A member of the Araceae family of plants that flower, the peace lily technically is not a true lily. The plant is known for its low maintenance and easy care that makes it so easy for one and all to have it in their home garden. The forgiving and hardy nature of the peace lily makes it an excellent plant. The plant even tells you when it is in need of water by drooping its leaves, so all you need to do is keep a not-so-regular eye on the leaves of your peace lily. This tropical plant loves to be under shade and flourishes under it. The air-purifying abilities of the plant make it an excellent agent for removing and absorbing toxic gases from the air around the room, such as formaldehyde and carbon dioxide.
Peace Lily Technical Details
Scientific Name: Spathiphyllum
Common Name: Peace Lily, Mauna Loa
Family: Araceae
Origin: South-eastern Asia and Tropical America
Height: 2ft to 3ft
Light: Indirect sunlight, Shade
Soil: Draining soil
Moisture: Mediocre
Propagation: new plants from new crowns growing in old pots
Hardiness: USDA zones 10-12
Temperature: 18 to 300C, not less than 50C
Pests: Prone to spider mites, mealy bugs and aphids
Uses: Purifier, Indoor Plant
Peace Lily Care
Peace lilies are to be kept in indirect sunlight during the entire day. However, keeping the peace lily directly near a window is not a good idea either. The ideal way to ensure that your peace lily gets the optimum sunlight is to keep it at a distance of 7 to 9 feet from a windowpane. This keeps the level of sunlight exposure to the optimum. A good indication to determine the check the amount of sunlight the plant is receiving is its leaves. While yellow leaves are an indication for more than required sunlight exposure, brown spots on the leaves indicate that the plant has been under direct sunlight exposure for too long that has resulted scorching.
Peace lily is excellent to care for as it flourishes at indoor temperatures. The plant has a happy-temperature range of 18 degrees to 30 degrees on the Celsius scale. The plant is prone to harm from cold drafts, therefore keeping it at a distance from screen doors and non-insulated windows would be good for its care.
To ensure that you get the best blooming of your peace lily flowers, make sure you fertilize the soil during the growing season of summer and spring. A monthly addition of fertilizer to the peace lily during this period will ensure proper fertilization of the soil. Although the plant indicates its thirst itself by drooping its leaves, you should generally sprinkle the plant leaves with soft water throughout the summer season when it grows. Winters require less watering. The peace lily is quite good at redemption, so if ever you forget to water it and it is completed depleted, try reviving it by sprinkling some water and leaving it for a while.
The peace lily might need re-potting as it grows. Whenever the roots become apparent, go ahead and change the pot of the peace lily and buy a bigger one. A good indication of the time to change the pot is if the plant takes up all the water provided to it within a few days every time. If this begins to happen with your peace lily, it is time to change the pot and get a larger one.
Peace Lily Propagation Methods
Peace lilies can be easily created from existing ones by means of propagation. The more the lilies in your room, the cleaner the air around is. New lilies can be created easily without seeds. The clusters of two or more leaves growing individually and separately from within the main part, better known as crowns, can be used to create new peace lily plants.
By prying apart the roots of the plant which are of the crown from the other roots, from top working towards the bottom, can give you a separate new plant which is ready to be potted individually. The pot for the new plant is to be small, in order to provide the new roots ease of space and comfort.
Peace Lily Common Problems
The peace lily is quite immune to diseases and insects when compared to the other indoor plants. Although mealy bugs, spider mites and aphids are quite common with the plant, regular pest control and gentle wiping of the leaves can easily keep the leaves free from these. The tips of the peace lily leaves can become brown, indicating over-fertilization, over-water or lack of moisture in the air. Yellowing of the leaves is an indication of crowding of the root or insufficient watering of the plant. Frost damage can cause the leaves of the lily to blacken. Use an anti-frost spray to avoid this trouble with your plant.
Tips for healthy Peace Lily
The peace lily must be kept in shade or indirect sunlight. Direct sunlight shall be avoided as much as possible, as it damages the leaves of the peace lily and is counterproductive for its growth.
The ambient temperature range for the peace lily is between 18 to 35 degrees on the Celsius scale. Cold temperatures demand extra care for the peace lily, with anti-frost spray being a good choice.
Organic fertilizers are to be sued during the spring and summer to promote proper blooming of the lilies. The roots of the lilies are quite sensitive; therefore the best choice is to use organic fertilizers instead of chemicals.
After watering them a lot in a single go, the peace lily needs it’s time to dry out properly afterwards. Make sure you never over water the plant.
Root rot is common in peace lilies, so make sure proper drainage is available in the container of the peace lily. Drying out between watering is extremely important for proper growth.
When the lily appears to have suddenly started drinking up its water every few days, it is a signal to transplant your peace lily into a bigger container. Move your peace lily into a larger pot when this begins to happen, or when the roots start to grow out.
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