I have a peace lily that I'm desperately trying keep but the leaves are turning black and I have been cutting off the black ones but should I be spraying them with something to keep the plant from getting diseased. This plant, which I received almost 2 years ago, has been transplanted into a larger container but not separated as I do not know how to go about that. So my questions are: How and when is the best time to separate the plant and what is turning the leaves black? Also, as I mentioned above should I be using something on the cut stems? Thank you to whoever answers this for me JKB1957
Your Spathiphyllum (Peach Lily) is an aroid. Aroids as a group need only limited fertilizer and (with the exception of only a few aquatic forms) they hate to have their roots wet. Your Peach Lily is almost certainly a hybrid, and very likely a clone. Cloned plants are now commonly produced in a process known as tissue culture. Almost all "spaths" grown in the US today are created in a lab, they are not grown from seeds. The tissue culture company that created it simply piece of a leaf tissue and grew new plants in a test tube (a bunch of it) and then grew thousands of plants that are literally copies of the original. You've heard people scream about the dangers of cloning? Well, it is done all the time in plants. And there is nothing wrong with doing it in plants with the exception it often tends to stunt the normal growth! The original was very likely also a hybridized plant. It looks little like anything that grows naturally in the wild. Hybridizers have tried to change the plant in order to make it easy to grow in a home. They try for bigger blades, or smaller blades, or bigger spathes, or smaller spathes, or a combination. But whatever they create, it just isn't the plant that lives in the wild any more. In the wild, there are many species. Most live on the fringes of rain forests. As a result, they don't like as much water as true rain forest species. As a group, since they were "designed" to live in a home they need much less water than most people offer. And they need only small doses of fertilizer. These are most easily killed by too much water, or no water all all. Too much fertilizer, and too much light. The hybridized versions have been "created" to exist in the low light conditions of your living room and do quite nicely in low light although they do nicely near a window. The "flower" is not a "flower" but an inflorescence. An inflorescence contains two parts, the external portion is known to science as the spathe and the center portion, the spike portion, is the spadix. The actual flowers form along the spadix and are quite tiny. Now, what can you do to keep it healthy? My suggestion is to plant them in extremely fast draining soil. Typical grocery store soil mixtures do not work well for this plant. You can mix your own by starting with Miracle Grow Moisture Control mix and adding another larger portion of peat to the mix. Also mix in a good quantity of Perlite™ and many aroid growers add a good orchid mix such as Schultz orchid mix since it has charcoal to sweeten the soil. The mixture should be approximately 50% Miracle Grow, 20% Perlite™. 20% peat, 10% orchid mix. Keep this mix damp, never soggy wet. And it is acceptable to allow it to dry out a bit between watering. I water the one's in my office (I don't grow them in the atrium because out there they receive too much water) about once a week, perhaps twice if the soil begins to really dry. When you fertilize use a dilute mix. Don't use it straight out of the bottle. Many aroid growers recommend "fertilize weakly, weekly". By "weakly", I use about 20% of the manufacturers recommended dose. If the plant has exceeded the size of the pot, you can easily divide it. But only pot it in a good well draining mixture in a pot slightly larger than the root system. Don't give it so much soil as to keep it standing in soggy soil. That is almost always the kiss of death. The black leaves are typical of excess water.
Thank you, Steve Lucas You touched on all the answers. I do have a question about separating it. Will it matter how it is done, in other wards, is it possible to do damage to the roots when doing so? Is it in a dormant stage in the winter months, or is that only if it is outdoors? I'm really a novice at this. Thank you, again jkb1957
Aroids in this group don't go dormant. They may not produce an inflorescence (what you would like to call a flower) when it is cooler but these don't go dormant. And this plant should not be planted outdoors in climates that will experience a freeze. As for separation, that should not be a problem. Commercial growers often separate them in order to produce additional specimens to sell. And in fact, the plants often flourish after separation. All you need do is remove it from the soil and divide it into two or more clumps. They begin to look pretty sad if you make the clumps too small so give that some consideration. Just don't try to use excessively large pots for the new divisions. A pot just a few inches larger than the root system is adequate. Just be sure and use a very fast draining soil mix. And make sure the pot can drain! Don't use any pot that has a closed bottom. Many folks tend to believe they need to use a super rich soil but not so for aroids. The Miracle Grow Moisture Control Mix has some sort of water binder in the mix that holds the moisture and gives it back to the plant as needed. The peat I suggest adding does the same thing. The Perlite™ and orchid potting media just keep the soil very loose and porous. If you buy an orchid mix that contains both gravel and charcoal you will have the added advantage of a bit of mineral content and the charcoal helps to keep the soil "sweet". For that reason, I personally use the Schultz™ brand. I know well over 250 aroids in this mix with great results. Just keep the soil mix damp, not soggy. And it is best to allow it to dry between waterings. Normally, the plants will tell you when they are "thirsty" by beginning to droop their leaves. Once they tell you they need water, then give them some. Other than that, just enjoy the spathes! Hope that helps.
Thank you for the information, sorry didn't answer sooner but changed email address and user name. I appreciate all of the above info on the peace lilly but there is couple of more questions that I would like to ask and that is where is a proper location in the house for this plant, is tap water okay to water with or should distilled water be used and what about the stems that were cut off, can they become diseased? My plant at this time is looking sad as trimming off all the leaves has left it a little barren, so I wondered if by trimming I may have caused a problem with the growth of new leaves? Thank you, again katjam
I can't make any flat statements that will apply to everyone. I can tell you how I've grown them and how others who grow them with some success also manage to do well. I use plain old tap water. Some will tell you their plants don't do well with tap water. So you may have to do some experimentation. I grow several hundred species of aroids in a large atrium and they all get tap water with no problem. I grow them in subdued light. I have them near a west window in my office and they do just fine. Three have been there over two years and continue to bloom. Although I have a regimen for watering in the atrium, I often forget to water in the office. When I look over and they are "begging" then I quickly remember to water. They don't seem to mind. Both of my daughters tried to grow them in the middle of a living room with poor results. So they must need some light. My suggestion would be near a window. But in Florida I used to try to grow them in the yard and they would never produce the spathe. It seems they don't really enjoy the brighter light. If you are concerned about fungus on petioles (stems) that have been cut, just use a little cinnamon. It makes a great natural fungicide. Hope that helps.
I just moved a very sad looking Spath from inside to outside, yesterday. It had been getting tap water. As soon as it got rain last night, it has stood up like you wouldn't believe!! So with tap water, I think it depends where you are and what you have IN your tap water!! Different chemicals for different areas I guess.... Ed
Great information! Although light and water or important for a plants survival, soil (fast draining) and pot size are just as important. Keep the plant on the snug side in it's pot.The soil should be semi moist at all times. NOT WET, so when the top inch of the soil starts to feel just a little damp, or, close to dry without drying out completely (test soil with index finger up to first knuckle) then it may be time to water. I usually water once mine once a week, sometimes it might be every ten days, depending on what the soil feels like. Some people will water their plants on a schedule, like every Monday, no matter what. So the roots won't rot, it's best to check the soil first.
I would like to thank each and everyone who gave me the help that I need. This plant is quite important to me and I want to do whatever it takes to keep it going. I hope I wont be a bother in the future but should I need more input, I know where I can get it. Thank you, a novice in Michigan
