My not so peacful Peace Lily

8 years ago

Hey there -

I'm trying to keep my Peace Lily in the land of the living and need some serious help.

I received her a year and a half ago as a gift. In recent months her once spry and jovial-self began to wilt and turn colors at the tips. Last week, after much researching I repotted her for the first time. In my humble opinion, the repotting was a success. Her color became much deeper again and her stems are so much stronger. But she still looks so darn..."droopy".

Last Year:

And now:

I'm not ready to throw in the towel on her. Any advice?

Also note, she's a bit on the larger side of peace lilies. The original care instructions called for watering every 5-7 days. But I have to water her every other day just to keep her from wilting! When I've tried to go longer without watering, she's laid out across the floor and yellowing at the tips again.

Disclaimer: I am very much a beginner with plants. But I'm sure you've gathered that by now :-)

Featured Answer

Dave

8 years ago

You’re drastically over watering. There’s no reason in a standard potting mix you’d ever need to water that often.

Do you check the soil before you water? How far down do you check? Is the soil dry, damp, wet?

does the pot have a drain hole?

give it some light. It looks to be no where near any type of natural light source.

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Comments (7)

Michelle Turpin
Original Author
8 years ago
Thanks, for replying Dave!

Since repotting I've started checking the soil before watering. I put my index finger into the soil about an inch deep. one side is typically damp while the other is dry.

The previous put had a drain hole. This current put does not as the good folks at Home Depot told me it should be fine without one.

And I can certainly give it more light!
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Dave
8 years ago
Unfortunately the good folks at Home Depot apparently don’t know much about caring for plants.

I’m sorry they mislead you and told you it would be ok without a drain hole.

A drain hole is an absolute must.

How did you go about repotting? I take it you just potted up and didn’t do a full repot.

Either drill holes in the bottom or get it into a pot with drain holes so you can start to water correctly.

The roots are likely rotting due to over watering, and lack of a drain hole. Since you only stick your finger in an inch or so, that doesn’t tell you how much moisture is present deep in the pot.

Dry on one side and damp on the other is from improper watering or dissimilar soils.
Michelle Turpin thanked Dave
somegu7
8 years ago
They often say its an easy plant to grow, i don't think so.
Dave
8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
It’s a very easy plant to grow, as long as you follow some simple steps.

If you use a good mix, don’t over or under water and provide bright indirect sun (north facing window is great), they’ll flourish.

I have a couple huge ones that we’ve had for a few years. They don’t get any special treatment.

They spend summer outdoors in open shade.
Photo Synthesis
8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
I've had mine go completely bone dry before finally beginning to wilt. This wasn't intentional, I only mention it to point out that the wilting isn't from underwatering. Peace lilies love water, but their roots also love fresh air, so drainage is a must. I would also advise giving it much brighter indirect sunlight. Just because some plants can tolerate low light levels, it doesn't mean that they prefer it that way.

Never seek advice from a big box employee. For most of them, it's just a job; they're paid to be there. They don't care about providing accurate advice. You're better off seeking out someone shopping there that actually wants to be there. More often than not, that's where you'll find me, HaHa. I've certainly helped other shoppers whenever they needed it.
linda wells
8 years ago
here is a tip for you and your plants. if you get a set of chop sticks for each pot. use the sticks to aerate the soil and leave then stuck in the pot all the time. it will help with large pots to help keep the soil from spolling. and becoming to wet.