11 Reasons Peace Lily is Not Blooming and Fixes | How to Promote Flowering in Peace Lily


Peace Lily, Spathiphyllum wallisii

Peace Lily flowers are a delight but it may not bloom if the growing conditions are not right such as low light, overwatering, underwatering, low air humidity and pests among others.

Peace Lily grows best in bright, indirect light away from direct sunlight, warm and moderately humid conditions and moderately moist, fertile, well-drained soil during the growing season that mimick its native tropical conditions.

When these conditions are not met, the Peace Lily may not bloom. Below are 11 reasons why Peace Lily is not blooming and how to boost it to bloom.

11 Reasons Peace Lily is Not Blooming and How to Fix Them

1. Too little light

Peace Lily thrives in bright, indirect light away from direct sunlight. Enough light is required for photosynthesis, the process of food making in plants, which is needed for growth and energy for the plant.

Peace Lily can tolerate low light but too little light means that the plant cannot make adequate food for growth and development which results in stunted growth and lack of blooms.

How to fix it

Position the Peace Lily to a brighter spot where it can receive bright, indirect light or instal a grow light if the natural lighting is not enough.

Peace Lily, Spathiphyllum wallisii

2. Pest infestations

Peace Lily is fairly resistant to pests. However, weak plants are prone to spider mites, mealy bugs, aphids and fungus gnats. The sap-sucking insects will cause the plant to become dehydrated, reduced growth and flowering.

How to fix it

Make sure that the Peace Lily is healthy at all times by providing it with the correct growing conditions.

Reduce pest infestations in Peace Lily by raising the humidity as they are prevalent in dry conditions.

Keep the Peace Lily well pruned by removing spent flowers, dead and yellow foliage to minimize pest infestations. Cut the leaves with a clean sharp knife or scissors as close to the base as possible.

Seperate the affected Peace Lily away from the rest of the plants to minimize spread to the and treat it appropriately with an Insecticidal soap or Neem oil to get rid of the pests. Make sure to cover the entire plant.

3. Too low humidity

Peace Lily thrives in average room humidity. Very low air humidity will cause the plant to develop brown leaf tips, drooping leaves and lack of flowers.

How to fix it

To heighten humidity, you can grow the Peace Lily in a bathroom and other humid areas in the home, set the pot on a wet pebble tray or use a cool mist humidifier.

You can also grow Peace Lily in a terrarium as a high humidity can easily be maintained inside a terrarium.

4. Improper feeding

Overfeeding a Peace Lily will cause the roots to die due to fertilizer burn. If the roots die, they cannot take up nutrients and water required for photosynthesis, thus the plant begins to die due to lack of food.

Underfeeding the Peace Lily implies that the plant is not getting enough nutrients needed for growth, therefore, the plant will not bloom.

Lack of micronutrients like Magnesium and Iron in the soil will negatively affect Peace Lily growth and flowering.

How to fix it

Feed Peace Lily monthly during the growing season with a phosphorous-rich, water-soluble fertilizer to encourage flowering. Ensure that the fertilizer contains micronutrients.

Do not feed the Peace Lily during the cold season as growth is minimal and feeding at this time can lead to fertilizer burn and death of the plant.

Peace Lily, Spathiphyllum wallisii

5. Poor quality Soil

Poor quality soil for Peace Lily does not drain easily and therefore it easily becomes compacted or soggy which will lead to reduced growth and flowering.

How to fix it

Grow Peace Lily in fertile, well-drained soils to prevent it from getting soggy while providing the required nutrients like this Quality Aroids Potting Soil available online at Etsy.

6. Underwatering

Underwatering implies that there is too little moisture in the soil for the Peace Lily to take up to the leaves for photosynthesis, to make food for growth of the plant.

Without adequate food for growth and other processes in the plant, the Peace Lily will not flower if the situation is not corrected.

How to fix it

Peace Lily requires that the soil be kept moderately moist at all times during the growing season. Water the plant thoroughly during the growing season until water comes out through the drainage holes.

Always water the Peace Lily when the top 2-3 in. of soil begin to dry out to keep the soil moderately moist during the growing season.

Lessen watering in the cold season as growth is minimal at this time but do not allow the soil to dry out completely for prolonged periods of time.

7. Overwatering

Overwatering causes the soil to become soggy which leads to the death of the roots due to lack of oxygen. When the roots die, the Peace Lily cannot take up water and therefore it cannot make food for growth and flowering.

How to fix it

Peace Lily grows best in moderately moist soil at all times during the growing season. Allow the top 2-3 in. of soil to dry out between waterings.

Cut down on watering in the cold season but do not allow the soil to dry out completely. Ensure also that the pot has a drainage hole to prevent the soil from getting soggy.

Peace Lily, Spathiphyllum wallisii

8. Extreme temperatures

Peace Lily requires an average warmth within the range of 16-280C. Extreme temperatures, either too cold or too hot will reduce growth and flowering.

Cold draughts (drafts) coupled will cause sudden drops in temperature which will lead to reduced growth and by extension reduced blooming.

Too hot temperatures will cause the Peace Lily to become dehydrated which results in lack of blooms if it is not corrected.

How to fix it

Keep the Peace Lily away from cold draughts (drafts) like windy windows and doors, air conditioning units and other draughty areas to avoid exposing the plant to extremely low temperatures.

Position the Peace Lily away from hot surfaces, heating units, hot stoves and other hot places to avoid too high temperatures.

9. Extremely pot-bound plant

Peace Lily flowers best when slightly pot-bound but when it becomes extremely pot-bound it begins to wilt, droop and may die due to reduced growth.

This because the roots have filled the pot and there is very little soil to hold water when the Peace Lily is watered.

If there is too little water in the soil for the Peace Lily to take up to the leaves for photosynthesis, the plant cannot make enough food for growth and blooming.

How to fix it

If a lot of roots are growing through the drainage hole, repot the Peace Lily into a pot one size larger than the current one or divide it into several sections to propagate new plants.

Repot the Peace Lily at the beginning of the growing season when it becomes pot-bound. Ensure that the pot has a drainage hole and the soil is free-draining.

10. Accumulation of salts & chemicals in the soil

Accumulation of salts or chemicals in the soil will cause the roots to die and as such the plant cannot take up water to the leaves for food making which leads to reduced growth as well as flowering.

These excess salts and chemicals may originate from watering with hard water or from the fertilizers used to feed the plant.

How to fix it

Water the Peace Lily with chlorine-free water only, like rain water, as they are sensitive to chlorine and other chemicals dissolved in water.

Occasionally, flush out accumulated chemicals (salts) from the soil by running a stream of water through the soil. Allow the stream of water to run for some time and repeat the process several times.

11. Age of the plant

Peace Lily matures at the age of 1-2 years, therefore, a very young plant will not flower. As it grows older, from 5 years, blooming declines and stops completely at the maximum age of 10 years.

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