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When my husband and I got married, he had a peace lily (Spathiphyllum) in his living room that was doing surprisingly well.
He explained that a friend had sent it to his family when his father died several years ago.
He kept it as a reminder of his friend’s thoughtfulness and kind sentiments.
Although this plant had personal meaning, it wasn’t pampered or given special attention.
He just watered it when it started to “droop.”
Peace Lily Grows in Low Light
I had never grown a peace lily, so I was intrigued by how good it looked.
Over the years it has needed to be divided and rejuvenated but other than that and weekly watering, it’s self-sufficient.
For the longest time, it was near a small window with the blinds down, so it just got a small amount of light.
I was always amazed at how good it looked under such low light conditions.
However, by all means, they will grow even better in higher light environments.
They will especially flourish under a grow light.
Avoid placing them in direct sun as it can scorch their leaves.
How to Water a Peace Lily
Check your peace lily by lifting it and water it once the pot feels light.
Peace lilies will droop when they are thirsty but it’s best not to let it get to that point.
This is a visible signal that they are in distress and need water immediately.
Conversely, overwatering will cause root rot and yellowing of the leaves.
When in doubt, it’s better to underwater than overwater.
Peace lilies are sensitive to chlorine in water.
When watering, allow tap water to sit overnight in an open watering can.
This will allow the chlorine to evaporate which can cause the leaf tips and edges to turn brown.
If your tap water is high in minerals, consider using distilled water to avoid any leaf discoloration.
Fertilizing a Peace Lily
Peace lilies are sensitive to overfertilization.
It can cause the leaf tips to burn and turn brown.
They should be fertilized at a diluted or low rate and very infrequently.
It’s recommended to use a fertilizer that promotes flowering and use a one quarter the rate one or two times per month during the growing season.
How to Get a Peace Lily to Bloom Again
It’s my experience that there are several factors that will be need to be in place to get a peace lily to rebloom.
First, they will need a lot of indirect light.
It’s hard to quantify “a lot” because it can be achieved several ways.
For me, I use a grow light that emits about 500 foot candles of light- which is considered in the “medium light” range.
However, it was a high quality grow light that produces full-spectrum light ideal for photosynthesis.
My peace lily was under this light for about 13 hours a day from October until April.
So although the plant wasn’t receiving as many foot candles of light as I would like, I extended the time period to help compensate.
It worked because it began to develop a flower stalk in March.
Another consideration is that I didn’t fertilize the plant during the winter.
Peace lilies aren’t heavy feeders and overfertilizing can burn the leaves.
Excessive fertilizing can force a lot of leaf production and inhibit flower initiation.
I also let the plant get a little pot bound.
The stress of being slightly root bound will help force flower production.
In addition, I kept the soil a bit dry through the winter.
I tried to avoid letting it wilt but it did happen once or twice!
This prevented any disease or fungus gnat issues
Tips for Growing Peace Lilies (Spathiphyllum) as Houseplants
- Occasionally rinse the leaves in the shower to remove dust.
- In northern climates, Peace lilies can be placed outdoors in the summer months. To avoid scorching the leaves, slowly acclimate the plant to the increased amount of light. Reverse this process when bringing it back indoors in the fall to slowly acclimate the plant to lower light levels.
- Peace lilies grow best in temperatures of 60-80 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Remove discolored leaves and spent blooms at the base of the stem.
Hello, I am trying to save the Pease Lily we have a in our office. Everyone seems to water it and the leaves were drooping. I thought it may have root rot so I took it home to repot and the roots look pretty good but the soil smelled musty. I cleaned the pot and put all new soil in it and replanted the lily. I watered it well and then waited. So far it has not improved and it has been almost a week. Do you have any suggestions?
Hi Rhnae, Peace lilies are notorious for wilting when the are too dry however, they can also wilt when they have been overwatered and are stressed from root rot. My best advice is to just water it well when it needs it, but it does sound like it has a fungual or root rot issue that will be challenging to overcome. Best wishes! Shannon
My Peace plant in in a ceramic pot and has out grown the pot. I don’t know how to get the plant out of it’s container. Any ideas?
Hi Marie, I have an article about repotting plants that will be helpful. One way to loosen the soil ball from the pot is to run a plastic disposable knife along the inside edge of pot. This will help loosen it. Here are the tips for repotting: https://trilliumlivingllc.com/how-to-repot-plants/ Best wishes! -Shannon
I have had my peace lily for almost 14 years. It has only bloomed 3 times. I water it when it just begins to droop and it is in a north window where it gets minimal light. Can you give me some pointers on how to get it to bloom more often?
Hi Kim, peace lilies will live in low light conditions, but in order for them to bloom, they need bright indirect light (full sun may burn the leaves). If you have a southern-facing window where you can diffuse the direct sun, that would be ideal. However, if you live in a northern climate, a grow light is the way to go! Lots of light is the key! Best wishes! Shannon
Thank you. Unfortunately, I don’t have south-facing windows that are accessible. I will have to save a little money and get a grow light. It was from my mom’s funeral, and I’ve had it all these years. I get so excited when it blooms, and I think it’s going to bloom again, and it doesn’t. I would love to see it bloom again so thank you for your advice. 🙂
Thank you for your site! You have been extremely helpful!
For Peace Lilies, one of mine needs repotting. The last time I repotted one of them, it died but did come back!
Any repotting or splitting tips?
Hi Amanda! I am so glad that the site has been helpful! Here are my top tips: If transferring to a larger pot, only go up one pot size, it’s best to do this in spring when there is more light and they are actively growing rather than fall or winter, make sure they were watered a day or two before, only use indoor houseplant soil mix (not soil from outside), and don’t repot them when they have flowers or it will stress them out! These tips also apply for dividing except make sure the new smaller divisions are in smaller pots that are appropriately sized for them so that they won’t get overwatered. Happy Gardening! -Shannon
The first time I repotted my Peace Lily I used Miracle-Gro potting soil. Within a week the tips of all the leaves were turning brown. It just kept getting worse. So, I looked it up on the internet and read to not use any potting soil that had any kind of food or fertilizer in it. The article said it’s too harsh for the Peace Lily. It said to just use organic soil. When I do feed it, I use Miracle-Gro violet plant food. I still only use one or two drops per quart of water. It seems just about right for my Peace Lily.