Peace lilies are popular among plant lovers for their easy-to-grow qualities and distinctive look, but you can take your houseplant care to the next level and help them bloom for much longer. These elegant flowers, also known as spathiphyllum or white sails, make a great addition to any home with their glossy green leaves and flamboyant white-petalled flowers growing from the centre.
While they may be easy to grow, they require a little more care to help maintain their natural beauty. A gardening enthusiast has shared three simple steps to ensure your peace lilies bloom for as long as possible. In a handy video, @gardenhomemania explains that many owners of the popular plant may be experiencing that their plants are growing leaves without flowering and offers their easy-to-follow advice for a “continuous bloom” of flowers.
The first tip is all about lighting, an often overlooked aspect of maintaining houseplants. The content creator explained: “While peace lilies tolerate shade, they struggle to flower without adequate light over time.”
It is suggested that by housing the plant in well-lit places, they will receive “optimal care” and, in turn, flourish. The Royal Horticultural Society additionally suggests placing them near a window that filters sunlight but to avoid keeping them in direct, harsh sunlight.
As well as this, the TikTok content creator advises that you should avoid leaving them in the same potting soil for too long. “Compacted soil restricts root growth, so regularly repot them in loose, slightly acidic soil,” the plant enthusiast suggested.
Lastly, their third go-to peace lily tip is to fertilise them correctly, which involves adding phosphorus potassium fertiliser.
The creator explains that all plants require “supplemental phosphorus” during bud formation and advises not to use nitrogen fertilisers long-term, as they promote leaf growth over flower growth.
“Adding phosphorous potassium fertiliser is crucial,” the plant enthusiast shared, adding that if you apply potassium dihydrogen phosphate to the leaves weekly, “dilute at a ratio of one to 100 during watering” for a dual feeding approach.
When it comes to watering, Patch Plants suggests to do so “sparingly” and with purified water, if possible. “Tap water can be harmful to peace lilies,” the plant experts state on their website.
Patch Plants continued: “So it’s best to use rainwater. Try leaving an empty bottle outside your window to catch raindrops.”
The plant experts also say, almost like rainforest conditions, peace lillies love humidity and so advise misting them every few days.
“Keep [the peace lily plant] in a humid room, like a kitchen or bathroom. Alternatively, pop [the plant] near other plants. As a group, they’ll create their own microclimate – that’s smart,” Patch Plants confirmed.
