One of the most beautiful plants that you can grow in your house, or outdoors, is the peace lily. The peace lily is renowned for the quality of flowers that it produces, and the plant is also incredibly popular because of its unique appearance.
It’s a genus of around 47 flowering plants that are generally native to the Americas and also many parts of Southeastern Asia. The plant is also commonly known as the spath.
These are evergreen perennial plants and they have relatively large leaves, usually going as big as 65 cm in length. The breadth of the tree can also increase significantly, reaching up to 25 cm.
One of the main reasons why so many people prefer keeping the peace lily in their house is because the plant does not require a whole lot of water or sunlight to survive.
Peace lilies are beloved by many, and people like them simply because they are so easy to care for. When you bring home a new houseplant, one of the biggest factors that you need to take into consideration is its care. If the plant is not easy to care for, you might want to consider not bringing it home at all.
Most people who work daily jobs are unable to give enough time to their plants, and as a result, their houseplants die an untimely death. If you want to prevent that from happening, you need to make sure that you buy plants that are hardy and reliable.
Not only that, but you also need to make sure that your plant receives the little amount of care that it requires.
If you need a plant that’s hardy and forgiving, you should definitely consider opting for the peace lily. The plant even tells you when it is thirsty, so it’s just one of the best options available to you.
But, despite the fact that it’s an incredibly forgiving and understanding plant, you should know that there are quite a few common mistakes that people make with the plant.
How to Use the Plant
The peace lily is capable of surviving outdoors in hardiness zones 11 and 12. However, these areas are only limited to parts of Puerto Rico as well as certain parts of Hawaii, so it’s not a very popular choice for growing outdoors. Instead, most people prefer keeping the plant indoors.
The plant is commonly kept indoors because of the fact that it has air-purifying abilities. The plant is capable of breaking down and getting rid of various kinds of toxic gases such as formaldehyde and carbon monoxide.
On top of that, the peace lily also makes for an ideal gift, not just because of its name, but because it’s very easy for a person to get attached to.
The plant is perhaps most commonly known because of its gorgeous white flowers, which tend to bloom virtually nonstop. Knowing how much water your peace lily requires is important, so it’s recommended that you do a bit of research first and figure out just how much water your plant requires.
Let’s talk more about the watering.
When Should You Water the Peace Lily?
The best way to figure out when the plant is thirsty is to take a look at the leaves. When the plant needs water, it sends a signal. The plant will tell you when it is in need of water because the leaves will become droopy. This is a clear indication that your peace lily is in need of water.
Another thing that you need to do is poke your finger into the soil. By checking the moisture levels of the plant, you will be able to figure out whether it’s time to water your peace lily.
Just put your finger in, and check whether the soil feels moist or not. If it feels moist up to your first knuckle, you might want to avoid watering just yet.
If the soil feels dry when you put your finger in it, you should consider watering the plant. You might want to make use of a water meter, also known as a hygrometer, to figure out when your plant requires water.
On the other hand, the conventional knuckle test is just as reliable, and it works just as well.
How to Water the Plant
There are quite a few techniques to water the peace lily. But, you should know that the best way to water the plant is to first place it in the sink.
Then, pour water slowly into the soil and wait until the liquid begins to drip from the bottom of the plant. You will have to wait until the plant drains properly before you take it out of the sink.
Once you are done, you can then move the plant back to its drainage saucer. You need to make sure that you prevent the plant from sitting for too long in the water.
It’s the number one mistake that many people make and can eventually kill your plant. When it comes to the peace lily, the provision of less water is always better than more.
Now, as we have mentioned in this article, the plant is able to tolerate a considerable amount of neglect. But, you need to understand that letting the soil become completely bone dry is a bad idea. It’s going to affect the health of the plant, and you will notice that it becomes sad and droopy over time.
But, as long as you water it on time, the plant will return back to its cheerful position.
Watering Tips
There are quite a few important things that you should know regarding the watering process. You might have heard that the plant requires a specific kind of clean water, but that’s not true.
Tap water is generally fine for the plant, but you might want to consider leaving the water out for a day or two before you decide to put it in.
This is going to allow for enough time to let fluoride and other harmful chemicals dissipate from the water. This is only going to improve the health of the plant and prevent it from sustaining damage.
Another important thing you need to check is if the water runs straight all the way to the pot. This is a clear indication that the plant is quite root bound.
If the plant is considerably root bound, you should consider repotting the peace lily as soon as you can. It’s recommended that you buy a bigger pot for the plant than the one you are using, otherwise it’s only going to get root bound again.
Remember, if you fail to water your peace lily for a considerable period of time, there is a pretty strong risk that the edges of the leaves are going to turn yellow.
When that happens, you will have to clip off the yellowed foliage and get rid of it from the plant. Just make sure that you water the plant properly, and you are good to go.
You need to understand that the plant prefers a consistent watering schedule. The plant is going to bounce back if it is underwatered as we have talked about.
You need to understand that the plant grows best in soil that is evenly porous. You also need to understand the difference between moist and soggy soil.
While moist soil is good for the plant, soggy soil is bad for the plant. When you begin to repot your peace lily, you might want to consider making use of a soil mix that consists of half orchid mix and half potting mix.
These plants are also capable of growing in ponded water, as long as the water continues to flow. This is going to ensure the provision of fresh oxygen which is needed by the plant. (Read more about Growing a Peace Lily in Water.)
One of the best things that you need to do is maintain a consistent watering schedule at all times. Once you bring the peace lily home, you just need to make sure that you check the soil at regular intervals. It’s going to help you determine when the plant is in need of water, and you will be able to provide it on time.
Within a few weeks, you will be able to figure out just how long it tfakes for the water to dry out from the soil, and won’t even need to poke your finger into the soil. Maintaining a consistent watering schedule is the ideal way to care for the peace lily.
If the water in your house is heavily chlorinated, you need to consider making a switch to filtered water. These plants do not do well with water that has large amounts of chemicals in it.
Fertilizer
By now, you should have a clear idea about how to water your peace lily, and what you need to do to care for it.
Another way to improve the health of the plant is to make sure that you add water-soluble fertilizer in the mix. You need to make sure that you dilute the fertilizer first in the water before adding it to the plant.
High-quality organic plant fertilizer can be added to the plant, and it’s only going to improve the health of your peace lily. From spring until autumn, you need to make sure that you add water-soluble fertilizer to the plant at all times. You need to keep the plant moist as much as possible.
Another thing that you can do is set the plant on a tray with pebbles and water on it. This is going to increase the humidity around the plant and keep it moist at all times.
Its natural environment is generally quite warm and humid, and the plant generally prefers to live under the canopy of rainforests.
Obviously, at home, you won’t be able to provide such an environment, so you need to make it as close to the original as possible. The natural humidity of the rainforest can be mimicked by putting a humidifier beside the plant.
You can also mist or shower the plant from time to time, and that’s going to improve the humidity as well.
Common Mistakes
There are numerous common mistakes that people make when it comes to watering the peace lily and generally caring for the plant. First and foremost, you need to understand that overwatering is a serious problem, and it can lead to a plethora of issues for the plant.
Despite the fact that the plant likes water, you should know that too much of everything is harmful for the plant.
You need to make sure that you only water until the soil has become moist. Anything more, and you will venture into soggy territory, especially if you do not allow the water to dry out.
As mentioned above, use the best practice given for watering your peace lily. Do not let the plant sit in a full drainage tray, as it’s only going to succumb to root rot over the passage of time.
Instead, you should make sure that the drainage tray is emptied on a regular basis. Not only that, but you also need to make sure that you use well-draining soil that isn’t going to hold excessive amounts of water.
Peace lilies generally don’t mind a lot of water, because they come from such environments. The humid environment of the rainforest ensures that the plant gets quite a bit of water, so you don’t really have to worry a lot about overwatering.
But, you do need to make sure that access to fresh and clean water is available at all times for the plant.
These are just a few things that you should know about taking care of the peace lily. The plant is incredibly nice and will look wonderful in almost any setting, making it a great addition to virtually any room in your house. It’s really quite easy to care for as well!
Growing up with a mom who filled her home (inside and out) with all sorts of plants, Lisa got her start in gardening at a young age. Living now on her own with a home and yard full of plants (including an indoor greenhouse), she shares all the gardening tips she’s gained over the years.