Ask the Expert: Peace Lily care
I purchased a peace lily about 4 weeks ago for my office. It is not in direct sunlight, I have been watering it regularly to keep the soil moist, and spray the leaves. However, the leaves are CONSTANTLY turning yellow. Everyday there are new yellow leaves appearing. Any suggestions? How often should I be watering the plant. Lisa

Plant Expert Reply:

I believe your plant is receiving too much water.  Peace lilies generally get by with once a week watering.  If they are in a climate that is cooler or has low light levels, the peace lily (Spathiphyllum) can go even longer between watering.  The first thing to check is drainage.  Make sure your container allows the plant to drain off excess water. Once the water issue is corrected it will take a couple of weeks for the plant to fully recover.  The first sign of recovery will be new green leaves.    Good luck and keep me posted.

This plant problem diagnosis was brought to you by Flower Shop Network.

Ask The Expert:
I have a Peace Lily and I am noticing that some of the leaves (at the tips) are turning black. What is causing that?  I have been cutting off the black parts, is that OK?
Thank you for your time.  bfh

Plant Expert Reply:

There are 3 things that can cause peace lilies to turn black.

The first is a water issue – too much or too little.  With water the leaves turn brown first then black.

The second is exposure to an extreme temperature change.  Exposure to extreme cold will turn the peace lily leaves black.  Exposure to extreme heat or sunlight usually causes a yellow/brownish discoloration before it becomes black.

The third is a fungus called Phytophthora (aerial blight).  With this  fungus you need to keep water off the foliage – that is how the fungus spreads.  You may need to treat both the soil and the foliage with a fungicide.  Check with your local nursery & garden center for the appropriate fungcide.

This plant disease discussion was brought to you by Flower Shop Network.

Ask the Expert: why won't the bud on my peace lily open
My peace lily the bud started to open now it is closed tighter than tight.  Cecilia

Plant Expert Reply:

A severe temperature change or lack of water will cause spathiphyllum bud maturity problems.  Make sure your peace lily is moist but not soggy and the air flow around the plant is remaining constant.  I suggest you check for thrips.  I'm not sure of thrips effect peace lilies the same as they do roses, but thrips keep rose blooms from opening.  Thrips are a small slender insect.

Ask the Expert: peace lily
Does my peace lily need to have any sunlight? Right now I do not have it near a window at all.  Anne

Plant Expert Reply:

Peace lilies (Spathiphyllum) prefers bright filtered natural light. However, the peace lily is tolerant of low light levels making it an excellent houseplant. It can be used outdoors in warm humid areas with filtered light or partial shade. Exposure to direct light may cause yellowing leaves with a burnt appearance.

Ask The Expert: Can the Peace Lilly be planted out doors?

Plant Expert Reply:
Yes and No. Peace lilies can be planted outdoors in moist but well-drained soil under deep shade conditions. They are not hardy in any of our zones. Therefore in the United States and Canada, they can be used only as an annual planting during the late spring and summer months.

Ask the Expert: Have I damaged my Peace Lily after transplanting?
I purchased 2-3 small Peace lilies about 7 years ago for my boss. She is not a plant person so it became my responsibility to keep it alive. It has been transplanted once from the pot it was originally in to a slightly larger pot and it has thrived increasing to 5 plants.

Lately it has been droopy and in need of water every other day. It has remained in the office in a relatively climate controlled environment until yesterday. I am in Florida and unfortunately my vehicles air conditioning went out. By the time I drove the 2 miles to home, the plant was all wilted and dying looking. I placed it in the shade as my houses a/c was not on and the inside temperature was almost as uncomfortable as my trucks.

I kept in in the shade and the ambient temp dropped due to an approaching storm. It was in the low 80's to upper 70's. I gently removed the plant from the pot and soaked it in water to try to loosen the dirt around the roots. My intention was to put it in 2 pots. I was afraid to cut or try to finger separating wasn't working on the roots.

Carefully I put soil in the new pot and added a little water. I kept this up in layers and added the 'mother' plant in to the center. I added potting soil around it and added water to moisten it. I left is under my oak tree overnight in the shade and it appeared to be slightly recovering until the drive to work this morning. One of the plants in the mother plant has dark wilted green leaves and is majorly droopy. The rest of the plant is a little 'depressed looking' with slightly wilted leaves.

I have one of those watering globes and added it in once the plant was placed back in it's home in the office.

Will my plant recover or have I done permanent damage to it? It really doesn't appear to be loving life right now. Thoughts/help is greatly appreciated. Cheryl

Plant Expert Reply:

The short answer is give the plant time and it will be fine.

The long answer is:

When a peace lily or any other plant is in stress don't add any more stress to it.  After Continue reading "Peace Lily In Shock: What To Do" »

Ask the Expert: Peace Lily pot
I recently bought a mature Peace Lily and repotted it into a "self-watering" pot, which is filled from the bottom & you can see how much water is in there.  I'm wondering if this type of pot is okay for Peace Lilies, or is it better to water them from the top?  Also, should the reservoir be kept full, or allowed to dry up?  Is it possible to over-water with this type of pot?  What about those "Aqua Bulb" things shown on TV lately (you fill the bulb with water, stick it in the soil, and supposedly they release the right amount of water to the plant based on how much oxygen the soil releases)– do they work, and do you recommend them? Dawn

Plant Expert Reply:

I'm an old-fashioned kind of plant watering gal.  For me the best peace lily method is the tried and true watering from the top.  See peace lilies want a evenly moist soil that does not dry out but doesn't leave them soggy either.

I haven't had any experience with self watering pots.  So they could be the next best thing to sliced white bread.  However for most plants if the roots stay soggy, the plant could develop root rot.  Depending on the design of the self-watering container this could or could not be a problem.  If I was going to use a self-watering pot, I would make sure that the soil was moist from the top to the bottom to begin with and then monitor the soil moist for a couple weeks to see how effect these containers are.

I am familiar with the "Aqua Bulb" principle.  We sell a decorative blown glass watering bulb at our garden center.  I find these mostly useful as a vacation watering method.  They slowly drip water as the soil becomes dry, so I don't worry about over watering. On the other hand with these you could be under watering the plant.  Again if you use them make sure the soil is moist from top to bottom before you use these as your watering devise. You will still need to monitor your peace lily occasionally to make sure the soil is properly hydrated.

The key to any of these methods is monitor your soil moisture and adjusting accordingly.

Good luck and keep me posted.

Ask The Expert: Can I reproduce my peace lily with the seeds from the flower? Margaret

Plant Expert Reply:

Although peace lilies can technically be reproduced from seed, other methods give greater results. Large scale growers used tissue cultures for peace lily reproduction as tissue culture offer more uniformity and availability. Homeowners create new peace lily plants through division.

If your peace lily (Spathiphyllum) has any size to it, you can divide the plant into two or more pieces to start new plants. The key is having enough roots to support the foliage. So, always divide your plant from the roots up.

Ask the Expert: what kind of insecticide should I use ?
what kind of insecticide should I use for scale and aphids on my peace lily and how do I apply it? Is there anyway to keep this from happening again? Carol

Plant Expert Reply:

For Aphids and mealybugs I usually recommend a Resmethrin based insecticide. Fertilome makes one called Whitefly & mealybug killer that works well on most houseplants. This product comes in a ready to use (RTU) form and you can spray it directly on the plant. For peace lilies I would begin with a very light misting. Peace lilies are sensitive to many chemicals and any application should be done lightly to minimize any phototoxcity. Keeping the moist level of your peace lily constant and nutrient happy will help reduce insect infestation. Diligence is the key. Keep an eye out for any indication that the insects have come back and treat appropriately.

Ask the Expert: Is my peace lily diseased or dying? My peace lily has little dark bubbles all the way up and down the flower stem and the leaves have a sticky substance on them. Jeanne

Plant Expert Reply:
Have you noticed any tiny insects on the back side of the leaves? Aphids usually attach themselves to the back side of plant leaves and suck the life out of them. During this process the aphids secret "honeydew" a waste product that presents itself as a sticky substance on the top side of the leaves. The dark bubbles could be an infestation of an insect called scale. If you can pick the bubble off and turn them upside down, you should be able to see that it is an insect. Both of these pest can be eradicated with an insecticide. Once the insects have been eliminated your Spathiphyllum (peace lily) will make a full recovery.