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i have a large peace lily i received eight months ago. it is now 4.5feet tall and facing an east window. it crys when it needs water which is four cups every other day, the leaves are getting very large. i think it is getting root bound. do i need to trace plant? if so how. to give you a little extra explantion about the plant, the person i received it from i later found out payed $250.00 ftd from florida. please help i don’t want to loose it. also i have six large peddles on it. thank you
bonnie
Bonnie,
I usually transplant my peace lily when I see roots coming to the surface, roots have taken over all of the soil, it seems to stop growing or if I suddenly it demands more water. If you have any of these problems then you need to transplant it.
You can divide the plant at this time. Dividing a plant will give you new plant and a smaller parent plant. If you divide the peace lily, you can pot the mother plant in the original container and the babies in new pots. Begin division by examining the peace lily. Divide the plant by taking a knife and cutting the babies off the mother plant – starting at the roots. It is important to make sure there are enough roots to support the foliage.
To transplant select a pot that is wider and at least as deep as the current pot. Plants should never be planted deeper than they were in the original pot. Fill the pot with a houseplant potting soil — place the plant in the soil and fill in around the sides. Do not cover the top of the rootball with soil. Water lightly every couple of days until the plant becomes accustom to its new environment. Don’t over water.
I just transplanted my sponsors Peace Plant (lily), it was very large and had been in a basket (original container when she got it, from funeral for sister 4 years ago) and was definitely in need of transplanting. I removed plant from pot by gently removing the soil from the roots, and making sure that all roots stayed intack..wow are those roots big.
The found center of plant and again gently shook until that section came lose, and the sides were released. I put the the center in the original, and made 3 others
Can you transplant a peace lilly while it is blooming?
Yes, you can transplant a peace lily while it is blooming, although it may cause the blooms to decline more quickly. It may also hinder this season’s blooming, but will live on to be a healthy plant.
I NEED TO TRANSPLANT MY PEACE LILLY,BUT IT IS REALLY ROOT BOUND, AND ICAN’T SEEM TO GET THE ROOTS LOOSED ENOUGHT TO SEPERATE IT. WHAT CAN I DO ABOUT THAT TO GET IT APART?
You don’t have to separate it into two plants, you can simply put it into a bigger pot and it will have enough room.
i got my peace lily at a funeral for a woman i called mom so it is very special to me.Ive had it for 3 years now .It was very big round and full it also bloomed alot.I decided to fertilize it with sticks and move it to the window im thinking i overwaterd it when i gave it the fertilizer? And now knowing it doesnt like direct sunlight i may have been burning it?The leaves are brown and yellow and i have white crust soil on top.It seems like first its yellow then brown and then completely droops down dead.Im confused is it to much fertilizer,to much water,to much light,?? Please help me save my plant i cannot stop crying when i try to care for it.Im scared im going to make it worse.Thank you
Inez,
Don’t worry everything can be corrected. First, move the plant away from direct sunlight. If you can still see the sticks – go ahead and remove them. Sticks are ok to use, but you need to make sure that you are using the appropriate amount and type for your plant. I prefer a water soluble liquid fertilize for houseplants something like Shultz, Miracle Gro or High Yeild at a very diluted rate. Now check your watering – is the excess water able to drain away from the plant? If not, correct the drainage issue and resume normal watering. Has the soil become very dry? If so, correct the issue by completely satuarting the soil and then resume normal watering conditions (moist but not soggy). You might also add humidity to air around the plant by misting the air with lukewarm water every three days. Once you have corrected the light and watering issue the plant should make a full recovery within a couple of weeks. As long as the new growth is healthy you are good to go. Please let me know how this go.
I have a very large peace lily in a 30cm pot which needs repotting. I have chosen a 40cm pot and am wondering if it’s too big. The 35cm didn’t look much bigger than what it’s in as the plant is tight up against the side of the 30cm. Should I use the 40cm???
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Niamh,
40-45cm would be my choice.
Niamh,
40-45cm would be my choice.
I got my peace lily 2 months ago from my dads funeral, it is in the original pot with the green Styrofoam stuff…do I need to repot it? It has bloomed twice already…
Lacrisa,
Unless the peace lily is showing signs of distress, there is no pressing need to repot. If it’s blooming so wonderfully, let it go!
Ed
I just recevided a hugh basket of plants for the funeral of my husband. It has 5 different types of plants. one is a hugh peace lily. I think the should be transplanted now since so large. The peace lilys are started to bloom, should i transplant all plants into different pots now. I have only had 4 weeks. I really want to keep as a memorial to my husband.
Gail,
I am sorry for your loss.
I understand how important the care of these plants are to you. So repotting will depend on the size of container the plants are in right now. If it has ample room for all the plants, you could wait a few months before transplanting. If not, you need to re-pot the plants now. When you re-pot the plants make sure not to plant them too deep in the new container. The top of the rootball should be at the same level as it was in the previous pot. Good luck and please let me know if I can help with anything else.
I am caring for my daughter’s peace lily which needed the dead/yellowed leaves pruned out. After doing so I noticed what looked like a brown tuber type root lying on top of the soil. My first thought was it was root bound but with my hand I can actually dig around each leaf group so not sure about it being root bound. 1.) Is the “tuber”of this leaf group its root ball that has popped out of the soil? (The other leaf groups have similiar “tuber” but are buried into the soil save about 1″ above soil. Plant information. Plant is 4’X4′ within a 190cm round pot. Hasn’t been repotted for a couple of years. Pot placed close to a skylight, so indirect light. My thinning out the dead growth has opened it up….do I have to repot OR can I add in fresh plant soil by 1-2″ and fertilize with a liquid indoor plant food?
Ruth,
You can add a little soil, but it won’t hurt to leave the tuber as is. You can give the plant a very diluted solution of fertilizer.
I just bought a peace Lily a few days ago and it’s like the leaves around the base of it are turning yellow over night. The soil is still a bit moist so I don’t think it needs watering. Do I need to try repoting it?
Kristi,
Remove the yellow leaves and then give it sometime. Prior to your purchase the plant might have been overwatered or underwatered. Now that it is in your care you can keep evenly moist and it should do fine.
When repotting a root bound Peace lily how for up do I put the dirt. The root (bulb?) was above the dirt in the pot I’m removing it from. Do I cover with dirt into the actual plant or do I leave some of the root (bulb) showing?
Cindy,
You can add soil up to the base of the plant — this is where the roots meet the plant.
I got a peace lily in may and it was doing well unrill recently it started dieing off and I don’t know what to do I don’t want to lose it due to getting it from my granny’s funeral and it would mean a lot to keep it alive I’ve also given it food did I do wrong by doing this I’m not used to having plants I got this one like I said from my granny’s funeral
I have had my peace lily for 9 months and it was pretty big when it was given to me from my father’s funeral. When I got it it had the white buds on it and now it doesn’t. Why is that? Does it need sunlight or a kind of dark space to be in? How do you tell if it needs to be repotted?
Helen
Erin,
Fertilizing is an important factor in caring for Peace Lily plants. The soil in any given container will become depleted of nutrients over time as the plant grows. So it’s a good idea to help replenish it by feeding the plant once a month or so, during the growing season, with any standard house plant fertilizer, such as 20-20-20, at one-quarter the recommended dilution rate. The delicate root hairs as well as the edges of a Peace Lily’s leaves can burn if the fertilizer is too strong. Repot the plant every year or two in a rich soil consisting of equal parts of loam, peat moss, and sand. Click the link for more information about caring for a peace lily. Caring for a Peace Lily
Helen,
Even among shade-loving Aroids, Peace Lilies are most tolerant of reduced light. They’ll even flourish under the completely artificial fluorescent lighting commonly found in offices and commercial spaces, although their preference is for bright, filtered, natural light. Peace lilies only bloom periodically, and not in line with any particular season. Also, many peace lilies available for retail sale have been forced to bloom, by application of a plant hormone called gibberellic acid. This acid induces blooming roughly two to four months after it is applied, and is apparently reliable enough that plants can be sold in bloom at any time of year. This is probably why your peace lily had many white buds on it and now does not. I would recommend moving your plant to an area with increased light but not direct sunlight. Some plant experts even say that simply moving your plant might help it bloom. Hope this helps.
Did I plant this peace lily too high? The pot is pretty shallow… Should I buy a deeper one? Thanks.
Sorry, here is the picture:
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Hi Lynnea,
The link you sent for the picture isn’t working. You can send your picture to rachel.brantley@flowershopnetwork.com and I will get back to you as soon as I can. Thanks.
A customer of mine told me that she has a very large peace lily at home that is neither over-watered nor under-watered but which has stalks that will not stand up straight. The leaves and stalks are not droopy at all, but the stalks are so heavy with large leaves that they lean down over the edge of the pot until the leaves are almost touching the floor. She asked how to make them stand up again, and I haven’t been able to find the answer anywhere.
Lynn,
The only thing I know of to help this situation is to pruning away some of the large leaves to encourage new growth. The new leaves will be smaller and should be more upright. Another option would be to use a hoop similar to the ones used to hold peonies or gladiolus upright in the garden.
Hope this information helps.
I have a peace lily that someone put in my office the other day because they thought it needed some light. It looks to me like some of it might need to be re-potted. I have sent the picture to your email address in the other message, I labeled it Christy’s picture, can you tell me what i need to do?
Thank you!!!
Christy,
To me it looks like someone re-planted it and buried it to deep. For determining pot size follow this rule of thumb; use a pot that is 1 ½ times the size of the previous pot. When placing the peace lily in it’s new pot, keep the plant level the same as it was in the old pot (fill the pot so that the top of the root-ball is at the same level as before). After re-potting, water slightly to remove any air bubbles that might have occurred and wait a couple of weeks before fertilizing. For plants grown in soil, drainage is important; your peace lily pot should have drain holes. The soil in the picture looks dry to me. Watering your peace lily once a week is usually sufficient. Testing the soil before watering by sticking finger in soil up to first knuckle can help you determine the need for water – if soil is moist don’t water. I would also suggest using a light fertilizer and placing it in an area with a little more light. Hope this helps!
When we re-pot the peace lily can we divided it and plant the long section showing down in the dirt. We water it once a week on Fridays. I will get some fertilizer for it, just want to know if I need to cover the section in the picture with dirt when we re-pot.
Christy,
Yes you can divide the plant with a sharp knife and cut through the center of the root ball and replant each half in its own container. When you re-pot, place each half of the root ball on the surface of the soil. Fill edges of the pots with soil. Water edges and add more soil after the water compacts the new soil a bit. I would not cover the entire long section with dirt. Hope this helps!
Hi there.
Firstly I love your website and your answers are so helpful. May you continue with the good work. I have a peace lily that has lots of white buds ready to blossom . It’s over crowded in its current pot and the roots are on top and it has lots of shoots. Should I go ahead and re-pot it anyway with the buds almost blossoming or should I wait?
Thank you
Charlene,
Thank you for the kind words. We try our best to answer any plant or flower care questions promptly. I would wait to re-pot until after the flowers have bloomed. House plants normally only flower when conditions are favorable to do so. Your peace lily may go into shock and abandon its flowering attempt. Enjoy your beautiful blooms!
I want to replant my Peace of Lilly plant to a bigger pot, can I use a pot without wholes at the bottom ? Is it okay if I just keep the soil moist and not draining the water? Please help me before i touch my plant. Thanks in advance
Judith,
Peace Lilies prefer an evenly moist environment. For plants grown in soil, drainage is important; I always suggest that peace lily pots should have drain holes. Watering your peace lily once a week is usually sufficient. Hope this helps.
Can I put peace Lilly in the top of my fish bowl for the beta fish?how to get a baby from the plant?
Alicia,
Yes you can. Here is a great article that I would advise you read about how to grow a peace lily in a fish bowl.
http://www.sheknows.com/pets-and-animals/articles/966661/how-to-grow-a-lily-in-your-fish-bowl
Hi there, my peace Lily hasn’t bloomed for 2yrs now. Was blooming when I purchased & never bloomed again. Should I repot into a larger diameter pot? It is watered weekly, indoors in indirect sunlight. Also has browning tips on the leaves… only the tips.. is this from over watering or underwatering?
Please help!
Hi Rebecca,
Mature peace lilies tend to bloom less. Dividing it and repotting may help encourage new growth for your plant. Try this article for more tips on how to help it bloom https://www.flowershopnetwork.com/blog/peace-lily-wont-bloom-whats-the-deal/
Over watering and under watering can both cause the tips of a peace lily to turn brown. Check and make sure the drainage holes on the pot are not blocked and that your plant is not sitting in water. If this is the case, then it is probably from over watering. You can also try this easy water test – Stick your finger into the soil down to the second knuckle and put out a small amount of soil – the soil is too dry if you can not roll it into a ball – the soil is too wet, if you can roll it into a ball and squeeze water from it – the soil is just right if you can roll into a ball, but can’t squeeze water from it.
Hope this helps!
Hello,
My peace lilly is about 3.5 feet tall and about 3 feet or more wide at the top. It is shooting up lots of new growth and some flowers.
The problem is that the leaves at the bottom of the plant are turning yellow and wilting. I water it about 1-2 time per week (the soil seems dry between watering).
Can anyone help?
Kind Regards
Andrew
Hey Andrew,
When the leaves on a peace lily begin to yellow, this generally means the plant is getting too much water. As a general rule, once a week is normally enough. When you over water and the soil stays soggy, you run into more severe issues, such as root rot. Root rot can also cause the leaves to yellow.
To make sure your plant really needs to be watered, stick your finger into the soil up to the first knuckle. Pull out a little soil, and try to roll it into a ball. If you can squeeze water out, the plant is getting too much water. If you can’t roll it into a ball at all, it is too dry. The water level is good when you can roll the soil into a ball, but not squeeze any water out.
To check for root rot, you will have to remove the plant from the pot to be able to see the roots. Also make sure your pot is draining well. Once you have taken care of any issues, your plant should begin to recover.
Hello,
I just bought a peace lily and the bottom leaves are turning yellow rather fast.
Also when I water it the water just comes out the bottom of the pot. So it does get dry out quickly. Should I transplant my peace lily?
Or what is wrong with my flower? HELP
Martha,
This sounds like the plant is being over watering the plant. Feel the soil by placing your finger into the soil up to the first knuckle. if the soil feels wet, stop watering for a few days. If the soil is dry and the water is running out the bottom, either soak from bottom up or repot into a larger container.
I put fresh soil on my peace lily (which has always done very well). I put some root starter on it right after I transplanted it. All of the old leaves, and a ton of new growth, are very green. However, all of the leaves are now drooping and have not picked up. Does anyone have any suggestions? This plant is sentimental to me and I am desperate to make sure it survives.