After reading another post on here.. I just tried cutting back all of the dead leaves. It made the plant pretty then. But it will continue to grow more right? I believe it was just frozen from being outside that short time. I just want to make sure that it will be ok even though it is so thin after cutting off the leaves? I cut them as close to the base as I could. I'm praying this plant perks back up now and starts growing. I know I can keep better care of it now. It won't have to go out into the cold anymore. I still need any help with it I can get. This is my first houseplant and since it was from my grandfather's funeral it means so much to me.

Thanks,
Heather

I'm sorry for your recent loss.

You are right to trim the dead leaves. Any leaves that were frozen will die but unless the roots were also frost-bitten, your spath will probably recover given proper care.

Spaths do best in bright indirect light but will survive in lower lights. Keep out of direct sunlight, especially midday sun, as the leaves burn easily. Right in front of a north or east-facing window is best. You already know to keep peace lilies in a location above 65F.

Water the entire soil surface thoroughly until a little water runs through the drainage holes, then wait until the top quarter of soil dries out before watering again. Peace lilies wilt dramatically when allowed to get too dry. They will recover within a couple hours of watering but repeated wilting stresses the plant so, if possible, best to water just before it begins to droop.

Peace lilies prefer to be rootbound and rarely need repotting. Fertilizing monthly when the plant is actively growing with a balanced half-strength fertilizer might promote flowers but isn't really necessary. Many of the hybrids on the market today are cultivated more for their foliage than flowers and don't bloom prolifically outside the greenhouse, frequently producing only 1 or 2 flowers once or twice a year.

Hi Heather,

From your description it sounds like your peace lily has a good chance of fully recovering. If you can post a photo it might be helpful in case something was missed.

If you don't mind the appearance, waiting to trim all the dead leaves won't hurt the plant.

You are right not to worry about fertilizing at least until the plant has made a full recovery. Fertilizers are not medicine and only provide small to moderate benefits to vigorously growing plants.

Plants with fewer leaves consume less water so be cautious about overwatering until new leaves grow in.

You are obviously committed to nursing this special peace lily back to health and I think with proper care, time and a little patience, it will make a full recovery. And we look forward to photos of that, too! (We LOVE "baby" photos here! )

The top picture is where I see the new life forming.. the 2nd picture is the whole thing right now.

Sorry I keep sending too soon and I can't edit.. but i also thought I might add that the soil is still very moist and I watered it saturday afternoon. Is that normal for a peace lily?

Well it is in a corner by a South facing patio door. It's the only place I really have. So I put it off to the side And turn the blinds so light comes in but not directly on the plant. I could probably move it upstairs and put it in front of a north facing window.. until it gets a little healthier. Would that be a good idea? If it's directly in front of a south window, it won't get direct sunlight at all?? I knwo it's not suppose to have direct sunlight but I didn't know that it still wouldn't get some. I don't nkow a lot about this. This is my first houseplant.. first plant period. I bought an african violet at the grocery store and when it died i just threw it away but this one means much more than that. I actually think all of the big leaves are going to have to be clipped eventually. None of them look wonderful. I clipped off a few of the really droopy ones after i took the picture earlier. Thank you for your advice. I hope we can save this plant.

Heather

So you don't think I need to put it upstairs in front of the North Window?

well i noticed today that one of the baby leaves is dying too. I th ink I"m gonna move it upstairs next to the southern window.. and just see if it helps.. plus it stays warmer upstairs right now.. since heat rises.

I'm a little worried now.. because i noticed today that it looks like a few of the roots are on top of the soil.. but if you look.. they are sprouting out of the base of the plant right above the soil. Also.. where I cut of the leaves.. on a few of them.. there is something sprouting out of where i cut them off. Maybe I didn't cut them low enough. i tried to get as low as I could. But if it's growth.. I don't know if I should. Please help.

Heather, don't worry about the air roots. New growth is a good sign. At this point the best thing to do for the peace lily is refrain from fussing too much, if you can, and give it time to recover from the move. Keep in mind that even if it hadn't been frostbitten, plants take up to several months to acclimate to their new environment during which time it's best to do as little as possible other than provide proper light and watering.

let it go for now. then, when the one is bigger, cut the dead one off.

It won't harm the plant to leave the dead leaf on it but if for aesthetic reasons you want to remove the dead leaf, try trimming it as close as possible to the healthy leaf. Don't worry if there is a bit of dead tissue left behind.

Lower your expectations a bit and you should be OK. Your peace lily has undergone a lot of stress and it is not a particularly fast-growing plant anyway. It will take several months or more before you have half the number of leaves that it originally had. In addition, the new leaves will not likely be as large as those that were grown under ideal greenhouse conditions. Expect to see some deformed leaves with odd shapes and perhaps some brown and yellow spots.

Be patient and follow the excellent advice already provided here and everything should be okay!

Best of luck.

Will Creed
Indoor landscaper
NYC

Hi! Just an update.... my peace lily is sprouting leaves all over the place that are healthy and beautiful.. it's till not even as close to as full as it was, but I know it's going to take some time.. BUT... I looked at it th is morning... and it has a LILY on it!!! I am so happy.... I just can't believe a lily is blooming because of the weather here.. and I can tell you I haven't been so good at letting the indirect sunlight on it and i haven't used any fertilizer.. I water it and I spray off the leaves to keep dust off of them.. about once a week.. I got it from my grandfather's funeral.. maybe this plant alive is showing me that he is still alive to.. in Heaven... and he's watching over me.
I will add a few pictures later today.. but we have to leave now.

Thanks,
Heather