How to Care for a Peace Lily Plant

The Peace Lily plant has been around for many years, and it is quite a popular houseplant. It's also a common plant to receive at funerals, which may give them a sentimental value to some individuals. While they are not a terribly difficult plant to care for, they do have their vices.

Light & Temperature -

Peace Lilies prefer a bright indirect light in order to grow correctly. Too much or too little light will cause problems. Direct light may damage or even kill your plant; it will depend on how long your Peace Lily is exposed to the incorrect light. As for the temperature, it needs to be fairly consistent. This means that you should keep your Peace Lily away from drafts, and away from temperatures that dip into the forties. Ideally, temperatures in the sixty to eighty degree (Fahrenheit) range are perfect for this houseplant.

Water & Soil -

For watering, make sure your Peace Lily doesn't sit in any excess water. The water should be fully drained from the soil. Ensuring that the soil is always slightly damp (not soaked), should keep your plant in good shape. As for dirt, all you really need is a basic well drained potting mix. These can easily be found at Walmart and other such places. As for fertilizing, you can do this every three months or so.

Flowering -

It may be difficult for you to keep your Peace Lily in "full bloom" so to speak. Flowers often are quite difficult to sustain on the Peace Lily plant. At first, they may be all over the plant; however, eventually, they bloom less and less. If you're truly an expert at gardening then you may be able to make your Peace Lily constantly bloom, but for most people, it will be very difficult to do. Everything has to be perfect in order for this plant to bloom consistently.

Potting & Transplanting -

It's best to use a plastic pot for this type of plant because plastic pots retain moisture better. And if you really want your Peace Lily to survive for years to come, then you will probably want to re pot it every couple of years. This ensures that the plants' roots have room to grow, and it keeps the Peace Lily nice and green.

Problems -

The main problem with the Peace Lily plant is that it develops brown tips fairly easily. Why does it do this? There are many reasons. Poor lighting, over-watering, under-watering, chemicals in the water, temperature fluctuations; etc. Basically, everything has to be perfect in order for this plant to thrive. If it's too hot, you may also notice that your Peace Lily leaves develop a "wrinkly look". To cure this, move your plant to a cooler environment. With time, newer leaves should form that don't have the wrinkly appearance. Once enough of these leaves sprout from your plant, you can prune off the wrinkly ones.

Also, the Peace Lily is a poisonous plant. Thus, while you would never think of eating it, one of your children or pets might. And it appears that you would have to ingest a large amount of the plant in order to become ill. But it's still something to keep in mind.

Peace Lily plants are attractive houseplants that have been around for decades. While they may not be the easiest houseplant to grow, with a little patience and care, you can learn how to make your Peace Lily thrive.