Peace Lily Care: Beautiful houseplants with white pleasant flowers
Image by HOerwin56 from Pixabay
Peace lily care is easy and they require little care if grown under the correct conditions and can thrive to give rise to beautiful flowers. They are one of the most beautiful and most sorted after flowering houseplants. They are easy to care for. The white flowers adds beauty to the house. They can either be grown in huge planters or the small varieties can be kept as table top plants.
Quick Details of Peace lily
| Other Common Names | Spath lily, Peace lily |
| Type | flowering Indoor/outdoor plant |
| Maintenance | Moderate |
| Flowering | Spring-Summer; Some plants flower twice a year. |
| Light | Bright indirect sunlight. |
| Water | Water when the soil is dry. |
| Temperature | Warm humid conditions |
| Soil | Well draining organic matter rich soil |
| Fertilizer | Slow release fertilizer weekly ones |
| Habitat | Tropical regions of America and Southeast Asia |
| Toxicity | Can cause irritation in humans and pets |
| Common Diseases | Yellowing of leaves, root rot, mealy bus. |
| Scientific name | Spathiphyllum |
Peace lily Buying Instructions
- Buy a plant with green shiny and clean leaves.
- Buy a bushy plant which have multiple shoots.
- There should not be any kind of patches on leaves.
Overview of Peace lily
They are evergreen perennial herbaceous plants belonging to the family Araceae. They are monocotyledonous plants and flower mostly during spring- summer. They are native to the tropical regions of America and Southeast Asia. They are one of the loved houseplant and the white flowers and dark green leaves add beauty to the house.
The leaves are broad, dark green, glossy and can grow up to 40-60cm long and 30 cm wide. The flowers are white in color and a spadix with a white or green cover the spathe.
The pores inside the plant help in absorbing toxic gases like carbon monoxide and formaldehyde thus reducing the pollutants around them. They are shade loving plants and require very little sunlight and water for survival.
Usage and Advantage of Peace lily
- Grown as an ornamental plant.
General Peace lily Care
Soil:
These plants prefer well draining loose, nutrient rich potting mix. Use a potting mix rich in organic matter. If growing outdoors, make sure to add enough organic matter and plant material to the soil for proper growth of the plant.
Water:
Providing the plant with correct amount of water is very important. Do not set any fixed schedule to water peace lilies. Watering the plants holds the key in Peace lily care and the plants prefer their soil to be moist but not too wet. Soggy soil can cause root rot. Water the plants when the soil starts to turn dry. Overwatering the plant can cause the plants to wilt and die. Deep water the plants ones a week to encourage root growth. The plants can be sensitive to few minerals present in the tap water. It is always safe to use filtered water while watering the plants.
Sunlight:
The most tricky part in peace lily care is sunlight. They are shade loving plants if grown outdoors. The plants grown in pots indoors like to receive bright indirect sunlight or filtered light. Do not place them in spots with bright direct sunlight. The leaves of the plants become curled if they receive too much sunlight and can scorch and burn if they are placed in spots with bright direct sunlight.
Temperature:
They are native to tropical region and prefer warm humid conditions. The plants can thrive in warm conditions but cannot withstand cold conditions. During winters, make sure to protect the plants from cold wind. Place them away from windows and make sure to provide them enough warmth to survive the winters. During harsh summers, mist the leaves of the plant to maintain humidity.
Special Peace Lily Care:
If you want to understand the Peace lily care you need to understand the natural habitat of the Peace lily plant. They are tropical plants and care should be taken to mimic those conditions to grow and maintain a healthy plant. Place the plants at the right spot where they can receive right amount of sunlight. Use a pebble tray and mist the leaves to provide enough humidity during summers. They do not require much pruning however, dead and infected leaves can be removed as soon as possible. Repot the plants ones they outgrow the pot and become pot bound.
Fertilization:
They prefer a organic nutrient rich soil. Add compost to the soil before transplanting the plant. During the growing seasons, i.e., summer- spring add a slow release fertilizer every week to have a healthy plant. Do not fertilize the plants during winters.
Pests and other problems for Peace lily
These plants are resistant to most of the diseases that effect the indoor plants. They are resistant to plant pathogens. Some of the common problems faced during the peace lily care are:
Curling of the leaves:
This happens when the plants receive excess sunlight. Shift the plants to places where there is bright indirect sunlight or into shade.
Root rot:
Root rot is a fungal infection that is caused due to excess moisture or soggy soil. Do not overwater the plants. Make sure to water the plants only when the soil is dry or starts to dry.
Brown leaf tips:
This is a stress based symptom and mostly seen when the plant receives excess light, fertilizer or when there is lack of water or very little humidity. Make sure to provide enough humidity by using a pebble tray or by misting the leaves. Do not over fertilize the plants.
Yellowing of leaves:
Mostly seen when there is an issue in watering. Over watering or under watering can lead to yellowing of leaves. Check the soil for moisture before watering the plant.
The plants can sometimes be infected with mealybug or scales. Any pesticide or neem oil can be sprayed to get rid of them.
Propagation of Peace lily
The peace lilies are propagated through dividing. The mature plant can be divided during repotting or transplanting them. The mature plants develop small offshoot crowns that grow from the main plant. These offshoots can be removed and planted separately in a new pot with nutrient rich potting mixture. The plants can also divided from the main crown. Cutting away portions of the main ball along with enough leaves and roots. Water the transplanted plants regularly to maintain moisture till the new leaves start to appear.
