Peace lily looking droopy
Plant: Peace lily (Spathyphyllum)
How long have you had the plant? 6 months to 1 year
Concerns:
I split her into three as she became root bound. She was fairly root bound when I got her last year but since spring I’ve had to water every couple days. When I split her, it was all roots and very little soil. Her two sisters are doing great (and thriving with new leaves even) but she has remained green but fallen since being repotted. Her sisters were the same at first but revived and stood up after the first couple days. She hasn’t gotten up.
Light Situation:
How do you determine WHEN to water? I wait for the soil to become about halfway dry. I used to water whenever the soil was dry OR when she got droopy.
Describe HOW you water: I pour a small amount of water. I’m watering her the EXACT same as the other two (same as when I got her, though less frequent than before the split), and they are doing brilliantly.
Soil:
Fertilizer? I have never used fertilizer.
Darryl’s Analysis
Environment:
There is sufficient light here for a peace lily to grow well.
Effort:
You’ve got the WHEN to water right but in terms of HOW, try giving the soil a thorough soaking, but allowing excess water to drain away. I don’t always drench the soil but maybe once a month, I will take my peace lily to the shower to give the soil a through soaking. This should be fine as long as your soil is suitably well-draining (and it appears to be so).
With a nice big window and adequate watering, you will need to use fertilizer to promote good growth. Use any high nitrogen fertilizer – I use the ratio 3-1-2 (more info).
Expectations:
When you divide a peace lily, the resulting plants will look very sparse in comparison to what you once had so give it a year or two to fill in. For future reference, peace lilies will grow just fine even if a bit root bound – and going up a pot size will maintain a nicer shape rather than dividing, but given time (a few years) and good light/care, the plant will eventually fill in.
You can cut off the spent leaves (browned or yellowed). They are not indicative of anything wrong since your light situation and care efforts are generally good.
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