Peace Lily Care

The peace lily belongs to the Spathiphyllum genus which means leaf spathe. Spathe refers to bracts surrounding a flower cluster. The flowers or spadix may be white or yellow and are surrounded with large white bracts. Other than the beautiful flowers, what adds to the elegance of the peace lily plant are its long, bright green leaves. Peace lily is one of the most popular houseplants that adds to the beauty of a house by giving it a tropical look. Its popularity stems from the fact it can grow in low light areas. This is the same characteristic that helps it to grow on the under story of tropical rainforest. Not only does this plant add to the aesthetic value of a house but it also cleans the air inside. To make the most of this plant, here are some guidelines for peace lily care.

Aspects of Proper Care

Water
One of the most important aspects to consider while growing peace lily is water. These plants are very sensitive to the amount of water that they get and also indicate clearly if they have been under-watered or over-watered. When they do not have enough water their leaves droop, that spring back to life once they get enough water. Lack of water in the soil will kill the root hair and the leaf edges turn yellow or brown. These plants need to be watered regularly. However, ensure that the soil is not soggy as the roots die if they have too water around them. Peace lilies do best in wet soil. Usually watering them once a week is enough. However, the frequency of watering depends upon the temperature and moisture levels in the air inside the room. Other than the leaves, a look at the soil would also be enough to know if the plant needs water. Don't allow the soil to get parched. Just ensure that it is evenly moist all throughout the year.

For those living in the cities need to know that this plant is very sensitive to chlorine. So, in case you are living in a metropolitan area make sure that the water that you supply to your peace lily does not contain the chemical. To do this, let your water stand overnight. This would allow chlorine to dissipate from water.

Light
Correct amount of light is another important aspect of peace lily plant care. As already said, these plants grow well even in absence of bright light. Low to medium light coming in from north or west window works well for them. However, they prefer natural, bright light that is filtered. Make sure that the plant is not exposed to direct sunlight as that would kill the leaves. It is due to this characteristic that peace lily is a preferred choice for office plants.

Fertilizer
It's not just the case of peace lilies but any plant, if it grows for long in same potted soil, the nutrients would be used up. To replenish the lost nutrients, add fertilizer to the soil in which your peace lily is growing. However, be sure that the fertilizer is of correct concentration as too strong a fertilizer will kill the root hair and turn the edges of the leaves yellow or brown. Use a fertilizer mix of 20-20-20. Ensure that the soil is moist while adding fertilizer to it. The best time to fertilize peace lily is spring and summer using half or three-quarter dose.

Potting
Peace lily plants need to be potted to a container of a larger size each year as the roots spread out to all the soil in the pot within 12 months. Spring is the best time to move a peace lily plant to a new pot. However, these plants usually do not require a pot larger than 10 inches.

Insects and Pests
As far as insects and pests are concerned, peace lily is quite resistant to most of them. However, one may keep an eye out for mealy bugs and spider webs. Occasional misting will clear out the spider webs. Misting is also a great way of watering a dehydrated peace lily plant. To deal with mealy bugs, just wipe the surfaces of the plant that have been infested, with alcohol. Then spray the houseplant with an insecticidal soap.

The beauty of this plant often makes people think that peace lily care is very demanding. However, that is not the case. A study conducted by NASA indicated that these plants are very effective in cleaning the air of benzine, formaldehyde and carbon monoxide. Hence, this plant in fact gives a lot more than all the care that it requires.