Why Peace Lily is Dying and How to Revive It | How to Revive a Dying Peace Lily
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Peace Lily is one of the most popular indoor plants on account of its ease of care and its spectacular white blooms, but, if the right growing requirements are not met, it may die.
Spathiphyllum wallisii thrive in bright, indirect light away from direct sunlight, warm and moderately humid conditions and moderately moist, well-drained soil that is rich in organic matter coupled with monthly feeding during the growing season.
If the correct 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 Why Peace Lily is Dying and How to Revive It
1. Too low humidity
Peace Lily grows best in average room humidity. Too low air humidity will cause the plant to develop brown leaf tips and edges and drooping leaves which can result in plant death.
How to fix itTo raise humidity for the Peace Lily, group the plants together, grow the plant in a bathroom or other humid areas in the home, set the pot on a wet pebble tray or use a cool mist humidifier.
You can also grow the Peace Lily in a terrarium as a high humidity can easily be maintained inside a terrarium.
2. Too little light
Peace Lily grow best in bright, indirect light away from direct sunlight. Adequate light is necessary for photosynthesis, the process of making food which is needed for growth and energy for the plant.
Though Peace Lily 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 itMove the plant to a brighter spot where it can receive bright, indirect light or instal a grow light if the natural lighting is not enough.
3. Pest infestations
Peace Lily is fairly resistant to pests. However, weak plants can be attacked by Mealy Bugs, Aphids, Fungus Gnats and Spider Mites which causes the plant to become dehydrated, stunted and eventually death.
How to fix itEnsure that the Peace Lily is healthy by providing it with the right growing condition.
Pest infestation in Peace Lily is prevalent in low humidity conditions. Therefore raise humidity or grow the plant in a bathroom or other humid conditions in the home to minimize pest infestations.
Keep the Peace Lily 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 Peace Lily to prevent spread to the other plants and treat it appropriately for the pests with an Insecticidal soap or Neem oil to get rid of the pests. Make sure to cover the entire plant.
4. Improper feeding
Overfeeding a 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 a Peace Lily Plant 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 Peace Lily to develop yellow leaf edges which eventually spread to the entire leaf and can result in total death.
How to fix itFeed Spathiphyllum wallisii 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.
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 itGrow Peace Lily in well-drained soils which are rich in organic matter to prevent it from getting soggy while providing the required nutrients like this quality Aroids Potting Soil available online on Etsy.
6. Root-rot disease
Root-rot in Peace Lily 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 itTake the Peace Lily Plant 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 free-draining 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 the Peace Lily during the cold season as growth is minimal at this time, therefore, the plant does not require much water.
7. Exposure to hot direct sunlight
Exposing Peace Lily to hot direct sunlight causes brown marks, washed out, drooping leaves, wilting and eventual death of the plant.
How to fix itPosition the Peace Lily in a more shaded spot or instal a light curtain to protect it from hot direct sunlight to prevent its eventual death.
8. Incorrect watering
Incorrect watering; either overwatering (soggy soil) or underwatering Peace Lily will result in yellow and drooping leaves and eventual death of the plant.
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 eventually 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 itPeace Lily requires that the soil be kept moderately moist at all times during the growing season while allowing the top 2-3 in. of soil to dry out between waterings.
Reduce 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.
9. Too cold water
Constantly watering Peace Lily with too cold water will cause plant shock in this tropical plant which will result in reduced growth and eventually death.
How to fix itUse room temperature water to water the Peace Lily. Avoid watering it consistently with too cold water to prevent reduced growth and death of the plant.
10. Cold draughts
Cold draughts (drafts) coupled with too wet soil cause sudden drops in temperature which will lead to reduced growth in Peace Lily and eventual death of the plant.
How to fix itTo prevent death of the Peace Lily, keep the plant away from cold draughts to maintain an average warmth with a minimum of 160C.
In addition, lessen watering during the cold season and ensure that the pot has a drainage hole to prevent the soil from getting soggy.
11. Extremely pot-bound plant
Though a Peace Lily blooms best when slightly pot-bound, when it becomes extremely pot-bound it begins to wilt and die.
This is because the roots have filled the pot and there is very little soil to hold water when the plant is watered which will cause the leaves to droop and the plant to wilt and die.
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 therefore, the plant cannot make adequate food for growth.
How to fix itCheck the bottom of the pot for a massive amount of roots growing through the drainage hole and repot the plant into a pot one size larger than the current one or divide it into several sections to propagate new plants.
Thereafter, repot the Peace Lily 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.
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 result in death of the plant.
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 itWater the Peace Lily Plants with chlorine-free water only, like rain water as Peace Lily are 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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