A Guide to Grow and Care for Peace Lily Plant
The contrast of white little flowers with deep green leaves is the most attractive feature of peace lilies. It is easy to take care of the peace lily plant and this plant can grow in shades and indoors. Ideal for office or home growing, it cleans and purifies the air. It is the best indoor plant to start your gardening with.
This page gives you a guide to grow and care for peace lily plants.
Introduction to Peace Lily Plant
Peace lily plant, botanical name Spathiphyllum, also known as spathe flower or white sails or closet plant, is one of the most attractive plants which is a very popular choice for office and home and is also included in the list of NASA’s approved air purifying indoor plants.
It blooms lavishly during the summer season. Peace lily plants can remove harmful pollutants from the air such as toluene, xylene, ammonia, trichloroethylene, formaldehyde, and benzene.
It is a very low maintenance-required plant popular amongst indoor plant lovers for its smooth green leaves and bright white flowers and belief to bring good health and bright good luck.
The peace lily is a herbaceous perennial plant that can grow in the range of 1 ft to around 6 ft when grown as an indoor plant.
Planting, Propagation, and Repotting Peace Lily Plant?
If you don’t have the peace lily plant, it is available in most of the botanical shops or nurseries. After you get one, you just need to prepare an appropriate soil mix on a vase.
You can then place it anywhere where there is brighter light but no direct sunlight. These plants do pretty well when placed close to east or south-facing windows, they are flexible.
Tips: Avoid the use of chemical fertilisers for soil preparation. Two of the best soil mixes for peace lily are: (1) 50 % potting mix 49% Coconut coir and 1% Vermiculite, sand, bark, perlite; and (2) 25% soil, 25% sand, 25% compost, and 25% coco peat
With this plant, you might want to have more of such plants. For propagation, since the root system of the peace lily plant is rhizomatous, there is a method called division.
Try to find the crowns of the peace lily that you have, follow it down, and then very gently remove it from the mother plant. It is very common to lose some roots during this process as their roots are very fragile.
Once you have your separated baby peace lily, just put in a pot with a similar soil mixture to that of the mother plant and it should be fine. You can also remove old roots and dead foliage before potting the plant.
Repotting in Water Vessels: Peace lily plants can grow in water alone. For repotting the plant into a water vessel follow the following steps:
- Take the whole plant out of the vase.
- Remove the soil around the roots and base of the plant.
- Give a gentle wash to the roots.
- After removing all the soil, place it in the vessel that you want. Make sure the vessel has a large opening.
- Pour distilled or filtered water into the vessel. Remember, the base of the plant should be above the water level to avoid rot.
- For this, you can use a specially made insert or make a layer of decorative stones and pebbles.
To disinfect a surface, first, clean any visible dirt or grime off the area with plain soap and water. Then spray the surface with a 50/50 mix of hydrogen peroxide 3% and water. Let it sit for five minutes or longer. Rinse surfaces that touch food, such as cutting boards, with water. Otherwise, you can just let the surfaces air dry.
Watering Peace Lilies
The peace lilies are great with being vocal about when they want to be watered. You should water them when you see their leaves start to droop over and they look a little sad. But, once you water them, they are going to perk right back up. It is fun to watch.
Peace lily plant does not like to stay super soggy and wet the entire time. So, it is better to let the plant dry out peacefully between waterings. This becomes specifically important when you’re trying to make your peace lily flower.
The best watering frequency for this plant is two times a week in summer and three times every fortnight in winter. However, you must find the balance between overwatering and under-watering to make your peace lily happy.
Peace lilies are very sensitive to chemicals, tap water is okay. However, there are chances of dried, crispy, or brown-coloured tips of the leaves. So, it is best to use filtered or distilled water for these plants.
The leaves of these plants are super good at picking dust particles from the air around you. So, when you water your peace lily, shower the whole plant. It keeps the plant dirt free and makes the leaves shinier. You can also clean the leaves with soapy water.
Hydrogen Peroxide Treatment
Effective treatment for root rot in many plants including Peace Lily is Hydrogen Peroxide
Not only does it give the extra oxygen molecules to promote healthy root growth. But also works by killing unwanted fungi and bacteria.
Before using hydrogen peroxide in the garden soil, remember that it must be highly diluted to make it safer to use.
Most gardeners start with the lowest concentration of the product i.e., 3%. Even at this concentration, it needs to be diluted to be safe.
This light Hydrogen Peroxide mixture works to prevent pests as well as bacterial and fungal infections such as root rot.
Always remember to water the plant with a strainer at the base of the plant so as not to wet the leaves.
Nutrients Feeding
The fertilising season for the peace lily plant is about late spring to early fall. It is best to use balanced organic houseplant fertiliser during spring and summer for these plants to bloom.
These plants are very sensitive to chemical fertilisers. So, you must be mindful of what fertilisers you are using.
Final Thoughts
Peace lilies do need pretty high humidity to thrive and flower. Therefore, you should not place near the frequently opening doors or windows to avoid crispy and dried tips of the leaves. In addition, warm temperature also aids in flowering.
Since peace lily plants do not need serious attention and care, it is the best recommended indoor plant to start your indoor botany.
In addition, peace lily provides fresh oxygen to your indoor space and filter the surrounding air which promotes restful sleep.
The enchanting beauty of the white flowers and dark green leaves in the background can be a great asset to your room. Meanwhile, a decorative pot beneath the plant adds beauty to the ambience of your indoor space.
It has health benefits and it can add a very attractive element to your indoor home décor. In addition, it can also be the best choice for a gift to your friends and family.