Transplanted peace lily not doing well – House Plant Journal

Transplanted peace lily not doing well

Plant: Peace lily

How long have you had the plant? Less than 1 month

Plant Parent:

My newly planted peace lily came from a lot of different plants so I transplanted all of them. Might have waited almost too long to do so.

Here’s where it lives:

How do you determine WHEN to water? I wait for the soil to become just slightly dry

Describe HOW you water: I pour a small amount of water; I know this plant requires less water so I’m careful not to over do it.

What fertilizer (if any) do you use? I’ve never used fertilizer

Darryl:

Thanks for all the details!  The red flag here is “pouring a small amount of water”: if you don’t fully and evenly soak the soil when it’s time to water, there will be dry pockets where roots will die off and corresponding stems/leaves will be limp – and remain limp even when you thought you’ve watered the plant.

Determining WHEN to water and HOW you water are two separate skills.

The WHEN to water for a peace lily is when the soil is slightly to partially dry.  If the soil is allowed to get near fully dry, the plant will become very limp.

The HOW to water: thoroughly and evenly moisten all parts of the soil and allow excess water to drain away (this is why drainage holes are helpful).

Your light situation is great – a shaded porch is amazing for a peace lily.  You could even keep it a bit farther back so the plant doesn’t see direct sun for too many hours (I would try not to exceed 3 hours of direct outdoor sun).

One of the most misleading pieces of houseplant advice is “don’t overwater” because it causes confusion around the issues of WHEN and HOW you water.  It’s time to learn how this actually works so you can care for plants confidently:  Learn from my course.


Tired of your houseplants dying on you?

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *