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How to Grow a Peace Lily in Water (Step by Step)

How to Grow a Peace Lily in Water (Step by Step)

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Peace lilies are very popular, common houseplants. You might have peace lilies in your home that you grow in standard soil.

However, you might have also seen people growing peace lilies in water. Some people choose to grow peace lilies in small vases that are filled with water.

If you enjoy the way that this looks, then you might be interested in trying to do this yourself. When you don’t know how it’s done, it’s going to be easy to worry about making mistakes.

Read on to learn how to grow a peace lily in water. This will help you to get good results when growing a peace lily in water and you’ll be able to move forward with full confidence.

Find a Glass Container to Use

Empty Vases for Plants

The first step to take will be to find a glass container that you can use for the peace lily. Many people will use small vases, but it’s also possible to use a simple tall glass if you’d like to go that route.

Next, you’re going to need to fill the glass container with water. You should avoid using tap water since that isn’t going to work out properly for the plant.

Go to the store and buy some distilled water that you can use. Tap water contains harmful chemicals such as fluoride and chlorine, but distilled water is going to be perfectly safe.

Make a Plastic Stopper

You’ll need some type of plastic stopped with a hole in the center. You can cut something out of plastic that will fit the vase or glass container that you’re using.

The purpose of doing this is to hold the peace lily in place at the mouth of the container. You have the stem of the peace lily go through the hole and you’ll be able to keep the peace lily in the right position so that it can be seen properly.

It isn’t going to be hard to create a plastic stopper such as this so don’t let it intimidate you. If you’re using a small glass container, then it might not be completely necessary to make a plastic stopper.

Examine the Peace Lily

Removing Peace Lily from Pot

Before you put the peace lily in the glass container that you’ve chosen, it’s going to be wise to examine it. You want to take a look at the roots of the peace lily to see if any are damaged.

If you notice any damage, then you should go ahead and remove those sections with your shears. If everything looks good, then you’ll be ready to place the peace lily in the glass container.

It’s also worth noting that you’ll get better results with growing a peace lily in water if you purchase one that has adapted to growing in the water already. Peace lilies are normally grown in soil, but they can adapt to be able to grow in water over time.

Submerge the Roots in the Water

When placing the peace lily in the glass container, you’re going to want to make sure that the roots are submerged in the water. Pour enough distilled water into the glass container that the roots will be able to be fully submerged.

You can gently lower the peace lily into the distilled water through the hole in the plastic stopper that you made. Once the peace lily is in the right position, you’ll be good to go.

This step isn’t difficult, but you do want to make sure that you do things right. Leaving the peace lily only partially submerged with some of the roots being above the water would be less than ideal.

Ensuring that you have a glass container that is the right size is also going to be crucial. If you have a glass container that is too small, then you’re not going to have a good time with this.

The glass container being a little taller than you need can be fine due to the fact that you can create a plastic stopper. Just make good choices and everything will turn out well.

Feed Your Peace Lily Every So Often

Watering Can Near Peace Lily

It’ll be a good idea to take the time to feed your peace lily every so often. The peace lily is trying to get used to its new environment and a bit of fertilizer can go a long way.

Experts recommend that you feed your peace lily a few drops of liquid fertilizer on a bi-weekly basis. This can help the plant to thrive and grow strong in the water.

Just don’t go overboard because too much fertilizer could wind up having the opposite effect. You don’t want to harm the peace lily and a few drops of fertilizer can go a long way.

Liquid fertilizer can actually be much stronger than many people understand. It’s pretty much always best to err on the side of caution when using fertilizer no matter what type of plant you happen to be caring for.

Remember to Change the Water

You can’t just leave the water as it is for months on end when you’re caring for a peace lily this way. If you want the peace lily to survive and do well, then it’s going to be necessary to change the water now and then.

To get good results, you should endeavor to change the water in the glass container once every two weeks. Changing the water on a bi-weekly basis this way will keep things from stagnating and it’ll prevent the roots from drying out.

If you don’t pay attention, then there might not be enough water to sustain the peace lily. This is why you must be proactive about changing the water on a schedule.

Remember to keep distilled water around that you can use to fill the glass container. Ensure that the distilled water is at room temperature when you change things out, too.

Keep the Peace Lily in Indirect Sunlight

Close Up of Peace Lily in Sunlight

Keeping the peace lily in indirect sunlight will give it the best chance to grow strong and do well in the glass container. Peace lilies do really well when placed in indirect sunlight.

Too much sunlight can be a problem for peace lilies since they can’t really handle it. If you keep the peace lily in full sun, then you’re going to notice problems before too long.

It’s good to know that peace lilies can actually do well in environments that have very little light. For instance, you could place a peace lily in a dim office environment and expect it to do okay.

Just try to ensure that the peace lily has some access to indirect sunlight. Everything will be just fine and you’ll be able to enjoy having the peace lily in your home or office environment.

Final Thoughts

Growing a peace lily in water is not going to be overly difficult when you approach things the right way. You will be able to get good results so long as you follow the advice above.

Peace lilies are normally grown in soil, but they can do just fine in water. Remember that you’re meant to grow just one peace lily in a glass container at a time, though.

You can enjoy the aesthetic appeal that your peace lily will add to your home or office. Peace lilies in water won’t last as long as the ones that are grown in soil, but they’re beautiful while they last.

Before you go: Now is the perfect time to start tracking your gardening progress, and I created a garden journal to do exactly that. Click the image below to see it in action and to get your own copy.

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