Shop Products
Houzz Logo Print
thio_gw

Peace Lily; Repotting?

Thio
11 years ago

About seven months ago, we got a Peace Lily in the mail (I kid you not) and since then has been growing in our breakfast/dinning room/kitchen. About two-three weeks ago, it stopped growing flowers and just recently I noticed that the leaves are going brown tipped (and on the sides for some).

Do we need to move it into a bigger pot and what kind of fertilizer should we use?

Comments (7)

  • birdsnblooms
    11 years ago

    Thio. Blooms of Peace Lily can be long-lasting, but stop growing at some point. However, your plant will rebloom in the future.
    This is normal.

    Brown tips occur for different reasons including dry air, fresh tap water or the soil is kept too dry.
    Since your PL is in/near the kitchen, cooking stoves/ovens dry air.

    Can you move your PL in a different location, away from dry heat?
    Another option is by allowing tap water to sit overnight before giving your plant a drink. Sometimes chlorine causes brown leaf tips.
    Although I let soil dry a wee-bit between waterings, when you water, saturate the root-ball entirely, until water seeps out of drainage holes.

    For the time being, if any of my suggestions apply to your PL's brown tips, please correct them.
    Cut brown tips off but leaves about 1/8" of brown on leaves. If leaf is cut into green, browning can spread.

    It's a good idea to either mist or shower foliage regularly. Keeps leaves free of dust, helps prevent insects, and increases humidity. Good luck, Toni

  • TheMasterGardener1
    11 years ago

    I here a lot about misting to increase humidity but wont that only increase for the small time the water is on the leaves?

    My peace lily leaves are just starting to brown, I think it may be the tap water.

  • birdsnblooms
    11 years ago

    Hi MG...

    It's true misting up's humidity for short periods, but if plants are grouped together, a non-generic sprayer is used, 'I prefer a mister w/hose,' weekly showers, and of course a humidifer, spraying makes a huge difference.

    When I was ill, 'more than once,' I neglected spraying. Man oh man, what a difference! Even if spraying is short-lived. I try spraying 1-3 times per day. Excluding succulents/cacti.

    Is the brown on your PL crispy or soft?

    It could be the water, which is one reason I keep old milk containers filled w/water, ready to use,' or now that winter is approaching air is dryer.
    Humidity of late has been low; at least in IL. Toni

  • Thio
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Since it's been so hot here in WA, we've had our AC on constantly so humidity has been close to non-existent. I've been trying to place the Lily outside during the early and late evening hours in the shadier parts. Today it looked a lot perkier after I brought it inside after it being outside for an hour or two.

    My grandmother doesn't think the water is part of the problem, since we live on a well, but it's entirely possible our water is too mineral rich for the plant.

    The brown on the PL are crispy, but a few new leaves are popping up so I don't think it's close to giving up yet.

  • tapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a)
    11 years ago

    Thio - 9 times out of 10, the cause of burned leaf tips and margins can be traced directly to a triangle formed by your soil choice, watering habits, and the level of soluble salts in the soil that build up over time. All of these things are connected and can work singly or in concert to cause the spoiled foliage. Also, low humidity alone or the quality of your water is generally not enough to cause significant damage to leaf tips on your plants when taken as a stand-alone cause if you are watering correctly. The primary cause is usually impaired root function due to an overly water-retentive soil and/or your watering the planting too often.

    If you want to get a junker car to run, do you first replace the missing motor or fix the transmission that won't shift into high gear? You should do both, of course, but replacing the missing motor is going to move you closer to your goal than fixing the transmission and is the logical focus. It's the same with your plant - make sure your roots are healthy and have the oxygen they need to function. Saturated soils, ie soils that support a lot of saturation, reduce the oxygen in the soil that roots need to function. This creates lots of problems, one of them being spoiled foliage.

    You might benefit from reading the link I left below. It gives an overview of some of the considerations it's prudent to take into account.

    Take care.

    Al

    Here is a link that might be useful: I'll take you to the overview ....

  • aseedisapromise
    11 years ago

    About chlorine in tap water. It helps to find out just what your municipality puts in it's water supply. Lots of cities use a substance (chloramine) that doesn't leave the water when you let it set out, and susceptible plants have to be watered with distilled or filtered water. Chlorine is just so passe, I guess. Having said that, I find that brown tips are from salt buildup mostly. Whatever mix you use, replacing the potting soil is the best fix.

  • birdsnblooms
    11 years ago

    Aseed. Funny, you should mention chlorine. Our water comes from Lake MI. I can't tell you the number of phone calls I made, transferred from one person to the next, without getting an answer to the Chlorine question. Nobody knew. A few people behaved rude. They acted like, who cares??? lol.

    I must confess, there were times my Spider Plants weren't fertilized or were fed with Fish Emulsion. 'Organic Plant fertilizer,' yet tips turned brown. I'm talking about times I watered directly from the faucet, instead of using water that sat out.

    Even if Chlorine doesn't make a difference, 'although there are numerous plant book authors who vow chlorine will brown tips, especially amongst Chlorophytums,' IMO, room temp water is best. No shock from too cold or hot water.

    So, whether it makes a difference or not, I feel comfortable using room temp water that's been sitting 24-hours or more.

    Watering with room temp water is not written in stone, however it is written in plant books. And by plants' appearance.

    Just my opinion, for what it's worth. Toni