Question

Peace Lily   QUESTION: Hello I purchased a Peace Lily (Spathiphyllum hybrid) April 2012 and I decided to transplant it around late June because the roots were overcrowding the original 6 inch container. However the 1st 6.5 inch non-draining planter which I transplanted the Peace Lily into eventually led to discolored leaves on the plant. Therefore I thought the issue was the planter and decided to transplant the Peace Lily once again in mid August. While I was transplanting the Peace Lily the 2nd time I noticed white mold in the soil. I disposed of the contaminated soil and transplanted the Peace Lily into a 7 inch planter with drainage holes and a lighter potting soil mixture of Miracle Grow Potting Soil and Peat Moss. After transplanting and watering the Peace Lily, the plant started showing signs of discolored leaves once again. In addition I added a balanced slow-release fertilizer 10-10-10 to the potting soil mixture and it seemed to be stimulating new growth but this growth eventually obtained brown/yellow edges or tips. I tried pruning the diseased/unsightly foliage as I would when deadheading the plant's white flowers...but this isn't really helping either. When I transplanted the Peace Lily the 2nd time I noticed the root system looked stable,compact,white, and healthy. The plant is located about 4 ft away from a glazed bathroom window, it's in a humid environment, and there are fluorescent light bulbs in the bathroom as well. I water the plant when the soil is dry and evenly water the plant. I don't know what I'm doing wrong or whether the white mold has already affected the plant. If so any recommendations for easy-to-care plants for a bathroom environment and how to fix this current dilemma. As of the recommendations my room temperature ranges from 55 degrees F in the winter to 95 degrees F in the summer.  Thank you very much for your insight and your advice. It is greatly appreciated.

ANSWER: Hi Tam,

The problem started when you moved your Peace Lily into a pot with no drain holes. That is never a good practice with any plant because the excess water and mineral salts have no way to escape. Almost invariably, the soil stays too moist and root rot begins to set in. The presence of mold in the soil indicates that the soil was probably contaminated with fungus spores. The constantly damp soil then provided an ideal environment of the fungus (mold) to develop.

With your second repotting, I gather you replaced all of the original soil. Although I understand your good intent, removing soil inevitably damages the tiny roothairs that do most of the work. So now the roots of your plant have not only been damaged by overwatering and fungus, but the roothairs have been physically damaged as well.

So, it is the damaged roots that are no longer functioning effectively that are causing the leaf discoloration. Trimming the leaves will make them look nicer but will have no effect on helping the plant get better. Fertilizer is not medicine and should only be used with healthy, vigorously growing plants. The new growth cannot be attributed to the fertilizer.

At this point it is hard to say just how badly damaged the roots are and what the recovery prognosis is. I don't recommend that you disturb the roots any further. Provide better light - immediately in front of the glazed window or another north facing window that is uncovered - and water your Peace Lily only when it starts to show signs of wilting a bit. Then, add only a small quantity of water. The trick here is to provide just enough water for the plant to survive, but not enough that the soil stays moist for more than 4-5 days. It is the process of drying that allows oxygen back into the roots and oxygen is the only cure for rotting roots. In the best case, it will take a long time for your plant to rebuild its root system and slowly recover. You will need lots of[patience.

Bathrooms are over-rated for plants. Unless you take a lot of showers every day, the humidity level is not all that great for most of the day. Glazed windows block out a good portion of the natural light, so bathroom plants have to be low light plants and they have to be right in front of the window. Fluorescent lighting is good for plants, but the lights are only beneficial if they are on for at least 4 hours each day.

I have written articles on repotting, low light plants, fertilizer and on Peace Lily care that I will email for free to you (or anyone else) who emails a request to me at [email protected].

Please let me know if any of this is unclear or if you have any additional questions.

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Regards,
Will Creed, Interior Landscaper
Horticultural Help, NYC

Visit my website at: A link to HorticulturalHelp.com




---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thank you very much for your advice I am now providing more light to the Peace Lily. What was unclear was what type of houseplants are ideal for my home. I'm in zone 6b if that helps.

Answer
Hi Tam,

Indoor plants are not selected by outdoor climate zone because houseplants are kept indoors, away from temperature extremes. Indoor plants are selected based on available light and that varies among different locations in the house. High light plants need to be in a location right in front of a south-facing window. Low light plants should be located within 5 feet of almost any window.

So, I cannot recommend specific plants without knowing the location and available light. For your bathroom, you probably need a low light plant, such as a Peace Lilly, Pothos, ZZ Plant or Aglaonema.

If you have other locations in mind, let me know the distance to the nearest uncovered window and the direction that window faces.

~Will Creed