Gardening guides from the Garden Helper
Celebrating 10 years of helping your gardens grow!
[ The Garden Helper][ Gardening Basics][ "How to" Guides][ House plants][ Glossary of Terms]
[ Garden Encyclopedia][USDA Zones][ Monthly Reminders][ Free Screensavers][Recipes]
[ **** The Gardener's Forum ****]

vines and flowers

Growing Peace Lilies as House Plants

Spathiphyllum floribundum
April 22,1998

Ray wrote:

I have a huge Peace lily, but for the past two years it has refused to flower and the tips of the leaves are going brown, there is some mold in the soil as well, I have searched for answers to this but can never get the right one, can you help me..

Peace lily

Most tropical house plants should be re potted every 2-3 years, to freshen and revitalize their soil.
The tip burn could be caused by over feeding, or chlorine in the water.
Peace lilies (Spathiphyllum floribundum) will grow and flourish in almost any well drained soil. However, it is always the best idea to use a good commercial soil mix containing peat moss, bark and sand.
They prefer bright filtered light, but will survive in low interior light. Peace lilies do best in a warm environment (68-85 degree daytime temperature) with a 10 degree nighttime drop.
Keep your Peace Lilies out of drafts, and never expose them to extended periods below 40 degrees.
Feed your Peace lily every 2-3 months, using a diluted (half strength) well balanced liquid fertilizer such as 20-20-20. You can also use a pelleted timed release fertilizer with caution. Over fertilizing can produce burning of tips and roots.
The soil should be kept moist but never soggy. Allow the soil to dry out slightly between waterings, but excessive drying can make the plant to wilt and cause yellowing of leaves. When watering, it is very important to use room temperature water which has been allowed to sit for 24 hours to allow the chlorine to evaporate. It is a good idea to bottom water.
Cleaning the leaves regularly with a damp cloth to remove dust will not only help the appearance but will also remove some pests which tend to gather on the underside of the leaves and help the plant to 'breathe'.

Gardeners helping other gardeners

[ Home page][ The Garden Helper][ Site index]
[ Plants by common terms][ Plants by botanical terms][ 'How to' Gardening guides][ Monthly reminders]
[ Free Screensavers][ Animations and Graphics][ Nature Photos]
[Gardeners Forum][ Gardening Glossary][Link to the Garden Helper]