My not so peacful Peace Lily

5 years ago

Hey there -

I'm trying to keep my Peace Lily in the land of the living and need some serious help.

I received her a year and a half ago as a gift. In recent months her once spry and jovial-self began to wilt and turn colors at the tips. Last week, after much researching I repotted her for the first time. In my humble opinion, the repotting was a success. Her color became much deeper again and her stems are so much stronger. But she still looks so darn..."droopy".

Last Year:

And now:

I'm not ready to throw in the towel on her. Any advice?

Also note, she's a bit on the larger side of peace lilies. The original care instructions called for watering every 5-7 days. But I have to water her every other day just to keep her from wilting! When I've tried to go longer without watering, she's laid out across the floor and yellowing at the tips again.

Disclaimer: I am very much a beginner with plants. But I'm sure you've gathered that by now :-)

Featured Answer

Dave

5 years ago

You’re drastically over watering. There’s no reason in a standard potting mix you’d ever need to water that often.

Do you check the soil before you water? How far down do you check? Is the soil dry, damp, wet?

does the pot have a drain hole?

give it some light. It looks to be no where near any type of natural light source.

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (7)

Michelle Turpin
Original Author
5 years ago
Thanks, for replying Dave!

Since repotting I've started checking the soil before watering. I put my index finger into the soil about an inch deep. one side is typically damp while the other is dry.

The previous put had a drain hole. This current put does not as the good folks at Home Depot told me it should be fine without one.

And I can certainly give it more light!
Related Discussions
please check my peace lily
Q
Comments (17)
Josh, I see. When I first clicked on the picture nothing happened. The second time it enlarged. To be honest, I didn't notice it was Photo Bucket, not that it matters since I don't know anything about Photo Bucket anyway..lol. Nico. I thought you said you had the PL 6 months, sorry. IMO, air conditioning isn't the best for tropicals, but what can you do? Make sure the air isn't aiming/hitting your plants. Garlic water won't harm your plants as long as you don't add salt in the water. Salt will kill a plant. I sometimes spray with veggie water, especially after making sweet potatoes. Garlic will deter some insects. Where are you located, if you don't mind me asking. Do you know anyone else who uses the packaged soil your Peace Lily is potted in? Does the bag list ingredients? If it was my plant, I'd use a little of the bagged soil, (if the package says for indoor/house plants, orchid bark, Perlite, and tiny stones. The temperature is okay. Maybe a bit too warm. Your PL doesn't look bad, but it's best you change soil. Don't over-pot. Use a container 1-2 sizes larger than the root ball. Peace Lily's do best when tight-fitting, they tend to flower more, too. Yep, if leaves are more than half damaged, cut them from the stem closest to soil. They won't return to green. For the time being, stop fertilizing. Water only when soil is almost dry. If soil is staying wet at the bottom, something is obstructing the holes, plus the current soil is too heavy. We've already covered that. Repot with above ingredients. Apply fungicide only if your Peace Lily has fungi. There's no sense in adding chemicals if they're not needed. When you repot, check roots. Do you know what to look for? Toni
...See More
?'s about repotting my Peace Lily
Q
Comments (4)
You seem to be on the right track,but I'm a little confused as to where you are seeing the roots. In the insert? Are they coming out of the bottom of the pots dainage holes? I would take the plant out of the pot and look at the roots. If they are really entwined and obviously root bound, then I'd say yes repot it. But don't go up any more than 1 size, there should me a fingers space between the side of the pot and the soil. I use MG soil as well and it seems to work well, I do ammend it with perlite for more loose soil. I do this with all my plants. If you get the kind w/fertilizer in it, don't feed your PL for 3 months, when the fert is gone from the soil. Good Luck,
...See More
Help my peace lily? (Links to photos attached)
Q
Comments (6)
I agree with tisha: it does seem like kind of a big pot, considering that there are only about four individual plants in there. My instinct, which has been wrong before and which may be wrong now, would be to take it out of the pot, pull the pieces apart, shake off whatever soil and dead roots will shake off, and then repot the pieces together in the smallest pot that will hold them. (My guess from the picture is that it's in an 8" or 10" pot now; you should be able to fit the pieces that are still alive into a 5" or 6".) The leaves slowly dying a little bit at a time sounds to me like it's too wet, and I don't really see four plants going through that much water that quickly. It's not that you're watering too much -- drenching is good -- but I think you're probably watering too often. Which can be fixed. The light is probably fine. Fertilizer can cause dead tips and leaves, but if you're reading the directions and giving that amount or less when you feed, and letting water run through the pot when you water, that's probably not the problem. I doubt humidity is the issue either, though it can also cause dead tips. Let the plant tell you when it needs water. In a pot that size, the top couple inches can be dry while the bottom four are still wet, so you can't go by a schedule at all. Spathiphyllums that have gone too dry will collapse flat: that's too late. The right time to water is when the leaves go a little bit limp and floppy, where you can brush them with a hand and not feel much resistance. This is usually a few days before they go flat. In a large pot, it could be a long time between spells like this, depending on the time of year, amount of light, etc.
...See More
Update on my Peace Lily
Q
Comments (1)
Oh I do not think you are being silly at all. I have only had my peace lillies ( yes I have ended up with 3)almost 3 months now but I have learned from each one of mine They each are different as far as watering so I have to watch them each day to see if they want a drink. One I have blooms a lot, one still has blooms on it, and one never has bloomed. I am very glad you are enjoying you new plant and if it makes you smile then it is always good. Keep up your good growing habits. Ann in So Ut
...See More
Dave
5 years ago
Unfortunately the good folks at Home Depot apparently don’t know much about caring for plants.

I’m sorry they mislead you and told you it would be ok without a drain hole.

A drain hole is an absolute must.

How did you go about repotting? I take it you just potted up and didn’t do a full repot.

Either drill holes in the bottom or get it into a pot with drain holes so you can start to water correctly.

The roots are likely rotting due to over watering, and lack of a drain hole. Since you only stick your finger in an inch or so, that doesn’t tell you how much moisture is present deep in the pot.

Dry on one side and damp on the other is from improper watering or dissimilar soils.
Michelle Turpin thanked Dave
somegu7
5 years ago
They often say its an easy plant to grow, i don't think so.
Dave
5 years ago
last modified: 5 years ago
It’s a very easy plant to grow, as long as you follow some simple steps.

If you use a good mix, don’t over or under water and provide bright indirect sun (north facing window is great), they’ll flourish.

I have a couple huge ones that we’ve had for a few years. They don’t get any special treatment.

They spend summer outdoors in open shade.
Photo Synthesis
5 years ago
last modified: 5 years ago
I've had mine go completely bone dry before finally beginning to wilt. This wasn't intentional, I only mention it to point out that the wilting isn't from underwatering. Peace lilies love water, but their roots also love fresh air, so drainage is a must. I would also advise giving it much brighter indirect sunlight. Just because some plants can tolerate low light levels, it doesn't mean that they prefer it that way.

Never seek advice from a big box employee. For most of them, it's just a job; they're paid to be there. They don't care about providing accurate advice. You're better off seeking out someone shopping there that actually wants to be there. More often than not, that's where you'll find me, HaHa. I've certainly helped other shoppers whenever they needed it.
linda wells
5 years ago
here is a tip for you and your plants. if you get a set of chop sticks for each pot. use the sticks to aerate the soil and leave then stuck in the pot all the time. it will help with large pots to help keep the soil from spolling. and becoming to wet.

My not so peacful Peace Lily

Dave

Comments (7)

Michelle Turpin
Original Author

Related Discussions

Dave

somegu7

Dave

Photo Synthesis

linda wells

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

My not so peacful Peace Lily

Dave

Comments (7)

Michelle TurpinOriginal Author

Related Discussions

Dave

somegu7

Dave

Photo Synthesis

linda wells

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

Michelle Turpin
Original Author