DENNIS PLANT GARDEN
Plant Care & Information
dennis Plant garden
reativity
C
PEACE LILY PLANT
Spathiphyllum wallisii
Photo Credit (C) Dennis Lee Brown 2017
%20PEACE%20LIL.jpg)
%20PEACE%20LIL.jpg)
PEACE LILY PLANT
Spathiphyllum wallisii
Batanicle Name: (Spathiphyllum wallisii)
Spathiphyllum wallisii commonly known as peace lily, white sails, or spathe flower is a very popular indoor house plant of the family Araceae. Peace lilies are a tropical plant, making them good houseplants. Peace lilies will practically grow in the darkest corner, but when grown in low light, blooming rarely happens. Therefore, if it’s the foliage you’re trying to grow, put the peace lily in a dark corner. If you want flowers, though, place it where it will receive bright, indirect light, or under a grow light away from cool drafts, since they’re tropical, peace lilies are sensitive to cooler temperatures.
Though most peace lilies are grown as houseplants, you can also grow them outside if you live in zones 10 to 12. Plant them in the shade (where they’ll naturally get much more ambient light than if they were growing inside) in soil that’s steadily slightly moist, but drained.
Peace Lilies can grow in water without any soil. Ideally, the base of the plant should be postponed above the water line, either by a specially-made insert or a layer of small stones. This allows the roots to grow into the water, to prevent rot, keeps the base of the plant and its leaves from being constantly wet.
Peace lilies are perfectly happy growing in semi- tight containers, they don’t like growing in pots much larger than their root balls.
1. Select a container that has good drainage and is no more than ⅓ larger than the root ball of your peace lily.
2. Fill the container ⅓ of the way with indoor potting soil, which contains no compost or bark, both of which are known to shelter pesky fungus gnats. The mix also contains coconut coir, which helps soil re-wet easily.
3. To leave room for watering, place the plant in the center of the container so that the top of the root ball is about an inch below the top of the rim.
4. Pack potting mixture in and around the root ball for good root soil contact.
5. Water your peace lily until moisture begins to drain out the bottom of the pot, place a saucer under the plant pot and move it to its new growing location.
Fertilizer: DO NOT over feed the plant, Peace lilies are not heavy feeders, so fertilize only occasionally. To encourage spring and summer growth, fertilize every 6 weeks or so with a balanced houseplant fertilizer starting in late winter early spring. If the plant is growing greenish flowers, weak-looking flowers, or a general lack of flowers, this may be by improper (too much, too less, or wrong kind) fertilizing. In the case of green flowers, cut back on fertilizing. In the case of weak-looking flowers or a lack of flowers, try switching to a fertilizer made for flowering houseplants, which will have a higher amount of phosphorous, which increase plants blooming.
Jade Plant
Peace lilies get much of their nutrients from decaying matter of other plants in the soil. Fertilizing your peace lily regularly, about every other month, ensures the soil offers enough nutrients to keep the plant well fed. If plants seem to be dragging or sluggish in growth, increase the fertilization to once a month. Use a water-soluble balanced houseplant fertilizer, such as a 20-20-20, so it soaks into the soil and feeds all areas of the peace lily's roots. Too strong fertilizer will burn the lily, therefore, dilute it to about 25 percent (use only ¼ of the recommended amount before adding it to the soil.
PEACE LILY
Spathiphyllum wallisii
Ideal Preferences
Water:
Peace lilies are sensitive to the chemical fluoride found in tap water, such as, which may cause brown leaf tips. Use non-tap, room-temperature water, if possible. The plant reacts negatively to cold and/or hot water.
Grow the Peace Lily in consistently moist soil, but not where the plant is standing in water. Water whenever the top inch of the soil is dry, and water until it runs of the container holes. Peace lilies don’t usually behave like dramatically, unless you forget to water them.
In that case, they will go from gorgeous looking to drooping over in its pot from exhaustion. Correct this by watering immediately, let the plant soak up all the water the soil can hold, let drain and return to its’ growing place.
Light: Peace Lily do not like direct sum light. Keep these plants out of direct hot afternoon & evening sunlight, but in a well-lit (indirect lighten) area. An eastward-facing window is perfect, as they will be exposed to the warmth of the morning sun but avoid the intensity of mid-day rays.
Soil:
Use a well-draining, quality all-purpose potting soil. The soil composition should consist of mixing: one-part potting soil with one-part peat moss and one-part sand, with 1/3 perlite and 1/3 fine bark chips. This soil allows you the flexibility to adjust the amount of drainage elements, (sand, perlite and bark chips) if your plant is not thriving. With commercial houseplant potting soil, adding some sand or other drainage-enhancing additive.
Humidity: Peace lilies prefer high humidity. Raise the moisture by misting their leaves often, or placing their pot atop a humidity tray to increase humidity.
Temperature: Peace lilies like a consistent temperature between 65-
%20PEACE%20LIL.jpg)
Peace Lily Flower: "Sail"
%20PEACE%20LIL.jpg)
Peace Lily Dark Shinny Leaves
and 80-degrees Fahrenheit. Protect your plant from cool drafts and cold or drastic changes in temperature. Keep them in temperatures above 60°F (16°C) and away from cold, drafty locations. They thrive in temperatures upwards of 70°F (21°C).
Bloom: Creamy-white flowers are produced if the plant is getting enough light. If no flowers are growing, the plant is in area that is too dark. Peace lilies are very tolerant of low light, but they will not flower if the light is too low. Encourage flowering by, moving the plant to a brighter location, where it will receive bright, indirect light.
Re-potting: Re-potting annually in the spring is good for the peace lily, as the plant will appreciate the refreshed soil. To help your plant continue thriving, repot it about every one to two years in late winter early spring with fresh potting soil. Fresh soil provides a high amount of nutrients. Use this opportunity to transplant it to a larger pot to keep it from becoming root bound.
Steps to replanting:
-
Prepare a fresh pot a size larger than the old pot with fresh potting soil.
-
Gently remove the mother plant from its pot and carefully loosen the soil around the roots with chop-sticks (be careful not to damage the roots). Use your fingers to gently pull apart the roots to find a clump of roots with several healthy growing leaves.
-
Using a clean, extra sharp blade, gently cut any roots connecting the root cluster and the mother plant. Depending on the size of the mother plant, you may be able to get numerous root sections from one large plant to make multiple new plants.
-
Plant the new peace lily in the smaller pot(s) you prepared. Up-pot or re-pot the mother plant with fresh soil
Water the new plant and keep it in a warm space with plenty of bright, indirect light while it adjusts to its new pot. Keep the soil moist but not overly wet during this period. Eventually, the peace lily may grow too large for its pot, at which point it can be divided. Remove the plant from its pot and split it into smaller plants, being sure to leave several leaves per clump. The peace lily grows from rhizomes, so it can tolerate a bit of tough treatment during dividing.
About a month after planting, you can apply the plant food directly to the soil or mix it in when you water. Be sure to follow label directions!
Propagation: It is not possible to propagate Peace lilies vis leaf or stem cuttings, but they can easily be propagated by division during any season. Seed propagated peace lilies will take several years to flower. It is more practical and easier to divide an existing peace lily by separating (root division with growing plant attached) or simply purchase a new plant.
Caution: The leaves of Peace lily’s holds a compound that can cause swelling of the tongue or even vomiting when ingested, therefore, keep the plant away from children and any pets.
WAS THIS HELPFUL?
Feedback, Comment, Review & Rate