How to Grow a Peace Lily and How to Divide a Peace Lily
The peace lily is a relatively well-known flower variety and is currently distributed in many parts of our country. The peace lily has very high ornamental value, which is why it attracts so many people to grow it. However, before growing it, many people are not very clear about its growing techniques and division methods. Let's learn about them together below!
How to Grow a Peace Lily
1. Soil: When growing a peace lily, its requirements for soil are also very strict. For pot cultivation, the soil is required to be loose, with good drainage and aeration; heavy clay soil should be avoided, and sandy loam rich in humus is preferable. Generally, equal parts of leaf mold and peat soil plus about 1/4 river sand or a small amount of perlite can be mixed into a substrate; when planting, a small amount of farmyard manure must be added and mixed in as a base fertilizer.
2. Light: The peace lily is a shade-loving plant, so it grows best in a semi-shaded environment, and direct sunlight must be avoided. As long as there is about 60% scattered light, its growth needs can be met, so it can be kept year-round indoors in a spot with bright scattered light. In summer, attention should be paid to shading, and 60%-70% of the sunlight can be blocked. If the light is too strong, the leaves will turn yellow, and they are easily scorched and parched, the leaf color becomes dull and loses its luster, and in severe cases sunscald disease appears. If the light is too dim for a long time, the plant will grow weakly and will not bloom easily. If grown in the north, generally no shading may be needed.
3. Temperature: The peace lily likes to grow in warm places and cannot tolerate cold. The suitable growing temperature is 20—28°C, and it should be cultivated in a high-temperature greenhouse. In winter it must be brought indoors to overwinter, and the minimum nighttime temperature in winter should be above 10°C for it to overwinter safely. During the day it should be around 25°C, and it will grow well. Long-term low temperature or dampness easily causes root rot, leaf drop, or scorched-yellow conditions, and in severe cases can cause the whole plant to die. So in winter, cold protection work must be done well, but the potting soil should still retain some moisture.
How to Divide a Peace Lily
1. Before new buds emerge in early spring, the peace lily can be tipped out of the pot, the old growing medium removed, and the rhizomes divided at the base of the clump into several clumps, each containing more than 3 stems and buds, then replanted in new growing medium. Try to keep as many roots as possible so that the new plants can quickly send out new leaves and have a full shape. Turn it upside down and tip out everything together with the roots and potting soil; if it cannot be taken out, you can water it a little first, then use your thumb to push outward from the drainage hole at the bottom of the pot, and then the peace lily can be taken out together with its soil.
2. Then the growing medium needs to be separated from the root system. This action should be gentle and must not damage the roots, especially the fine roots. Divide into as many plants as there are pots needed, and try to choose a pot that contains both a strong plant and a young plant to increase the survival rate. Plant the divided peace lilies into the newly purchased flower pots with growing medium. For the first few days, keep them out of the light, and afterward they can be allowed to grow slowly.
Pest and Disease Control for the Peace Lily
There are many common diseases of the peace lily, such as bacterial leaf spot, brown spot, and anthracnose, which mainly harm the leaves; they can be sprayed with a 500-fold dilution of 50% carbendazim wettable powder. There are also root rot and stem rot; besides paying attention to ventilation and reducing humidity, use a 750-fold dilution of 75% chlorothalonil wettable powder for control. Sometimes scale insects and red spider mites cause damage; use a 1500-fold dilution of 50% malathion emulsifiable concentrate to spray and kill them for control. When doing this, the proportion mixing work also needs to be done well.
The methods for growing a peace lily are actually not difficult. When growing it, you must pay attention to management of its light, temperature, soil, and other aspects. Division is actually simple too, and after division, care needs to be strengthened. The peace lily is also very susceptible to pests and diseases, so control work must also be done thoroughly.