I have my first houseplant(s) and would like to know when and how to tell if my Peace Lily needs repotting or split and repotted. The Peace Lily is in a 9" dia. pot and measures 30 " high and 48" across (widest). Water seems to go through the root system extremly fast and it seems to be dry to the touch(1" deep) in two days. It is blooming and seems healthy but very thirsty and fills the pot. Humidity in the room is not high even though the reading shows 40%. The plant has shown that it needed water within 4 days of bringing it home, by drooping leaves and blooms. Water perked it right up. Could this be just the shock of habitat or should I pull it and check to see if it is root bound. Can the plant be pruned?? I have only had the plant for two weeks and others that were purchased at the same time(snake plant & Chinese Evergreen) are doing fine. There is a lot of conflicting information on the "net" and I really need to hear from people that have the experience with the plant.
the peace lily probably was a bit shocked/stressed by the move. most plants have some reaction when brought home - some hardly noticable and others very noticable. if you need to water that frequently, i'd say it does need to be repotted. if it's rootbound, repot in something 1-2 inches wider than what it's in. make sure you've got drainage holes in the bottom of it, too! soil should be a well-draining mix. i use regular plain soil mixed with prepackaged cactus soil - 50/50 split. that has worked very well for me. p lily doesn't like to have wet feet, it does like to stay consistantly moist and that mix provides drainage with enough bulk left to retain some moisture. you really shouldn't need to water more than once a week. if it's in a spot that's too sunny and/or is near a heating vent, it may be drying out too quickly and that may be why it's needing water so frequently. you can increase the humidity around the plant by placing the container in a dish filled with stones or marbles and keep some water in the dish. the bottom of the plant's container should not be IN the water - make sure whatever you use to support the pot is high enough over the top of the water so that none of it is wicked up into the plants soil or you'll end up with root rot from too soggy soil.
Thank you for the information. I have repotted the plant. I found that the roots were so tight in the pot that I had to cut the pot off. There was very little soil visible and what was visible appeared to be peat moss and some fiber. I used a standard potting soil that had peat moss, perlite, compost and fiber. I loosened up the root area as best I could and then put four slits in the sides of it which really opened them up. It is now in a pot that is 1.5" larger than before and it is sitting on a group of pebbles that will not allow the pot bottom to be in water from the drain holes in the pot. I have watered and let it drain to estimate the retention of water and it is greatly improved. My guess is that it will go at least a week possibly a bit more prior to needing water now. Again, thanks for the direction to go. Now a new question ---How much did I injure the plant by putting the slits in the sides of the root area to open it up. I did it more from instinct to loosen it up than thinking it through. In this case I guess only time will tell.
Update on the Peace Lily. Since repotting the plant it seems to be doing very well. It is blooming, three flowers completly open and two more in process. I guess that putting the slits in the root area didn't hurt it at all. The toughest thing for me to do is to let the plant get pretty dry before watering. I have a second Peace Lily plant and it is also blooming with one flower open and three more in process. Thanks again for getting me going in the right direction...
Glad to hear all is better! Just be careful, letting your peace lily dry can cause a lot of leaf damage like overwatering can. These plants like their soil on the moist side.
very glad to hear that it's doing so well!!! if the roots are that bad off, then they need to be forced - so, your instinct was right on track. post some pics so we can see the flowers!! oh, bluewing is correct. they DO like to stay a bit moist. not soggy, mind, just a bit moist.
I thank you all for your input. I would love to post some pictures, BUT, I am not sure how to do it. My explanation for this brain deficit is: breakdown my user name and you will find initials, year and AGE. As soon as one of the kids comes to visit I will find out how to do it. I can usually add a picture in the e mail if that would work. The pictures are in photoshop elements which I am trying to figure out.
