There is no price difference in both types however some nurseries charge one or two extra dollars for the hybrid peace lilies.
What to do for good bloom?
Give it plenty of bright light it will bloom for sure. If you are giving a good amount of light and your plant still did not bloom then the problem is a lack of nutrients especially phosphorous. The best way to give complete nutrients to your plants is to switch to the flowering fertilizer.
On the other hand, if your plant only produces green color spathes this means you are over-fertilizing your lovely plant. Stop fertilizing it or cut it to half amount. Remember you should not fertilize it in the fall and winter.
Another reason that prevents your plant from blooming is, it is the small size of the pot. Repot it in a big container it will bloom for sure.
What are the top varieties to choose from?
Here is the list (choose any)
JETTY (Longer blooming period)
LITTLE ANGLE (hybrid type)
DOMINO (medium size plant)
SENSATION (largest hybrid type, height up to 2 meters)[/
The plant leaves are turning yellow
Yellow leaves are caused by many reasons most common reasons for yellow leaves are described below.
Excess Watering
Overwatering is the first reason for developing yellow leaves. When you choose the wrong kind of soil this problem comes in the first place due to extra water in the soil. This leads to root rot which turns the color of the leaves from beautiful green to yellow. To save it, cut down the water supply and check for root rot. Sperate the infected part of the root and pot it again.
Excess Light
Peace lily can survive in a limited amount of light but they do not tolerate the excess of light energy. Too much light can burn the plant leaves and you will not see flowers anymore.
Under-watering
This condition is also responsible for the yellow leaves. Insufficient water supply to the plant makes the soil dry. When the soil gets out of moisture it became unable to supply moisture to the roots. Hence the plant did not get water content and due to lack of water, the green leave turns into yellow color.
Reasons for brown leaves in peace lily
Peace lily plant care is easy but if you are not giving it the proper environment to grow your plant will face problems and you too.
Low-Humidity Level
Low humidity causes brown leaves. To prevent this condition, use a humidifier or place the pot into the tray filled with water and pebbles.
Salt build-up
If your tap water contains chlorine and fluoride then you will face this problem for sure. These two salts build up in the potting soil after some time (when you continuously supply tap water to your soil). Use pure water free of chlorine to water your plant and the problem will go away on its own.
NOTE: If the older leaves are turning into brown color especially those are at the bottom then no need to worry this is a natural process.
EXTRA TIPS
If your plant drying out too quickly then this indicates that
Your plant is suffering from high temperature which makes the soil dry by evaporating the moisture from it.
Low humidity is another reason that makes your peace lilies dry more often.
We hope that you have found this (peace lily plant care) article helpful, to read more similar articles visit us again.
