How to Grow Potted Peace Lilies? A Detailed Guide to the Latest Care Methods
The peace lily is also known as white sail, spathe leaf, etc. It is a perennial herbaceous plant of the genus Spathiphyllum in the Araceae family. Potted peace lilies placed in hotel lobbies, at the front of auditoriums, at station entrances and exits, and in shopping mall display windows look elegant and beautiful. In the south, when arranged in small courtyards, by pond edges, and at wall corners, they create a distinctive look. Its flowers are also excellent decorative material for flower baskets and flower arrangements. Now let us take a look at how to grow potted peace lilies!
Growth Habits of the Peace Lily
The peace lily likes a hot, humid, and semi-shaded environment. The suitable growth temperature is 22-28°C, from March to September it is 24-30°C, and from September to March of the following year it is 18-21°C. In winter, the temperature should not be lower than 14°C. When the temperature is below 10°C, plant growth is hindered and the leaves are prone to cold damage. The peace lily is relatively sensitive to humidity. During high summer temperatures and dry autumn conditions, spray water more often to ensure air humidity above 50%, which is beneficial to leaf growth. Under high temperature and dryness, the leaves tend to curl, become smaller, wither and fall off, and the flowering period is shortened. It is afraid of strong light exposure, so 60-70% shading is needed in summer, but long-term insufficient light makes it difficult to bloom; around 500 lux is suitable. The best soil is fertile loam rich in humus.
Propagation Methods of the Peace Lily
1. Division: The peace lily will not sprout before it is fully mature, so the growing point is often artificially damaged, and each plant can produce 3-5 buds. When the new shoots grow to about 15 cm, cut them apart, then insert them into coarse sand and wait for them to take root. Note that when cutting, a portion of the stem should be included, then coat the wound with wood ash to prevent rot.
2. Sowing: Sowing is a method often used by cultivation bases for peace lilies, but it has one difficulty: it requires artificial pollination. Many people run into problems here, so it needs special explanation: the white thin sheet-like part is not the flower; the protruding part in the middle is the flower, so the flower is relatively small. When the flower has pollen, use a clean brush to smear it on the flower to complete pollination.
3. Tissue culture: Although tissue culture for peace lilies has many advantages, so far the tissue culture method has not been widely used in China and is only used in experiments. Generally, the tissue culture method is to first plant in plastic pots, then divide and transplant after it grows 4-5 leaves, then go through 3-4 repottings and transplantings, and when the seedlings are 30 cm tall, plant them conventionally.
How to Grow Potted Peace Lilies?
1. Soil: Potted peace lilies require loose soil with good drainage and aeration. Heavy clay soil must not be used. Fertile loam rich in humus is best. Generally, leaf mold, peat soil, and a small amount of perlite can be mixed into a growing medium, and a small amount of organic fertilizer can be added as a base fertilizer when planting.
2. Light: The peace lily is relatively shade-tolerant, so it is suitable for growing in a semi-shaded environment. Direct sunlight must be avoided. About 60% scattered light can meet the growth needs of the peace lily, so it can be grown year-round indoors in a place with bright scattered light. If it is placed under strong light, the leaf surface will turn yellow and may even be directly sunburned.
3. Temperature: The peace lily likes high temperatures and is especially afraid of cold. The most suitable growth temperature is 20-28°C. Once winter arrives, it must be brought indoors. The lowest temperature it can withstand is 10°C, so attention must be paid in winter. Relatively speaking, growing conditions in the north are too poor. Being kept at low temperatures for a long time will cause root rot, leaf drop or scorching, and in severe cases may even lead to death.
4. Watering: The peace lily has a relatively high water requirement and must be kept with moist potting soil frequently, but overwatering must also be avoided. Once overwatered, a large amount of water accumulates in the pot, which easily causes root rot and plant yellowing and withering. Also note that in summer and during drought, water should often be sprayed on the leaves and ground to increase air humidity, which is beneficial to its growth.
5. Fertilizing: Do not apply concentrated fertilizer or raw fertilizer to peace lilies, and after applying solid fertilizer, water once with clean water. It is best to use dilute fertilizer water instead of clean water for irrigation. In this way, fertilizer damage generally will not occur, and the peace lily will grow very luxuriantly.
6. Pests and diseases: During the growth period, the peace lily is most favored by insect pests, so acaricides should be sprayed regularly for prevention and control, such as dicofol, hexythiazox, and pyridaben. Common bacterial leaf spot, brown spot, and anthracnose damage the leaves and can be sprayed with 50% carbendazim wettable powder at 500 times dilution.
7. Repotting: The peace lily has strong sprouting ability. Repot once every 1-2 years. When repotting, pay attention to trimming the roots and cutting off withered leaves. Divide overly dense plants and then pot them. Remove some old roots and overly long root systems, pick out the old soil, and replace it with new growing soil to help the peace lily bloom.