What do the roots look like?

Looks sort of like that plant was exposed to severe temperatures, was it near an open window or left outside or with a heating vent blowing on it. The leave will get mushy if it was too cold.

If it was kept in low light and you moved it to full sun that could stress it out but probably not that much.

Or it could be to much fertilizer and you gave it a good chemical burn to the roots

If you have an air pump aerate the water under the roots.

If you're going to keep it in water for awhile, prop it up so that only the roots are in the water and the crown out. They can stay in water and do fine.

Thank you, Danny for the tips on aerating the water and what level to maintain it. Roots on both plants look very healthy, although when removed from original pots, the soil smelled a little funky. They both were in the same containers & environment since received. I've seen chemical burn from fertilizer on other plants in the past, but never indoor plants or anything quite as extreme as this. It was also given to an indoor English Ivy and it didn't affect it at all. Every leaf is limp, as though they were left outdoors to freeze overnight in the wintertime, but haven't turned black, yet. Somehow I feel confident they'll survive only from the root system, I just don't know the best approach from here. They are both especially sentimental.

When you say "got Miracle Grow as in the past" I wonder how regularly and how much. Perhaps as previous poster said, might just have been a little heavy handed.

The rule for potted plants I think most of us have learned is a little less, than more.

Salts build up in time in those small containers and an addition can cause an imbalance and that sort of wilting. If that was the only change to conditions I'd say that was it.

They are a very forgiving plant but eventually you will have to bite the bullet on re-potting and contrary to Danny I'd say do it sooner than later. You won't do the plant any favors encouraging "water roots".

Sacrifice dead and dying leaves by trimming off to conserve plant strength.

Spathiphyllum do very well in water. In nature they are often found growing in bogs. If these plant have been exposed to some type of toxin leaving them in water may get them to recover faster.

I have a colony of them rooted in clay pellets in water, been that way for years.

How does one maintain aeration in pots with clay pellets? Neither of my PLs have ever looked as healthy & beautiful as those pictured in these posts. Were all these plants obtained growing in water or soil? Since my plants have been successfully grown in soil the past 4-6 yrs., wouldn't the transition to staying in water be more stressful? I understand the justification in removing dead/dying leaves to accommodate better health for new growth, however, if I were to do that, it would include ALL the leaves on both plants. Is that safe?

Only trim the dead and yellowing leaves and see what happens. Also cut off any more that turn yellow later.

The roots in the LECA are exposed to air all the time because the water is only an inch or two deep and the LECA is higher than that. Through capillary action the water seeps up the clay balls to the higher up roots. Also the water levels go up and down over time which exposes more roots until it's rewatered again.

These plants have an interesting history with me. I've had them since around 2000. I've grown them in regular clay pots for a few years. Then I replanted them in a different tub full of mud and grew them emersed for a few years meaning the they stay in soil that was kept under the water level at all times. Which they also grew wonderfully in.

Then I wanted to experiment with passive hydro and moved them to LECA. That was in 2012, this is where they've been ever since.

Mine was bought in soil. I just removed it, put it into the gravel mix and then sat it in the pond. Hasn't been moved since.

Hi

I have used these as landscape plants for a number of years but due to my soil being mostly sand was unable to keep them hydrated . Moved them to my shallow "Marsh garden" where they do very well .One is planted in crushed lava rock while the other is in regular "potting" soil .

I recently bought one of those "giant" types over 4 feet tall . Keeping it in the original pot in the shaded house plant area Seems to be doing well so far lol

It is potted in a peat based soil that has rather slow drainage remains very moist between waterings. I also have some in raised beds that do poorly in spite of almost daily rains I think you'll do much better with your new grow method . They certainly need LOTS of water good luck gary

Did you removed it from the soil or have you just placed the pot with soil into water? If you've still got it in the soil don't soak it, it'll just rot because it is already doing badly. If this was my plant I would remove all the soil and then put it in water, When it start to recover then you can decide if you want it to go back in soil or keep it in water.

I would prefer to continue the plants' growth in water, but I need to research to get the right aeration. Although it's typical seeing plants in or around my home rooting in water, I know nothing about this method, such as materials, instructional steps in developing & maintaining for a long period of time. After the first root flush the plants were placed in shallow tap water (city supplied), but after 2 days, I began getting the sense of urgency in completing this task, as the still, stagnant water started getting a repulsive odor. When the plants were removed from the water yesterday, I discovered many of the roots' exterior surfaces had rotted, leaving a strong white string-like core, as described above. Much of the rotted tissue was removed & the roots flushed again prior to the plant being placed back into the original pot with a mix of fresh & original soil (really dumb move, but was rushed for time) and the damaged leaves cut away. Plants / soil was watered & placed in a large north window, never receiving direct sun. Hoping it's not too late to save, I will leave as is and visit TX Hydroponics in a couple days to get supplies needed to convert. Let us pray.

There is a lot of info on First Rays Orchid site about growing orchids in passive hydro, most of which will apply to spaths.

firstrays.com/semi-hydroponic-culture/sh-detailed-information/

Did all those leaves turn yellow?

Take off the soil again and cut the gamey roots off and back into water with no soil. It sounds like you're thinking passive hydro is more complicated than it is. It is unlikely that anyone at the hydroponics shop will know anything about. No-one at any of the three shops in my area know anything about it. All you will need is an appropriate container and growing media. Pick up a net pot (or a small plastic bucket and drill a couple 1/4" holes in the side an inch and a half up from the bottom) and a deep tray or saucer to put it in

You will want the media to be about 3 to 5 inches deep and the water is kept about 1 to 1-1/2 inches deep. Over time the roots will grow below the waterline but the roots above will get moisture through capillary action and at the same time be exposed to air. You will not need aeration if you set it up like this.

Mine are grown in hydroton but there are other brands that are more or less the same, hyodrocorn, primagra, etc.

Pick up some hydro nutrients for vegetative (non-flowering) growth too, most regular fertilizers do not have all the micro-nutrients plants need.

So hopefully this will give you an idea of how easy it is to set up. These are a few of my plants that are set up in passive-hydro.

An Anthurium plowmanii in a half gallon bucket along with a Philodendron in a quart bucket. Both are planted in long fiber sphagnum moss. there are slots cut into the sides of the buckets to allow excess water out. Those containers are split open from root growth so they're in for a repotting soon.

Another Philodendron. This one is in a basket pot with hydroton. It just sits in Nutrients/water about a half inch deep.

A Huperzia squarrosa and more Philo cuttings in plastic pots. Grown in sphagnum moss mixed with wood chips and charcoal. The green sticks getting in the way are from some sort of pencil cactus not grown in hydro but just spilling out everywhere.

A Bowiea volubilis In a basket pot sitting in water. It is rooted in growstones which is a product made from recycled glass and the blue and white container is a glass melting crucible. For this one I have to pick it up out of the crucible to change the water every couple of months.

LuAnn, did all of this save the plants? My Peace Lily that I've had since 2013 just went really limp on me in the last week, and I am so scared something is wrong that is beyond saving. I am a novice plant owner and I don't even know what root rot would look like or what is going on. I only water when he gets a little droop, like once a week to once every 2 weeks. He's always been cool with that but suddenly he looks like this:

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My mother said she gave him some Miracle Grow powder... which I never ever do. Could she have damaged him somehow? Is there something I can do to save him? Do you know? TIA!

Did she apply it as powder? It's usually diluted w/ water first.