Last updated on March 24th, 2022
Our site is reader supported, this means we may earn a small commission from Amazon and other affiliates when you buy through links on our site.
A Peace Lily is an eye-catching houseplant that is very easy to grow, but getting the perfect blooms requires a bit of finesse. This article will explain how to care for your Peace Lily so that you can achieve stunning leaves and beautiful white blooms.
First of all, a Peace Lily is not, in fact, a Lily at all. It’s a tropical perennial which means it can go on living for years to come, flowering regularly with the right growing conditions, which means a warm room in bright but filtered light in moist but not standing in water.
It’s perfect for a home or office, it thrives with very little light, however, it won’t flower in low light but it will purify your air. At most, it will grow to around 4ft in height which makes it perfect for corners in your office or empty space on your desk that could use a little pick-me-up. They have dark green leaves that stand in contrast to the rich white flowers, flowers which look like peace flags, hence the name.
Where to grow Peace Lillies
First things first, find the perfect place. A Peace Lily is great for indoor growing because it requires a bright room to flower but will grow well in low light if needed, but probably won’t flower. The thing is, as is the case with most plants tolerant of low light, the plant itself will thrive and purify your air, bringing you all the benefits of an indoor plant, but as mentioned, it won’t flower. If you really want the aromatic white flowers you’ll have to place them somewhere they will receive bright, indirect light, for example, near a bright window but not in front of it.
Ideally position in bright filtered light, in a warm room
As a tropical plant though the Peace Lily is sensitive to very cold temperatures so you don’t want to place it right up against the window where a cold draft is ever-present.
How to plant Peace Lillies
Peace Lillies prefer to have their roots a little crowded
Peace Lillies grow contently in containers, however, they need to be on the crowded side, so pick a container that’s not much larger than the root ball. You want a container that’s no more than around one third bigger than the root ball of your plant.
Grow it using houseplant compost
Fill the container with indoor potting compost and add the plant (after teasing the roots if they are compact and rootbound) into the container so that the top of the root ball is about an inch below the rim of the container. You want to leave this space so that you can water the plant easily without the roots getting too wet. Fill in any remaining area with potting mix and firm down with your fingers, making sure it’s not too compacted and water it until you see the water draining out the bottom.
Feeding and Watering Peace Lillies
Feed with a slow-release fertiliser or liquid houseplant feed
Once you have your plant established, you can add some indoor plant food, either as a slow-release fertiliser tablet or as a liquid houseplant food about 2 months after you have planted your Peace Lily. There should be enough food in the new compost to last a couple of months.
You can apply it into the soil or you can mix it in with the water if using the liquid type food and simply integrate during normal watering schedules. Always follow the label directions for any indoor plant food you use because they do vary as to how often they should be used.
Keep the compost moist but don’t leave them standing in water or soggy soil
Peace Lillies need regularly moist soil but they cannot stand being sat in wet soggy soil or sitting in water. If you notice the top few centimetres of soil are dry, you can water until the water starts to drain out the bottom of the pot. Then wait until it stops draining and put your pot or container back on the saucer.
If you forget to water or are away for the weekend and your plant starts to flop over, don’t worry they are fairly forgiving. As soon as you water it again and it soaks up the water it will go back to being its tall and upright self. However, we still recommend getting a friend or family member to water your plants if you are away for any length of time.
Repotting
Again, Peace Lillies prefer to have a crowded environment but when your plant starts to wilt regularly and you notice that the roots are rootbound, meaning they’re sticking out of the drainage holes, it’s time to re-pot. You want to get a container that’s about 3-6cm larger than the current container and then re-pot using the same method you did when you originally potted your plant.
You can read out guide on when and how to re-pot a Peace Lily by clicking here
Problems and Pests
Fungus gnats
Most of the time your Peace Lillies will be maintenance-free but from time to time you might have a pest or a problem. Fungus gnats can be a problem, however, you can water less frequently and allow the topsoil to dry out in-between times of watering to help thwart their growth.
Yellowing leaves
If the leaves are turning yellow, older leaves can simply be removed by cutting them back to the centre of the plant. If, however, the younger leaves are turning yellow, it might be a sign that you have overwatered, so let the soil dry out a bit and reduce the amount you water and the plant should go back to normal. Sometimes if plants are placed in a location that is too bright, for example, in front of a window, they can start to turn yellow. If this is the case move to a slightly less bright position.
Brown edges on leaves
If the edges are brown that could mean that your Peace Lily is getting direct sunlight and it’s burning the foliage, so you should move it away from the direct sun. This usually happens after they start to turn yellow, although overwatering can also give a similar symptom.
See our detailed guide on why Peace Lillies can get brown leaves by clicking here
None flowering plants
If you aren’t getting any flowers it’s probably because the plant isn’t getting enough sun so you can just move it to a location that is bright with indirect sunlight, but of course, not direct sunlight because this can burn the leaves, and in a warm room. Peace Lillies that are also very young may also not flower because they usually don’t flower until they are more mature. They are usually forced to flower early for garden centres which is why it may have been in flower when you purchased it.
Peace Lillies, like any indoor plants, tend to collect a lot of dust. You can wipe the leaves down regularly when you see this dust or just put the whole plant in your shower and spray it down, then let it dry before you put it back.
Now you know how to properly care for your Peace Lily so you can grow multiple indoor plants, enjoying the purified air, the aroma from the flowers, and the overall beauty of an indoor plant.
