The peace lily is one of the beautiful plants that you can grow outdoors or indoors. It bears exquisite white flowers with dark green leaves.
Are you interested in caring for it as your houseplant? Keep on reading to learn how to make this plant thrive well.
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Peace Lily: Overview
The peace lily is one of the popular and remarkable tropical, evergreen plants.
It usually grows well on the forest floor – a perfect spot where it can receive dappled sunlight and proper moisture.
This plant bears white flowers that begin to occur in the early summer and keep blooming year-round as long as the required conditions are perfect.
Most peace lilies can grow up to 16 inches tall when kept indoors. However, outdoor cultivars can be larger.
The leaves can even reach 6 feet in height. Like most tropical plants, this variety is not cold-hardy.
It means if you want to grow the plant outdoors, make sure your place is at USDA zones 10, 11, which provide warm, humid climates.
How to Plant Peace Lily
The peace lily is a great choice when it comes to incorporating natural elements into your home and office.
This plant is not fussy, which is perfect for beginners.
You can grow the plant both indoors and outdoors because it loves medium to low light.
If you place it in a spot that receives more light, it will produce more flowers and white spathes.
On the other hand, if it is in a low-light area, it will look like a common foliage plant. Planting a peace lily is not that hard.
Here are the steps.
- Pick a flowerpot whose size is one-third larger than its root ball. Fill it with well-draining and all-purpose potting soil.
You can also top it with sphagnum moss, which is renowned for being good at retaining water. - Once the soil is ready, place your plant in the pot. Add more compost around the root ball.
Then, water it well and give it some time to drain. - Place the plant in a humid room like a bathroom because it provides a similar environment to its natural habitat – the tropical forests.
Peace Lily Soil
Although the peace lily is not fussy, it can thrive well if you grow it in good quality soil. Besides, every potting mix is different.
This variety belongs to a member of the araceae family, meaning it prefers a balanced soil.
It has to be able to retain moisture while keeping draining well. This way, it stays evenly damp without being soggy.
Unfortunately, many potting mix soils drain quickly, resulting in drying out the roots. Some of them even retain too much moisture, which is not good for the root.
Therefore, you need to consider buying a special mix for araceae or making it yourself.
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Easy Potting Mix Soil for Peace Lily
If you do not have a specialty mix for araceae at home, you can use 2 parts regular indoor cactus mix or potting mix.
Then, concoct it with one-part perlite or bark. This way, you can help increase aeration.
This combination might not be the best when it comes to a long-term solution because it retains more moisture.
Fortunately, the bark can help you improve drainage. Therefore, it really does in a pinch, especially if you need to pot your plant immediately.
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DIY Potting Mix for Peace Lily
If you are really into DIY projects and want to provide the best environment for your peace lily, you can try this soil recipe.
First, grab a large bowl. Then, add two parts worm castings, five parts perlite, two parts activated charcoal, four parts coir, and five parts orchid bark to it.
This recipe may cost you a fortune at first.
Still, it is worth it because you can also use this DIY potting mix for other plants so that they stay healthy.
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Purchase Ready-to-Use Soil for Araceae
If you do not have much trouble with concocting several ingredients, you can always buy a ready-to-use potting mix.
Just make sure the formula is suitable for monsteras.
Monsteras also belongs to araceae. Therefore, it will also work well with your peace lily.
This type of potting soil usually contains a blend of orchid bark, coco coir, and perlite for better drainage and moisture retention.
Caring for Peace Lily
The most important part is to know everything about peace lily care indoors and outdoors.
Although it is a friendly houseplant for anybody, including beginners, you still need to learn what to do to make it thrive.
First, you need to think about where to place your plant. This plant loves humidity. Therefore, you should mist the leaves regularly.
For an easier alternative, you can put the pot on top of a moistened tray with gravel to increase humidity around it.
As a tropical plant, it will thrive in temperatures above 70 0F (21 0C). In its natural habitat, peace lilies live on the forest floors.
Thus, keeping them out of direct afternoon sunlight will be a terrific idea.
Still, keep the spot well-lit and bright. Placing your plant in an east-facing window is a wise option because you allow it to get bright morning sun.
Remember not to let it expose to intensive mid-day rays, though.
Peace lilies can be put up with dry soil for a short period. If the leaves are getting brown, it means you have let them dry for too long.
Thus, it is time for you to water the plants.
If you want your peace lilies to grow well, you should do regular watering. It is to keep the soil moist.
Do not overwater it either, though. Consider using filtered, room temperature water if necessary because this variety is prone to fluoride.
You do not need to fertilize this variety frequently as it is not a heavy feeder.
Apply fertilizer every 6 weeks or so starting in late winter will be enough. Consider repotting this plant annually in the spring so that it gets refreshed soil.
Types of Peace Lilies
Variegated peace lily comes in various sizes. Some of them produce deep green and snow-white flowers, while some others bear beautiful golden leaves.
The following lists are some popular peace lilies.
S. Sensation
This is the largest variety of peace lilies. Its height reaches up to 4 or 6 feet, and the foliage grows as long as 20 inches.
Spathiphyllum wallisii
People also call it “power petite”. As the name suggests, it is a small variety that can grow up to 15 inches.
Domino
It is a medium-sized species with beautiful variegated leaves.
Mojo Lime
This one also belongs to medium-sized peace lilies. As the name suggests, this variety features lime-green leaves.
S. Starlight
Its narrow leaves have wavy margins. This variety is also renowned for producing multiple blooms.
A single plant can even bear 20 flowers.
S. Golden Delicious
This variety is mesmerizing because the new growth features striking golden-green color.
S. Mauna Loa Supreme
It is one of the common varieties. This plant can grow up to 3 or 4 feet with 9-inch wide leaves.
Peace Lily Benefits
Are you looking for the best houseplant? Try growing a peace lily indoors. It will not only embellish the space but also infuse good vibes.
This plant’s benefits are as follows.
Air Purifier
You might think that your living room or bedroom is free from air pollution. Nothing could be further from the truth.
You may still find some pollutants, such as xylene, benzene, formaldehyde, and carbon monoxide indoors.
Peace lilies help you absorb these pollutants. As a result, you will get better air to breathe in.
Eradicates Harmful Vapors
Your house may emit harmful vapors from varnishes, nail polish remover, paints, and rubbing alcohol.
They contain alcohol and acetone, which may cause low blood pressure, headaches, lethargy, and lack of coordination.
Therefore, place a peace lily in your room to solve this problem. This way, you can help keep the air free from these harmful substances.
Promotes a Better Sleep
If you cannot sleep well, you need to consider placing a peace lily in your bedroom.
This plant can help you get a good night sleep by filtering the air and increasing humidity so that you can breathe better.
This tropical houseplant will also absorb airborne mold spores, which may be allergens.
Besides, its beauty can promote calmness and reduce the feelings of stress, not to mention its ability to perk up your bedroom.
Keeps Mildew at Bay
It is always a good idea to have this houseplant in your bathroom, kitchen, and washroom because these places are prone to mildew.
You can find it on the curtains and tile grout, and they can be a disaster. This variety can absorb excess moisture, which makes it thrive.
Once the moisture levels of the surrounding area decrease, you will not find any mildew formation anymore.
If you want to purify the air while embellishing your house, peace lilies will be your top-notch option.
They are beautiful in a simple way, which will be suitable for your minimalist or modern home style.
So, go get one peace lily from a nursery trade near you.