Peace Lily 101

Here are some basic tips for keeping your Peace Lily looking its very best:

1 - Keep the plant evenly moist (not dry to the touch, not soggy, but lightly damp)

2 - Water Peace Lily frequently

3 - Fertilize each time you water for increased flowering production

4 - Wipe leaves clean with a damp cloth or sponge

5 - Shower or rinse this plant monthly, but especially in the spring and summer

6 - Remove the flowers when they turn green

7 - Avoid leaf tipping by watering only with distilled water or filtered

8 - Trim the leaves to mimic natural leaf shape without cutting into healthy green tissue

9 - Repot into any good potting soil. Amend soil with sharp sand (aka builders' sand) for increased drainage

10 - Do give the plant ample light but not full sun

11 - Avoid shaded areas!

12 - Do display as a centerpiece (in any room you'd like) in a decorative or seasonal pot

13 - Slightly rootbound conditions may help flowering

Peace Lily

Pretty Plant
The Peace Lily (Spathiphyllum cochlearispathum-- or Spath for short) has large, oval shaped leaves and white, dainty flowers when in bloom.  My Peace Lily proves time and again its need for LOTS of fresh water. While it does prefer potbound conditions to bloom regularly, this makes watering even more important!  Not only will a pot bound plant "slow down" even during its growing season (usually Spring or Summer), but it will require vast amounts of H2O simply because of a large root system.  A plant that already likes water ((which is also pot bound)) will certainly put a major crimp in your organized, perfectly 'syncd same-day-every-week watering schedule!  Peace Lily likes a lot of water and will require a bit more attention....this I cannot overstate by any means! Give your plant a regular shower every once and a while, both to clean the leaves and boost humidity.

Even so, Peace Lily will fascinate you with its beautiful greenery and pleasant flowers -- if it blooms for you, the chances are your plant enjoys its current location and the light it’s receiving.  An east or west window will do nicely, but a northern exposure will suffice.  Avoid a southern window due to Spath's quick-to-sunburn temperament. In case of sunburned leaves, move the plant away from the window by 3 or 4 feet.  Allow it to still receive good light but not direct sun (See my post about Light Requirements). Peace Lily is well known for it air cleaning abilities, so having one nearby is certainly a plus! Since plants give off oxygen (essential to humans) and absorb CO2 (carbon dioxide), a human waste product, breathing on your plants as you groom or water them is an excellent idea! As you can see, in this way there's a certain symbiotic relationship between the plant kingdom and humankind!

Leaf Tipping
To avoid leaf tipping, use distilled water or rainwater, which can be easily collected: just set out a bowl or deep container outdoors when it rains and then transfer it to a clean milk jug. The chemicals present in our tap water often cause tipping issues! If you'd prefer to not use rain water, use tap water; but keep scissors handy -- snip off brown leaf tips when they appear, cutting just below the healthy green tissue. Cutting into the plant's green section will only cause more tipping! If you absolutely cannot stand tipping, look to plants with rounded leaves only. These plants tip rarely, if at all. Plants with pointed leaves are the most likely to tip. Keep this in mind when you head out to plant shop!