How to Grow a Peace Lily: Detailed Guide to Care Methods and Precautions

The peace lily has an auspicious meaning, and because of the shape of its flowers it is nicely named “smooth sailing”. Since the peace lily is beautiful in both flower and leaf, light and graceful, vigorous in growth, and also shade-tolerant, it is deeply favored by people and is often used for indoor greening and decorative display. It is an excellent foliage plant and can be planted in the ground in southern regions, while in other regions it is mostly grown in pots for ornamental viewing. The peace lily is an "expert" at suppressing waste gases exhaled by the human body, such as ammonia and acetone. At the same time, it can also filter benzene, trichloroethylene and formaldehyde from the air. Its high transpiration rate can prevent the nasal mucosa from drying out and greatly reduce the likelihood of illness. This beautiful indoor plant, native to the tropical rainforests of Venezuela, is undoubtedly a miracle in medical biology.

For potted peace lilies, the soil is required to be loose, with good drainage and aeration; heavy clay soil must not be used. Generally, a substrate can be made by mixing leaf mold and peat soil with a small amount of perlite; when planting, add a small amount of organic fertilizer as a base fertilizer. Because of its fast growth rate, it has a relatively large fertilizer requirement, so during the growing season a liquid fertilizer must be applied once every 1 to 2 weeks; at the same time, provide sufficient water and keep the potting soil moist regularly. During high-temperature periods, water should also be sprayed on the leaves and the ground to increase air humidity. If the surrounding environment is too dry, new leaves will become smaller and yellow, and in severe cases will wither, turn yellow and fall off. In late autumn and winter, the amount of watering should be reduced, and it is enough to keep the potting soil slightly moist. It requires semi-shade or diffused light conditions, and during the growing season it must be shaded by 60% to 70%. If the light is too strong, the leaves are easily scorched and withered, and the leaf color becomes dull and loses its luster; if the light is too dim for a long time, the plant will not grow robustly and will be difficult to flower. The peace lily is a heat-loving species. Long-term low temperature and dampness can easily cause root rot and yellowing and withering of the aboveground parts, so in winter attention should be paid to cold protection and warmth retention, while keeping the potting soil moist.

Precautions

1. Improper lighting. In winter and early spring, the peace lily needs relatively good light and should not be shaded. As the light gradually strengthens, it should be shaded gradually. If it is being enjoyed in a shaded place, it must not be placed directly in the sun for exposure, otherwise it will become uncomfortable due to the drastic change in environment, showing wilting, yellow leaves, and even death.

2. Humidity: The peace lily needs relatively high growing humidity. If the air is too dry, it will cause the leaves to wilt. This can be solved by increasing water spraying or sprinkling water on the ground of the environment. Covering it with a transparent plastic bag also works, but when the light is good, it should be ventilated slightly or a hole should be opened at the upper end of the plastic bag for ventilation and air exchange, otherwise the temperature inside the bag will rise sharply.

3. Improper fertilizing. Fertilizer should be applied diluted; do not apply concentrated fertilizer or raw fertilizer, and after applying solid fertilizer, water once with clear water. It is best to use dilute fertilizer water instead of clear water for watering. In this way, fertilizer damage generally will not occur, and the plant will grow luxuriantly.

4. Unsuitable temperature. Generally this situation will not occur at this time; it mostly appears easily when the temperature is below 5°C or above 35°C.

5. Pests. If there is damage from harmful mites, the leaves will show adverse symptoms such as wilting, faded luster, and yellowing and withering. Acaricides specially used to kill mites can be sprayed for control, such as dicofol, hexythiazox, and pyridaben.

Peace Lily Growing Methods_ Peace Lily Growing Methods and Precautions

What are the growing methods for peace lilies? Below, the editor will introduce the growing methods and precautions for peace lilies, hoping it will be helpful to everyone!

The Best Growing Methods for Peace Lilies

The care of a peace lily is nothing more than watering, fertilizing, and sun exposure. Sunlight may not be something people can control, but at least watering and fertilizing are in your hands.

Best Fertilizing Method

Peace lilies grow rapidly and have a high fertilizer requirement. A decomposed liquid fertilizer can be applied once a month. If applying solid fertilizer, remember to water once with clear water the next day. In choosing fertilizer, concentrated fertilizer and raw fertilizer are prohibited.

During fertilization, loosen the soil for the peace lily to promote the absorption of fertilizer, which is beneficial to the growth of the peace lily. In addition, when fertilizing, be careful not to sprinkle fertilizer on the leaves, so as not to scorch the leaves.

During high temperatures in summer and low temperatures in winter, peace lilies grow slowly; stop fertilizing at this time.

Best Watering Method

The amount of watering differs slightly by season. In summer or dry seasons, frequently spray water on the leaves and ground to increase air humidity and keep the leaves fresh and tender.

In autumn and winter, watering should be appropriately reduced. A low-temperature and damp environment can easily cause root rot! To prevent the peace lily from being damaged by cold due to lower temperatures, pay attention to cold protection and keep the potting soil slightly moist.

Best Method for Changing Potting Soil

Every 1 to 2 years, a peace lily needs to be repotted once. When repotting, prune the plant's root system. Cut off old roots and excessively long roots, remove part of the old soil, and replace it with new soil, which is beneficial for the peace lily to flower.

In addition, when repotting, divide the plant reasonably according to its size, so that one pot of peace lily becomes two pots.

Best Care Method for Hydroponic Peace Lilies

Container Selection

If you want to grow a peace lily hydroponically, first you need a relatively large container, about the size of a medium fish tank, with a relatively wide mouth, so that both the root system and the leaves have enough room to grow.

Light and Temperature

The temperature for hydroponic peace lilies is generally 10 to 30°C, and the water temperature is about 15 to 20°C. Sometimes it is comparable to room temperature, and the difference must not be too great.

Hydroponic peace lilies mainly need diffused light; they do not necessarily need direct sunlight. Especially in summer, avoid prolonged sunlight exposure, so as to prevent the water temperature from getting too high and affecting growth.

Changing Water and Washing Roots

In summer, change the water about once every 7 days; in winter, change the water once every 10 to 15 days. Each time you change the water, you can add a small amount of hydroponic nutrient solution to the water.

Hydroponic plants easily grow algae on the walls of glass bottles, so wash the bottle walls each time you change the water. The roots should also be handled a little: wash off the sticky mucus on the roots and cut off old roots.

Moisturizing and Fertilizing

Although hydroponic peace lilies have sufficient water at the roots, the leaves very easily become dry and withered. Frequently spray the leaves with clear water, and you can spray leaf fertilizer once a week, which not only adds nutrients to the leaves but also increases the glossiness of the leaf surface; in winter it can also help resist low temperatures.

The Best Propagation Method for Peace Lilies

Peace lilies can be propagated by sowing and by division, but what is commonly used at home is division!

Time for Division

There are no strict requirements for the time of division of peace lilies. As long as high-temperature and low-temperature weather are avoided, it can be done in spring or autumn. Most people are accustomed to dividing the plant in March to May each year in combination with repotting.

Division Method

Choose a peace lily plant that has grown for more than two years. Before it sprouts in early spring, take the plant out of the pot, remove the soil from the roots, and prune off the old roots.

After pruning the plant is complete, divide it into N clumps according to the size of the plant, with each clump having 3 to 4 leaves. Be careful not to damage the root system. After separate planting, place it in semi-shade for a period of time to recover.

Precautions for Division

In early spring, check the base of the peace lily plant to see whether new buds are sprouting. If there are many new buds, it is the most suitable time for division!

After division, change to a slightly larger flowerpot, which is beneficial for the recovery of the root system, and growth will be more robust. After division, loosen the soil frequently to ensure the potting soil is loose. As long as the temperature is suitable, it can grow very well!

Precautions for Growing Peace Lilies:

Improper lighting. In winter and early spring, the peace lily needs relatively good light and should not be shaded. As the light gradually strengthens, it should be shaded gradually. If it is being enjoyed in a shaded place, it must not be placed directly in the sun for exposure, otherwise it will become uncomfortable due to the drastic change in environment, showing wilting, yellow leaves, and even death.

Improper fertilizing. Fertilizer should be applied diluted; do not apply concentrated fertilizer or raw fertilizer, and after applying solid fertilizer, water once with clear water. It is best to use dilute fertilizer water instead of clear water for watering. In this way, fertilizer damage generally will not occur, and the plant will grow luxuriantly.

Unsuitable temperature. Generally this situation will not occur at this time; it mostly appears easily when the temperature is below 5°C or above 35°C.

Peace Lily Growing Methods_ Peace Lily Growing Methods and Precautions