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Plant CareGuide:Peace Lily
27th April, 2024
Do you want to create a garden oasis in your home, but don’t have much experience with house plants? Don’t worry, we have the solution with the peace lily - it makes looking after house plants a piece of cake.
Perfect for beginners, the hardy Japanese peace lily doesn’t want too much fussing, they don’t mind a bit of dry soil, can happily survive in most spaces in your home (with a few exceptions) and they’ll clearly show you when there is a problem.
The simplicity of this plant makes them the perfect gift for someone moving into their first home. Not only are they easy to look after but their attractive looks, with delicate white flowers, are said to bring about a feeling of calm and general wellbeing (let’s be honest its elegant blooms do look like they belong in a wellness retreat). Perfect after a stressful house move.
Even better, it’s also good for your health. By having the peace lily plant in your home, it can increase humidity levels in the air to help you to breath better and filter the harmful toxins that are known to cause common allergies. In fact, tests have shown that the peace lily can clean the air better than most other plants – perfect if you’re looking for a get well soon present!
ADD SERENTIY TO YOUR HOME
Although delicate, the Peace Lily knows how to pack a punch. The air-purifying properties of this house plant makes it one of our top plants with power. Whether you want to add a touch of zen to your home office or an elegant touch to your living room, the Peace Lily is a perfect choice.
WATERING A PEACE LILY
One of the biggest mistakes you can make when looking after a peace lily is to overwater it. They actually do better if you let them go a bit dry before watering – perfect if you can be a bit forgetful! You should check your plant levels about once a week by touching the soil pot. If it feels wet or damp, don’t do anything and check back again in a few days. If it feels dry to the touch, then it’s time for a good drink.
To water, place your peace lily in a bowl and then completely saturate the top of the soil until water starts to run through the holes in the bottom of the pot. Leave the plant for about 10 minutes so that it can soak up any excess water. Instead of going in at the top you could also fill the bowl with water and allow the peace lily to drink up as much water as it needs through the roots.
If the leaves of your plant start to droop, step in and check if its thirsty. It may look alarming, but a good drink will quickly sort the problem. If you know you’re watering like a pro, but your peace lily is still suffering then it might be the water. They are particularly sensitive to fluoride found in tap water and you might need to consider using filtered water instead (at room temperature is best).
PRUNING YOUR PEACE LILY
Every spring the peace lily should bloom producing approximately three or four flowers that usually last for about a month (some of you may be lucky enough for a second display in the autumn).
Once the flowers have faded, it’s going to need a bit of a tidy up. Cutting off the dead blooms should encourage the plant to flower again in the future. You can also give the plant a prune to remove any damaged or yellowing leaves or to simply tidy up the shape.
Using sharp shears (scissors will also do) cut close at the bottom of the stem near to the base of the plant. Disinfect the shears after each cut to prevent the spread of disease.
REPOTTING YOUR PEACE LILY
If you’ve noticed that the leaves are starting to droop very quickly after watering, then it could be root bound. You can check if this is happening by looking to see if the roots are growing out the bottom of the container or slide the plant out of the pot and see if the roots are filling the space. If this is the case, then it’s time for a new pot (even if there aren’t any obvious problems your plant will like some fresh soil every couple of years).
Spring is the ideal time to repot but if your plant is struggling then don’t wait and get going straightaway. Choose a container that’s about 5 to 10 cm bigger than the old one and fill it about a third full of potting soil. Slide your plant out of its old home and gently tease the roots to release them. Pop the plant into its new home (the base of the stem should be sitting below the surface of the pot) and fill in with more soil until its sitting securely. Don’t forget to water!
Don’t worry if you plant looks a bit unhappy for a few days, it will quickly revive.
PEACE LILY CARE TIPS
Humidity
peace lilies are tropical and they enjoy a bit of humidity now and again. This environment usually isn’t found in most houses so you will need to recreate it by giving the plant a good misting. It’s not complicated, once a week spray water liberally over the leaves of the plant using a bottle with a misting nozzle.
Food
All house plants need a bit of food now and again. Peace lilies are not heavy feeders and you will only need to add a liquid plant food about once a month during the growing season (spring and summer).
Flowering
If your peace lily isn’t flowering, then there could be several reasons. Is your plant old enough? The blooms will only appear once the peace lily is around three to five years old. If it’s reached maturity but you’re still not getting any flowers, then check the plant’s conditions. It can be a bit picky when it comes to flowering. Has it got enough water, warmth and light?
Winter
for about six to eight weeks a year your plant needs to have a rest and re-energise. Reduce its temperature to around 15OC for about eight weeks in a light place (it will encourage flowers to grow) and reduce the amount of watering and food.
Pets
Whatever you do, don’t let your cat or dog eat your peace lily, it can cause stomach upsets and irritations. Keep this house plant out of their reach or try putting lemon or orange peel on the soil to deter cats.