Peace lilies are definitely an excellent choice for your office or indoor home plants. They enlighten and add an extra touch of fresh air to your living room making it a great place to be – your home should be a place for unwinding after a long day at work.
These indoor plants are characterized by dark green leaves that looks like flowers – actually, they are not flowers but specialized leaves bract. Peace lilies are not exclusively the ‘bright light’ type; they can thrive in low lighting conditions.
However, this depends on how you want the plant to be like. If you wish to have your plants with the lovely white spathes, then you should let the plant take in more light.
The Peace Lilly and It’s Appeal
You don’t need a green thumb to succeed with peace lilies. You can be poor in handling anything green, but this houseplant is something else – give it a chance, maybe?
Peace lilies are quite the perennial kind with both the stems and leaves rising from the medium. The plant has white blooms that may look like white peace flags – not that the lilies are surrendering to anything. The white spathes that you see gradually change to green as time goes by can be cut to make way for more.
Apart from its appeal, you are wondering what other benefits are there for having peace lilies. Well, NASA studies show that these plants help improves the quality of air in your living room by removing such toxins as carbon monoxide, benzene, formaldehyde, and others. This helps make your evening relaxing and healthier to face the following day full of new energy.
The Peace Lilly Care Tips
- Watering: like most houseplants, the peace lilies prefer moist soil. Make sure that it is well-drained to avert any troubles. Always remember that overwatering is one of the surest ways you can kill peace lilies. As a matter of fact, under-watering may be a good idea – they are quite tolerant to low amounts of water than excess water.Just touch the soil and make sure you can feel some dampness. If there is, then move on to something else as the plant is quite okay that way.Thick green leaves with several brown tips indicate that you probably have overestimated the peace lilies tolerance to lack of water. In extreme cases, it can collapse right there on the pot. Get some distilled water, put it into the soil and make it moist, and wish the plant accepts your peace offering.
- Lighting: this indoor plant can do just fine across the room in areas with low light. However, they will not really thrive and can sometimes become leggy.When you notice burned leaves and pale green foliage, then your plant is getting too much direct sunlight. Move it away to a better location with indirect but sufficient light – they like it that way.Peace lilies also love warmer environments, and you should keep them in temperatures above 60 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Fertilizing: as with many desert varieties, peace lilies are quite okay with low feeding. Once or twice every year is sufficient – these are quite hardy plants you will find around. The fertilizer should be well-balanced.Alternatively, you can add well-aged cow manure with a potting mix for the perfect medium – this is if you have access to manure. The ordinary topsoil lacks the necessary nutrients and so you should avoid it.
- Repotting: it reaches a point where the peace lilies outgrow their pot, and this is okay. This may become noticeable by drooping leaves even after watering them within the last one week. Deformed leaves will also tell you that the roots are crowded within the pot. If repotting, choose a container that is bigger than your current one – at least two inches larger.When dividing, use a sharp knife and use it to cut the plant into two at the center of the rootball – this does not work for those with a single stalk.To accomplish this, get the plant out of its old pot and lay it on the ground. Look for the part where the foliage is connected to the roots, and it is then up to you to determine how many new peace lilies plants you want. Replant each of them into their containers and keep the soil moist. The new plant may wilt at first, but give it time, and it will recover from the shock – moving from your parents’ house is not always easy.
- Washing: you will eventually notice that the leaves of these houseplants are dust magnets. However, you are free to wipe or wash them at least once every year to make sure they are looking clean and radiant.Also, clean leaves will process sunlight better, and your plant will be healthier. There are various ways that you can use to clean the plant. You can place in your kitchen sink and let the running water do their thing, or you can put it in the shower. You can also make use of a soft cloth or sponge to wipe them.Avoid the temptation of using the commercial cleaning products as they can easily block the pores on the leaves.
- Cutting: it is important to keep cutting the yellowing leaves every once in a while to ensure the plant maintains its health. Some of us do not like the white pollen that gets showered all over. You can cut the spikes a few days after they appear to avoid the pollen situation. However, it is a great idea to let the beautiful spathes stick around – for obvious reasons, of course.
- The Pests and Diseases: one of the most common problems affecting peace lilies includes brown leaf tips. They are caused by low humidity and lack of water. The remedy is proper watering and maintaining the right humid conditions. Put the pot on a tray with moistened gravel to maintain the necessary humidity.
