How to Care for Peace Lily

A great starter plant if you’re looking to exercise your green thumb, the Peace Lily is a universally loved plant for its glossy, graceful leaves. It certainly helps that this plant is easy to handle indoors as well. Here’s an extensive breakdown of everything you need to know when caring for the peace lily.

The rest of this article will dive into everything the Peace Lily needs to thrive.

Peace Lily Overview

Peace Lilies are hardy tropical flowering plants from the Spathiphyllum genus. They thrive well indoors and can be planted at any time of year. Most importantly, you’ll need to protect these plants from the cold, especially during transportation.

These plants grow at a moderate rate, reaching maturity around 3 years and will bloom in the springtime with white and yellow flowers. Mature, these plants stand 1-4 feet tall indoors and as tall as 6 feet outdoors.

For the best bloom, your Peace Lily needs partial sun exposure, acidic soil pH, and a hardiness zone of 11-12.

Peace Lily Light Requirements

Peace Lilies need the right amount of light to bloom and thrive. They don’t cope well with the cold, so you’re best keeping your Peace Lilies somewhere that gets partial sun.

Indirect sunlight is best, since too much can be harmful. An east or north-facing window is a great option, since the plant gets the benefit of the morning sun without being overly exposed the sun at its warmest in the midday and early afternoon.

With that in mind, avoid putting your Peace Lily on a south-facing windowsill during the summer, since doing so can cause the leaves to dry out as a result of sun exposure.

During the winter, however, you’ll want to consider the amount of sun your Peace Lily is getting and put them somewhere that gets a decent amount of indirect afternoon sun.

If your Peace Lily is getting too much sun, you’ll notice the leaves starting to lose their rich green color and turning yellow. When this happens, prune the yellow leaves (they won’t turn green again) and reposition your Peace Lily to somewhere that gets less sun.

Soil Requirements

The Peace Lily needs a mixture that retains some degree of moisture, the lily isn’t designed to store much moisture in the stems and will thus suffer in well-draining soil. Of course, make sure you avoid overwatering this soil since overly moist conditions can lead to disease.

A traditional houseplant mix or palm mix is a great option to consider, and loose mix ripe with organic matter is best, reflecting the plant’s natural tropical soils.

Water Requirements

It’s always better to underwater your Peace Lily than to overwater. The frequency of watering should depend on the size of the container and how well the soil tends to drain. In general, you should water your Peace Lily when you notice that the top 1 inch of the soil is dry to the touch.

Consider using distilled or filtered water , as heavily chlorinated water can be harmful to plants.

Humidity and Temperature

As mentioned, Peace Lilies don’t like the cold. Avoid putting your plant somewhere that experiences cold drafts, such as near the front door. Keep your Peace Lily in an ideal temperature range of 65 through 80 degrees Fahrenheit and avoid leaving your plant in conditions below 55.

Tropical plants need relatively high humidity, so you’ll want to take additional measures to keep your Peace Lily in optimal conditions. First, consider grouping several Peace Lilies (or other high-humidity plants) together.

Plants release moisture, making the surrounding area more humid as a whole. As such, grouping plants together helps keep the surrounding environment more pleasant for plants like the Peace Lily that need greater moisture requirements.

Another solution is adding a humidifier to the room or near the ventilation system to increase the humidity in your home. Lastly, you can fill a tray with gravel and pebbles. Add water to the tray and place your plants on top. Top up the tray every now and then, and you’ll be able to create an ideal humid environment for your plants.

Fertilizer

Peace Lilies need regular feeding to be hearty and have beautiful seasonal blooms, although you’ll need to make sure you’re using the right fertilizer and that you don’t overdo it.

Feeding weekly with slow-release pellets early in the season is the best approach. When you fertilize, be sure to water shortly afterwards to even distribute the fertilizer. You don’t need to fertilize in the winter.

Aim for a balanced water-soluble fertilizer with an NPK ratio of 20:20:20.

Pruning

To prune a Peace Lily, start at the base of the plant and cut off the stem of any brown and dying stalks. They won’t regrow, and doing so allows room for more flowers to grow.

Propagation

You can propagate your Peace Lily by separating clumps as you repot. Look for the small crown offshoots as a sign that the lily is ready for propagation. Any piece with attached roots and leaves is likely to survive.

To propagate, fill a pot with potting mix and plant the crowns . Water thoroughly and maintain the plant in a humid, warm environment. New roots should settle in a month or less.

Growing from Seed

If you choose, you can grow Peace Lilies directly from the seed taken from the central spadix. Carefully cut the pod of the central spadix and extract the seeds with a small knife.

Plant the seeds you take out in a pot immediately for the best chance to let them grow and place a plastic bag over the top of the pot to maintain ideal humidity conditions. It can take up to 10 days for germination to occur, and you will need to water the plant throughout carefully and gently.

Potting and Repotting

If your Peace Lily is rootbound, then it’s time to repot. A severely rootbound plant isn’t able to absorb water efficiently, causing harm to the plant. Spring is generally the best time to repot to reduce transfer shock.

To do so, start by picking out a slightly larger pot and filling it with fresh potting mix. Once repotted, the plant’s root ball should sit anywhere from ½ inch to 1 inch below the rim.

Carefully remove the Peace Lily from the pot and place it in the new container. Gently firm up the mixture with your fingers and water lightly to settle the soil. You’ll notice a little wilting after the transfer, which is perfectly normal. Avoid fertilizing the plant for a few weeks afterwards to let the Peace Lily settle.

Overwintering

Peace Lilies struggle during the winter and need special attention. First, reposition your plant or use artificial lighting to ensure they get adequate light. Consider using a humidifier to keep conditions optimal for your plant and avoid exposure to cold drafts, such as near the door or an open windowsill.

Common Pests and Diseases to Watch Out for

Scale and mealybugs are the most common pests you’ll run into with Peace Lilies, both of which can be treated with horticultural oil. Of course, as with any plant, you’ll want to avoid letting root rot set in, which can occur when the plant is overwatered.

How to Get Peace Lily to Bloom

It can be very challenging to get Peace Lilies to bloom, but if you provide the best conditions, then you’ve got the best chance of getting your plant to bloom. These conditions include ideal lighting, plenty of humidity, consistent fertilizer, and regular watering.

The buds can be quite small and will unfurl when flowering, revealing the glossy yellow-white flowers. In the right conditions, a Peace Lily is able to flower twice in a year, once in spring and once in fall.

Common Problems

Peace Lilies aren’t too difficult to take care of, but if you see any of the following symptoms, you may need to make some adjustments in your plant care arrangements:

Curling leaves – When the leaves curl, it indicates that the Peace Lily is getting too much sun and needs to be put somewhere with more shade.

Browned tips – You’ll notice browning when the watering schedule isn’t right. Over or underwatering can cause this problem, as well as low humidity. Make sure you wait until the top 1 inch of your potting soil is dry before watering, about once a week, and check that the environment is humid enough for your plants.

Final Thoughts

The Peace Lily is a great houseplant that’s relatively easy to care for, but there’s a number of conditions you should keep in mind. Put your Peace Lily somewhere that gets plenty of indirect sun, keep it humid, and avoid letting in cold drafts, and you should see beautiful blooms from this houseplant.