What to Do When Peace Lily Leaves Turn Yellow? Five Tricks to Easily Fix It

Peace lilies are evergreen plants, but some growers run into leaves turning yellow or even drying up, which not only ruins their looks but can also kill the plant. So what should you do when peace lily leaves turn yellow? This is something everyone who grows a peace lily should know. We have put together several main causes of yellowing leaves along with their solutions, for everyone's reference.

What to Do When Peace Lily Leaves Turn Yellow

There are five main causes of yellowing peace lily leaves: improper watering, compacted soil, direct sun exposure, too little fertilizer and temperatures that are too high. So what should you do when peace lily leaves turn yellow? Identify the cause and then apply the corresponding solution.

1. Improper Watering

1. Overwatering

Although peace lilies like a humid environment, overwatering can cause root rot. Because the peace lily has fleshy roots, too much water tends to sit around the root crown and block nutrient uptake, and a lack of nutrients leads to yellow leaves.

Solution: Do not water too much at a time. For the specific method, see how to water a peace lily; just keep the soil moist, and standing water is absolutely out of the question.

2. Underwatering

Too little watering is also a main cause of yellowing leaves. The principle is that the plant lacks the water it needs to grow, and without enough chlorophyll the leaves are bound to turn yellow. So what should you do when peace lily leaves turn yellow at this point? The solutions are below.

Solution: In spring and autumn, water once every 2-3 days, and a small amount each time is enough to keep the soil moist. Do not wait until the potting soil is completely dry before watering.

2. Compacted Soil

We have stressed that growing peace lilies calls for soil with good air permeability and drainage, but sometimes the soil cannot fully meet this requirement and may even become compacted. Once this happens, water and fertilizer cannot get into the soil and naturally cannot be absorbed by the roots.

Solution: Repot the peace lily regularly and loosen the soil often to prevent the soil from compacting.

3. Direct Sun Exposure

Peace lilies need a certain amount of light to grow, but leaving one in direct sun for long periods results in withered, yellow leaves. This is something to watch out for when growing any plant.

Solution: Shade the peace lily as needed, and if conditions allow, move it indoors to grow. Especially around midday, never let the peace lily sit in direct sunlight.

4. Too Little Fertilizer

Fertilizing can promote the growth of peace lilies, but some growers may go a long time without fertilizing, and if the soil is not fertile either, the peace lily will lack essential nutrients, such as iron, and in the end you will see yellowing leaves.

Solution: Regular fertilizing is very important. If you have limited energy, you can use a dedicated fertilizer; top-dressing can improve the yellowing.

5. Temperatures That Are Too High

Peace lilies like a high-temperature environment, but if the temperature is too high, their photosynthesis is affected, and the result of this effect is a lack of chlorophyll, which shows up visibly as yellowing leaves.

Solution: What should you do when peace lily leaves turn yellow because of excessively high temperatures? In summer, cool it down appropriately by moving it to a cool spot for care. Once the temperature is below 35°C, the yellowing of the leaves will improve.

What to Do When Peace Lily Leaves Turn Yellow: How to Prevent Peace Lily Leaves From Turning Yellow

Many netizens who grow peace lilies say they run into yellowing leaves. So what is the best thing to do when peace lily leaves turn yellow? Below, wed114 Wedding Network teaches you how to prevent peace lily leaves from turning yellow.

What to Do When Peace Lily Leaves Turn Yellow: How to Prevent Peace Lily Leaves From Turning Yellow

What to do when peace lily leaves turn yellow:

1. The cause is too much light. Provide shade under strong sun. If the plant has been enjoyed in a shaded spot, do not put it directly in the sun to bake, otherwise the plant loses water too quickly, showing wilting, yellow leaves and even death.

2. Low air humidity: avoid waterlogging and root rot caused by watering. Peace lilies (Spathiphyllum) need relatively high growing humidity; if the air is too dry, the leaves will wilt.

What to Do When Peace Lily Leaves Turn Yellow: How to Prevent Peace Lily Leaves From Turning Yellow

3. This can be solved by misting more often or sprinkling water on the ground around it. You can also cover it with a transparent plastic bag, uncovering it at noon for half an hour of ventilation to prevent high temperatures from scorching the seedlings.

How to prevent peace lily leaves from turning yellow:

1. After autumn begins, it can be placed on a south-facing balcony or windowsill and get a suitable amount of sun for a while each day;

2. It is best to change the potting soil after early spring begins;

What to Do When Peace Lily Leaves Turn Yellow: How to Prevent Peace Lily Leaves From Turning Yellow

3. Watering must be controlled. If it is placed indoors, water once every half month; if it can get sunlight, water once a week;

4. Apply a weak fertilizer solution once a month.

Causes of Yellowing Peace Lily Leaves, What to Do When Peace Lily Leaves Turn Yellow and How to Handle It

The peace lily is a common green plant, but when grown at home its leaves easily turn yellow. There are many causes of yellowing peace lily leaves, and the main one is waterlogging. Many growers run into yellowing leaves while cultivating peace lilies, so what should be done when peace lily leaves turn yellow? Next, let's look at the 9 major causes of yellowing peace lily leaves and their solutions.

1. Sudden environmental changes cause peace lily leaves to turn yellow: this is caused by abrupt, major changes in soil, temperature, humidity and light, or by repotting that damages the roots and requires a period of recovery, resulting in yellow leaves.

Solution: Reduce the degree of environmental change and just wait for it to adapt.

2. Overwatering causes peace lily leaves to turn yellow (water yellowing): although peace lilies can be grown hydroponically, that does not mean soil culture needs large, frequent waterings. Especially when watering little but often, water easily stays at the junction of root and stem, causing the growing point to rot and die. It shows as dull, lightless young leaves and shrinking new shoots.

Solution: In this situation, reduce the frequency of watering, and each time wait until the moisture in the substrate has dried a little, then water thoroughly once.

3. Soil becoming alkaline causes peace lily leaves to turn yellow: peace lilies like acidic soil. If grown in the north, since both the water quality and the soil tend to be alkaline, long-term application will make the leaves gradually fade, turn yellow and even drop off.

Solution: The simplest method is to water with fermented rice-washing water or rainwater.

4. Direct sun exposure causes peace lily leaves to turn yellow (scorch yellowing): strong direct sunlight easily causes leaf tips and leaf edges to wither, and yellow blotches appear on the sun-facing part of the leaves.

Solution: Move it to a shaded, ventilated spot.

6. Insufficient sunlight causes peace lily leaves to turn yellow (light-deficiency yellowing): peace lilies need relatively good light in winter and early spring, so do not keep them in shade.

Solution: As the light gradually intensifies, shade it gradually. If the plant has been enjoyed in a shaded spot, do not put it directly in the sun to bake. Otherwise the drastic change in environment will cause discomfort, showing as wilting, yellow leaves and even death.

7. Unsuitable temperature causes peace lily leaves to turn yellow: peace lilies need a semi-shaded spot to grow, and leaves easily turn yellow when the temperature is below 5°C or above 35°C. The leaf color becomes dull and loses its luster. Long-term low temperatures can also cause the above-ground parts to wither and yellow.

Solution: Just adjust the temperature well; in special cases it can be moved into an air-conditioned room!

8. Overfertilizing causes peace lily leaves to turn yellow (fertilizer yellowing): with too much fertilizer, the tips of old leaves turn yellow and wither and drop, while new leaves are thick and glossy but uneven and not spread out.

Solution: You can scatter a layer of pak choi or radish seeds on the surface, and pull them out a few days after they sprout, to consume the nutrients.

9. Pests and diseases cause peace lily leaves to turn yellow: if harmful mites do damage, the leaves show poor symptoms such as wilting, faded luster and yellow withering.

Solution: Spray miticides specifically for mites, such as dicofol, hexythiazox and pyridaben.

1. Peace lilies grow fast and need a fairly large amount of fertilizer, so during the growing season a liquid fertilizer must be applied once every 1-2 weeks.

2. Supply sufficient water and keep the potting soil moist regularly; during high temperatures, also spray water on the leaves and the ground.

3. In late autumn and winter, reduce the amount of watering and just keep the potting soil slightly moist.