12 Reasons Why Peace Lily is Dying and How to Resolve Them

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Peace Lily is dying due to low humidity, too little light, improper feeding, incorrect watering, cold drafts, wrong temperature, root-rot, being extremely pot-bound, pests infestations among others.

Spathiphyllum wallisii thrives in bright indirect light (filtered light), average warmth of 18-26⁰C, moderate humidity of 50-55% and moderately moist, fertile, well-drained, Peace Lily potting mix coupled with monthly feeding during the growing season. Learn more on how to grow & care for Peace Lily (Spathiphyllum wallisii).

If the right growing conditions are not provided, the Peace Lily will develop some problems like yellow leaves, drooping, stunted growth and may even die. Below are 12 reasons why a Peace Lily may die and how to fix them.

12 Reasons Peace Lily is Dying and Fixes

1. Too low humidity

Too low air humidity will cause the Peace Lily to develop brown leaf tips and edges and drooping leaves which can result in plant death.

How to fix it

To raise humidity for your Peace Lily, group the plants together, set the pot on a wet pebble tray or use a cool mist humidifier. You may grow the plant in a well-lit bathroom, kitchen, laundry area and other humid areas in the home. Check out these techniques on how to increase humidity for houseplants.

2. Too little light

Peace Lily grow best in bright indirect light. Adequate light is necessary for photosynthesis, the process of making food which is needed for growth and energy for the plant.

Though the plant can tolerate low light, too little light means that the plant cannot make enough food for growth and development which results in stunted growth and death of the plant.

How to fix it

Position Peace Lily in a brighter spot where it can receive bright indirect light or instal a grow light if the natural lighting is not enough. Take a look at these full spectrum grow lights on Amazon.

Regularly rotate the pot to ensure that the plant receives light on all sides for even growth to prevent lopsided growth. Check out this post on understanding light for houseplants.

3. Pest infestations

Peace Lily is fairly resistant to pests. However, weak plants can be attacked by aphids, mealy bugs, spider mites and fungus gnats which causes the plant to become dehydrated, stunted and begin to die.

How to fix it

Ensure that your Peace Lily is healthy by providing it with the right growing condition. Pest infestation is prevalent in low humidity conditions. Therefore, raise humidity or grow the plant in a well-lit bathroom to minimize pest infestations.

Keep the plant well pruned by removal of 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.

Isolate the affected plant to prevent spread to the other plants and treat it for the pests with insecticidal soap or neem oil. Ensure to follow the manufacturer's recommendations.

4. Improper feeding

Overfeeding your Peace Lily Plant will cause the roots to die due to fertilizer burn. When 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 implies that the plant is not getting enough nutrients needed for growth, therefore, the plant begins to die. Lack of micronutrients like Magnesium and Iron in the soil will cause the plant to develop yellow leaf edges which eventually spread to the entire leaf and can result in total death.

How to fix it

Feed your 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 in the cold season as growth is minimal and feeding at this time can lead to fertilizer burn and death of the plant. Learn how to feed houseplants.

5. Poor quality Soil

Poor quality soil does not drain easily and therefore it easily becomes compacted or soggy which can result in reduced growth and death of the Peace Lily.

How to fix it

Grow your Peace Lily in well-drained soil which is rich in organic matter to prevent it from getting soggy while providing the required nutrients. Check out these 9 Best Potting Mixes for Peace Lily Grown Indoors.

6. Root-rot disease

Root-rot is characterized by yellowing, wilting and drooping of the leaves which is rapidly followed by browning and plant collapse. It is enhanced by soggy soil.

How to fix it

Slip your Peace Lily out of its pot and inspect the roots. Brown-black mushy roots indicate root-rot, trim them off and treat the healthy roots with a copper-based fungicidal solution.

Disinfect the pot with the fungicidal solution or use a fresh pot to repot the plant in fresh, well-drained soil. Do not water the plant and keep it dry for some time before resuming watering.

To prevent root-rot in the future, ensure that the pot has a drainage hole and the soil is free-draining to prevent it from getting soggy.

Avoid overwatering during the cold season as growth is minimal at this time, therefore, the plant does not require much water. Read more on how to treat root-rot in houseplants.

7. Exposure to direct sunshine

Exposing Peace Lily to hot direct sunlight causes brown marks, washed out, drooping leaves, wilting and eventual death of the plant.

How to fix it

Place your Peace Lily in a more shaded spot or instal a light curtain to protect it from hot direct sunlight to prevent its death.

8. Incorrect watering

Incorrect watering; either overwatering or underwatering Peace Lily will result in yellow and drooping leaves which may cause the plant to begin dying.

Overwatering or soggy soil causes the roots to die due to lack of oxygen. When the roots die they cannot take up water and therefore the leaves begin to yellow, droop and die.

Underwatering implies that there is too little moisture in the soil and therefore, the plant has no water to take up to the leaves. Thus, the leaves droop and eventually die 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 while allowing the top 2-3 inches of soil to dry out between waterings.

Decrease watering in the cold season to maintain the soil slightly moist but do not allow the soil to dry out completely. Ensure that the pot has a drainage hole to prevent the soil from getting soggy. Learn more on how to water houseplants the correct way.

9. Too cold water

Constantly watering Peace Lily with too cold water will cause plant shock in this tropical plant which may result in reduced growth and death.

How to fix it

Use room temperature water to water your Peace Lily. Avoid watering it consistently with too cold water to prevent reduced growth and eventual death of the plant.

10. Cold drafts

Cold drafts coupled with too wet soil for Peace Lily will cause sudden drops in temperature which can lead to reduced growth and eventual death of the plant.

How to fix it

To prevent death of your Peace Lily, keep the plant away from cold drafts to maintain an average warmth of 18-26⁰C. In addition, lessen watering during the cold season and ensure that the pot has a drainage hole to prevent the soil from getting soggy. Check out this guide on understanding temperature for houseplants.

11. Extremely pot-bound plant

Though Peace Lily blooms best when slightly pot-bound, when it becomes extremely pot-bound it begins to wilt and may eventually die.

This is because the roots have filled the pot and there is very little soil to hold water when the plant is watered. If the soil cannot hold enough water, it implies that there is no water for the plant to take up to the leaves for photosynthesis. This means that the plant cannot make adequate food for growth. Therefore, this will cause the leaves to droop, wilt and begin to die.

How to fix it

Check the bottom of the pot for a massive amount of roots growing through the drainage hole. Repot your Peace Liliy into a pot one size larger than the current one or divide it into several sections to propagate new plants.

Thereafter, repot the plant at the beginning of the growing season when it becomes extremely pot-bound. Use a pot one size larger than the current one and ensure that the pot has a drainage hole. Check out these pots with drainage holes on Amazon.

12. Accumulation of salts & chemicals in the soil

Accumulation of salts or chemicals in the soil will cause brown, dry leaf tips and edges in Peace Lily which may cause the plant to begin dying.

These excess salts and chemicals cause the roots to die and as such the plant cannot take up water to the leaves which eventually turn yellow and the plant begins to die. The excess salts may originate from watering with hard water or from the fertilizers used to feed the plant..

How to fix it

Water your Peace Lily with chlorine-free water only, like rain water as it is sensitive to chlorine and other chemicals dissolved in water. Regularly, 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.

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