Peace Lily Leaves Brown and Yellow
Plant: Peace Lily (Spathiphyllum)
How long have you had the plant? 1 to 6 months
Concerns:
The plant is starting to droop. The leaves are turning brown and yellow.
The overall plant:
Light Situation:
How do you determine WHEN to water: I wait for the soil to become about halfway dry
Describe HOW you water: I fully soak the soil, letting excess drain away
What fertilizer do you use? I recently started using All Purpose Plant Food
When was the last time you repotted? I have not yet repotted the plant.
Darryl
Thanks for the photos and your care details.
My long-term perspective on houseplants is this:
– Leaves have a limited lifespan
– With good conditions and care, new leaves keep growing to replace older ones
– Plants grow and change
So considering these points, I’d say for your plant, you should put it closer to the window and keep using the fertilizer you recently got at the recommended strength. Light is the foundation that will ensure that new leaves grow.
From that distance from your windows, I’d say your plant is just barely being productive (photosynthesis). When you put your plant closer to the window, the indirect light levels increase dramatically because the overall angle of visible sky is much bigger. If the sun happens to shine on the plant, just pay attention to how long this lasts – as long as it’s under 2 or 3 hours, that should be fine. With increased light, you will need to water more frequently so just observe the soil as you have been doing already.
As for your currently browned edges, you must accept that they cannot be fixed. I just leave them on my plant but if you feel it detracts from your enjoyment of your plant, you can either cut off the leaf entirely or just cut off the browned part.
If you want to prolong the niceness of your leaves, you can occasionally flush the soil, which will flush out minerals that accelerate browned edges. Do this by running water continuously through the soil.
From the photo of your soil, I think it would be good to add another inch of soil so slightly cover up the base of your stems/roots.
I’ve had my peace lily for over 8 years – I’m constantly cutting off dead leaves but new ones keep growing because I prioritize LIGHT and then water/fertilize accordingly.
The biggest misconception is “proper care” will make every leaf stay perfect forever. I define ‘proper care’ as new leaves keep growing to replace the older ones that inevitably retire.
If you want to learn this redefined way of ‘proper care’, I think you’ll enjoy my book and online course – they’ll guide you in the right direction.
Tired of your houseplants dying on you?
Sign up and I’ll do my best to help them live their best lives!