Peace Lily Soil & Care

The peace lily (Spathiphyllum cochlearispathum) is a type of tropical plant from South America with over 47 species, including Domino peace lily.  

These beginner friendly house plants symbolize peace and are easy to care for, requiring bright indirect light and slight moisture. 

Give them proper care, and they’ll bloom annually, producing a white flower. This “flower” is actually a spathe — a modified leaf surrounding flower clusters.

Here’s what you should remember when growing peace lily plants:

1. Use The Best Soil for Your Peace Lily

Choosing suitable soil is critical for peace lily care. 

Why?

Although peace lily plants are tolerant, they need a certain type of soil to thrive. 

Choose a soil mix with:

• Sufficient drainage to avoid soggy soil. Excess water in the soil saturates the plant’s roots and causes root rot. 
• Loose, aerated soil for root growth. 
• Essential nutrients, house plant fertilizer, or worm castings to ensure plant growth.

Some people use succulent or cactus soil mixed with orchid bark and coarse sand for drainage and soil aeration.

However, cactus soil doesn’t have the necessary nutrients for peace lily plants.

Also, avoid soil containing unsustainable amendments like coco coir, peat moss, and perlite. Instead, opt for high-quality, eco-friendly potting soil like Rosy.

2. Peace Lily Care Tips

Once you’ve chosen the best soil for peace lily, here are a few other aspects to consider:

• Like snake plants, peace lilies are native to tropical regions like the Amazon, thriving in warm, humid conditions. 
• Keep your plant somewhere with sufficient but indirect sunlight. 
• Choose a pot that retains enough water. But it must have good drainage with drainage holes at the bottom to release excess water.  
• Water your peace lily plant when the top 1-2 inches of soil is dry. You can mist the peace lily leaves between watering. 
• Repotting peace lilies annually can prolong their lives, especially plants that are root bound (tangled roots with no space for growth). When repotting, use fresh potting soil but mix in some soil from the old pot.

3. Peace Lily Plant Problems

Unfavorable conditions, overwatering, and the wrong soil mix can harm your peace lily plant.

Look out for these red flags:

• Yellow leaf and curled foliage: Can happen when your peace lily receives excessive direct sunlight. Position it away from direct sunlight to avoid yellow leaves and wilting.
• Drooping /yellowing leaf edges: A common problem if your peace lily is kept in low light conditions. To avoid this, move the peace lily plant into an area with sufficient but indirect light. 
• Brown leaf tips: A buildup of minerals and salts from tap water can cause a green leaf to turn brown. Flush the soil with distilled water regularly. 
• Root rot: This is caused by overwatering or insufficient drainage. Cut back on watering, use a pot with good drainage, and well draining soil like Rosy to fix this.
• Fungus gnats: Fungus gnats (tiny insects) may appear on your peace lily if your soil mix has peat moss.