The peace lily is a popular plant that many people love to take care of. If you’ve been caring for one for a little while, you might be concerned if it doesn’t seem to be growing.
Is there something that you’re doing wrong that is causing the peace lily not to grow? Well, there are actually many things to consider, and you’ll want to dig deeper to try to determine what’s wrong.
Keep reading to learn about some of the possible reasons. If you’re able to use this information in a troubleshooting capacity, you might be able to turn things around.
1 – Be Sure to Remove Foil
One thing to know before going any further is that you should remove the foil from the pot of your peace lily. Many flower shops will wrap peace lily pots in foil because it will keep the pot from dripping.
This makes sense when they’re being put on display or given as a gift, but this doesn’t mean that the foil is supposed to stay. The foil is going to prevent your plant from draining properly, and this can cause a number of issues that will harm it.
Take the time to remove the foil if you haven’t already done so. This might solve your problem, but there could be many other things contributing to the issues that you’re experiencing.
2 – Light Issues
Light issues could be causing your plant to have problems. If you aren’t giving it the proper amount of sunlight, you’re likely going to notice some changes in the plant.
When a peace lily gets too much light or too little light, its leaves are going to start to turn yellow. These plants need to be given medium indirect sunlight in order to thrive, and you might be doing something wrong if you’re noticing yellow leaves.
If you see any brown spots, this is a sign that you’re giving it direct sunlight. A peace lily does best when it receives indirect sunlight, and this means that you need to find a way to filter the sunlight or position it in a different part of the house so that the sun won’t burn the leaves.
Most peace lily enthusiasts say that you should keep them a few feet away from a window to get the best results. Conversely, you could choose to grow these plants under fluorescent lights since they do well with that.
3 – Watering Issues
Watering issues can cause these plants to not grow right, too. You could be watering them too much or too little depending on what’s going on.
When you water a peace lily too much, it’s going to cause its leaves to start wilting. You might also notice the edges of the leaves turning yellow or brown.
Interestingly, watering too little is going to produce very similar results. This makes it difficult for new plant owners to figure out what they’re doing wrong.
Peace lilies generally need the soil to remain moist, but you can water too much. If you keep watering when the soil is moist, the plant won’t be able to drain properly.
Remember what was said about removing the foil on the pot that likely came from the flower shop? Well, peace lilies need to be able to drain well so that they can thrive.
Ensure that your pot has drainage holes so that your plant can dry out in between watering sessions. So long as things are drying and draining properly, you should be able to turn things around.
During the summer months, most experts say that watering them once per week is appropriate. You just need to pay attention to the soil to make sure that it’s time to water.
If it’s very hot in your area, then it might also be good to spritz the leaves with water during the summer. Doing this should give you good results.
4 – Problems with Chlorine
Another thing to consider is the type of water that you’re using to water your plant. If you’re experiencing issues, it could be that you’re using tap water that is too heavily chlorinated.
Peace lilies are particularly sensitive to chlorine, and this can cause you to harm the plant when you’re trying to water it as normal. You might not have even known that your water is so heavily chlorinated.
The solution to this is to use different water. Some people buy water that they use to water plants, but you don’t have to go that far.
You can get rid of the chlorine in the water by putting it in a container and letting it sit out overnight. After doing this, you’ll be ready to safely water your peace lily without having to worry.
If you’re sure that you’ve been watering it properly, it’s worth looking into whether your water source might be too heavily chlorinated. It’s an easy problem to remedy, but it’s something that a lot of people overlook.
5 – Pot and Soil Issues
Soil issues can sometimes keep plants from growing as well. You might be using bad soil that isn’t giving your plant the nutrients that it needs to thrive.
It’s also possible that the soil is compromised and hard for the peace lily to work with. If you’ve been watering it too much for quite some time, it might be best to just get a new pot along with new soil.
Get soil that has good drainage so that you can enjoy the best results. You should be able to get your plant back to growing again if you’ve solved the other problems.
Remember that pot issues can cause your plant to struggle, too, and that you need to pay attention to how things are going. If you’re using a pot that is too small for, it might be stifled.
You want to change pots and ensure that you have a pot with good drainage holes as well as the right amount of space for your peace lily. Doing this should give you much better results, and you might notice that it will start to grow.
6 – Too Much Fertilizer
Fertilizer might seem like a good idea if you’re attempting to encourage your plant to grow. However, many people wind up using too much fertilizer, and this causes issues with peace lilies.
When you give these plants too much fertilizer, it’s going to cause excess salt buildup and this is not good. If you notice that the edges of your leaves are brown, it could be because of using more fertilizer than you should have.
If you’re going to use fertilizer, you must do so sparingly. It’s recommended to use a normal house plant fertilizer at either one-half or one-quarter of what was recommended.
This will ensure that you avoid using too much fertilizer, and you should be able to avoid any negative consequences. Fertilizer can be used once a month during the spring and summer growing season so long as you don’t use too much.
7 – Watch Out for Cold Drafts
Cold drafts can negatively impact peace lilies as well. If you have one too close to an air conditioner or near a drafty window, that could be causing some problems.
Peace lilies do well in temperatures between 65 degrees Fahrenheit and 80 degrees Fahrenheit. Temperatures that dip lower than that can cause issues.
This means that during the winter months, you need to keep your home heated as you normally do. If your plant is too close to a drafty window or door, though, you could have problems that you didn’t expect.
Just do your best to keep the plant somewhere that isn’t prone to temperature fluctuations. As long as you’re paying attention to whether there is a drafty window nearby, it shouldn’t be hard to solve this particular problem.
If your peace lily is too hot during the summer, you’ll be able to tell because its leaves will start to curl. Generally, temperatures above 90 degrees Fahrenheit are bad for these plants, but most homes are going to be temperature-controlled.
Take Care of Your Peace Lily
Now you know more about taking care of peace lilies, and this should help you to solve any problems that you’re experiencing. These plants aren’t hard to grow, but doing certain things wrong can keep them from thriving.
If you’re able to pay more attention to how you’re watering the plant, the drainage, and other factors, you’ll be able to turn things around. Just ensure that you follow the advice above so that you don’t harm your plant accidentally.
Knowing what you’re supposed to be doing when caring for these plants makes it a lot easier to find success. Hopefully, it won’t take you long at all to see your plant start growing and doing better.
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.