Peace lilies are one of the most loved and common houseplants due to their million benefits and ease of growing. Native to the tropical rainforests of Colombia and Venezuela, it is a shadow-loving plant that thrives in a warm and humid environment.
Peace Lily plants sport elegant arching leaves that emerge directly from the ground in a cluster form. As the weather starts getting warmer in spring, they start to bloom with stunning white flowers.
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Peace Lily flowers are actually modified leaves of ‘bract’ and have no fragrance. However, these elegant white flowers on tall stems emerging from a sea of green foliage is a thing of beauty. The plant blooms profusely from spring to monsoon in India.
• Benefits of Peace Lily Plant Indoors
Yes, the Peace Lily is a very easily loveable plant. But do you know why? Here are a few Peace Lily indoor plant benefits that will make you absolutely fall in love with the plant:
1. They Are Great Air Purifiers
Peace lilies are well-known for their ability to purify the air. They can remove toxins like benzene, formaldehyde, and trichloroethylene, contributing to a healthier indoor environment.
These NASA-approved air purifiers remove a wide spectrum of indoor air pollutants to give you and your family a clean living space. With their ability to live happily in the shade and air-purifying quality, they make excellent bedroom plants to help you sleep better. They are also an excellent choice of plant to keep on the window sills of your well-lit bathrooms.
2. Low Maintenance
Peace lilies are relatively easy to care for, making them an excellent choice for both novice and experienced plant enthusiasts. They thrive in low to moderate light and require minimal watering, only needing to be watered once the soil feels dry to the touch.
Their resilience and low maintenance needs make them perfect for busy individuals or those who forget to water their plants regularly.
3. Aesthetic Appeal
With their glossy, dark green leaves and striking white flowers, peace lilies add a touch of elegance to any indoor space. They can enhance the visual appeal of living rooms, bedrooms, offices, and more.
Their minimalist and sophisticated appearance complements various interior design styles, from modern to classic.
4. Humidity Regulation
Peace lilies help increase indoor humidity levels, which can be beneficial, especially during dry winter months. Higher humidity levels can alleviate dry skin, irritated nasal passages, and other issues caused by dry air.
All the more reason to love them, right? Now, here's to care for them!
• Growing Peace Lilies: Peace Lily care
Indoor peace lily doesn't have a rigorous care regimen, but there are some basic pointers that the plants are very finicky about, out of which the most important is its watering. Let's take a look at several factors that contribute to peace lily care:
1. Soil Preferences
Peace lily plants like rich, well-draining potting soil with ample amounts of organic matter. The idea is to replicate its native tropical conditions where the soil is packed with decomposing organic matter. However, the plant is also very sensitive to too-damp soil conditions, so a well-draining mixture is essential, and using a terracotta pot for it works best as it helps get rid of excess moisture and also lets the oil breathe.
2. Light Requirements
Peace lilies are shade-loving plants but as an indoor flowering plant, they need to be filtered light throughout the day. Although they do like hot direct sunlight they do appreciate a few hours of early morning sunlight from the east. One major telltale sign of too much light is curled, pale leaves, while scorched leaves are a sign of direct sun.
3. Watering Needs
Potted Peace Lily Spathiphyllum plants prefer being under-watered rather than overwatered, so water them only when the top two inches of the potting mix is dry to touch. In hot summer months, either mist your Peace Lilies frequently to maintain a humid environment to avoid browning edges or use a humidifier.
Winters are dormant for peace lily plants, so stop fertilizing the plant and only water it when the top two inches are dry to touch.
One important point about Peace Lily watering is to establish a schedule, if the plant remains dry for too long and is then watered too often and kept wet for long spells, then the Peace Lily leaves will start browning. The only way to avoid this to set your own fixed watering schedule for every season.
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4. Fertilization
Peace lilies love frequent feedings and they reciprocate with bigger leaves, more blooms, and a sturdier plant. Feed your plant every 10 days with a well-balanced houseplant fertilizer like the Ugaoo Plant Tonic in the Spring months through monsoon.
• How to Propagate Peace Lily Plants
The peace lily can be propagated by dividing clumps during repotting activities, which can be done during any season. Although, avoid doing this if you are a new gardener.
Peace lily grows in a cluster from, with the leaves emerging directly out of the soil in bunches. While repotting try identifying several such bunches, if the bunches are big enough with their own sustainable root system, pry them apart to form two separate plants, each with their own root system. Pot these new plants in a fresh, rich, well-draining potting mix.
To ensure that your propagated plants grow well even when separated from their parent plants, you can make use of Ugaoo's Rooting Hormone which will allow you to ensure proper root development in cuttings. Just apply the hormone powder on the spot that has be exposed after the plant is separated. This will ensure less exposure to harmful bacteria, allowing your roots to grow well over time.
• Repotting Peace Lily
Repotting peace lilies is fairly simple. Repotting of peace lilies should only be undertaken when the current planter is full of the plant. If you notice roots coming out of the drainage hole or showing on top of the topsoil, then it's time to repot your plant.
Select a planter at least 3-4 inches larger than the current planter. Gently remove the plant from the current planter and loosen the root system by taking out as much soil as possible from it. Make sure to not damage the root.
Now plant it in the slightly larger planter with a fresh well-draining potting mix.
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• Types of Peace Lilies
- Spathiphyllum ’Power Petite’: A small varietal that grows to only about 15 inches.
- Mauna Loa Supreme': A very common variety that grows to be between 3 to 4 feet tall, with leaves that are up to 9 inches wide.
- ‘Sensation’: The largest peace lily varietal, which reaches up to 6 feet in height with broad, 20-inch long leaves.
- 'Mojo': A striking, large varietal with vibrant green leaves.
- 'Golden Delicious': A variety that features new growth with stunning golden-green colour.
- 'Starlight': A varietal with narrow leaves that have wavy margins. It's also known for having multiple blooms, with as many as 20 flowers on a single plant.
• Peace Lily Flower Care: How to Deal with Common Peace Lily Plant Problems
Unlike many indoor flowering plants of indoor foliage plants, Peace Lily remains free of pests. However, sometimes it gets plagued by mealy bugs or thrips. A few tried and tested tips to avoid this are:
1. Neem Oil to the Rescue
Spray a Neem Oil solution every 15 days, especially at the center of the leaf cluster and underside of leaves.
2. Ventilation & Space
Keep the plant well-ventilated. Since Peace Lily Spathiphyllum loves humidity, it is essential to keep it aired out to avoid festering pests and infections in a warm humid environment.
FAQs
1. What is Peace Lily flowering season in India?
Peace Lilies are known to bloom in the Spring months in India. This means that they bloom almost continuously from February to April. But they can also continue to bloom well into September if cared for properly!
2. How to care for a Peace Lily indoors?
Peace Lilies are low maintenance indoor plants, so you need not do too much. Simply water this plant twice a week and prune regularly, keeping it humid to watch it thrive!
3. What is the best potting soil for Peace Lily plants?
Peace Lilies do very well with well-drained and well-aerated soil. So, provide it with a potting mix that will give it enough space to grow and breathe. Ugaoo's Pot-o-Mix will do the trick for your Peace Lily!
