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Peace Lily
Jun 02, 2012, 05:52 PM
MayPeace Lily
My Peace Lily is about three year old. I have had it in an east window. The outer leaves are long and dark green like they were when I bought it. In the center is a big clump of new leaves...lighter green in color (about 10 inches tall) and the blooms come up and are the same height as the lighter green leaves. The center clump looks sort of knarly (twisted, tight, stunted). Strange! I have it in an approximately 15 inch pot....is that my trouble....too big a pot? The plant is growing like it is crowded but there is plenty of space around the clump of green leaves. I fertilized it and now put it under the roof of a north facing porch.....sort of told the plant....grow or out you go......any suggestons?
love life
Jun 02, 2012, 06:53 PM
vera ellenJust a guess here, but I'd say your plant is rootbound and needs a larger pot. There might be space around the leaves, but the roots might be going in circles. How deep is the pot?
ve
Jun 02, 2012, 07:08 PM
banacould you turn the pot on its side and slide the plant out to take a look at the roots?
i've had peace lilys over the years and they never flowered again although the plant themselves have survived.
now i have one next to a south facing window but not in direct sun.. and was shocked the other day to see a flower in full bloom on it.
so don't give up on it.. it may just surprise you.
Jun 02, 2012, 09:19 PM
mgtI agree with vera ellen. It could very well be rootbound. Is it in the same pot that you got it in? I've repotted mine 3 times in 2 years as it kept outgrowing the pot. Good luck.
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"I've decided to quit my job, drop out of society, and wear live animals as hats."
Jun 02, 2012, 09:24 PM
ga.karenThat must be what's wrong with mine...needs a new bigger pot. If it grows much more...out it is going! I've babied it along for several years now & it hasn't bloomed since the first year I had it!
"The soil is the source of life, creativity, culture and real independence." David Ben-Gurion
Jun 02, 2012, 09:49 PM
CynthiaJoyPeace lilies like room, drier feet, and shade. Directions say that plants should be allowed to dry a bit before watering, food, and shadier spots. Mine got way too wet, outside in the weather, so I brought it in, to keep it drier, we'll see if it starts to bloom this summer.
Judge not, you don't know their story.
Jun 03, 2012, 03:45 PM
MayThanks for all the suggestions....Root Bound...hum. The pot is over 12 inches across and 9 inches deep (just measured it). I looked at the plant again and I do blieve the Root Bound is right...even though there is a lot of dirt around the plant. Poor thing...it tried to bloom but is struggling. I will take it out of the pot and look at it...Thanks. Oh, I did take it out of the pot I bought it in and put it in this pot but it has been three years....as I said, poor thing. I will let you know.
love life
Jun 03, 2012, 04:36 PM
nettiejayMay, I have two pots of peace lilies, which frequently overgrow their pots. I don't prefer to have large potted plants though... Don't have room. So I take the overgrown plant out of its pot and pare it down. Usually, more than one crown will have popped up, making it easy to divide. After taking it from the pot, I knock as much dirt as I can off the roots. Then I take an old sharp knife and cut off one crown and a large portion of the roots that seem attached to that crown. I then lightly trim that root ball and repot with fresh soil in the old pot. For a little while, the "new" plant may look flat on one side, but frequent turning it around to the light source will pretty shortly even it out.
I've been renewing these plants from the original I got in 1995. I won't say I get scads of blooms, but they put out a few every few months and generally do alright.
Jun 03, 2012, 06:21 PM
ga.karenThanks nettie! Now I know what to do cause I don't want a pot that is any bigger inside. It's hard enough to move to clean now...arthritis in my hands!
"The soil is the source of life, creativity, culture and real independence." David Ben-Gurion
Jun 03, 2012, 11:39 PM
mgtIf you want it to bloom, it will do well in brighter light. Light is what makes it bloom. I keep mine in my sun room & get nice blooms. I doesn't mind low light, but will bloom in more light.

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"I've decided to quit my job, drop out of society, and wear live animals as hats."
Jun 04, 2012, 10:53 AM
nettiejayQuestion for those of you who have good luck with this plant...
Do you know a way to prevent or reduce brown tips on the leaves? I once read something about using distilled water, but that didn't help.
Jun 04, 2012, 02:02 PM
MayWell, this morning I pulled out my Peace Lily and Yep! All was in a ball....I took a knife and cut it down the middle, divided it and replanted it. I put the main stem (along with two babies) in the same pot...partly new dirt and the other part I put in a smaller pot to be replanted later if it grows. All look sort of sad but I have hopes. Before the plant got root bound, it bloomed and bloomed in my east window. For now, I have both plants on the north side of my house under a porch roof...we will see. Thanks for the advice.
love life
Jun 04, 2012, 04:23 PM
mgtMay, sounds like you did a good job...the plants should work out well for you.
Nettyjay, mist the peace lily, that'll help stop the browning leaf tips...I noticed mine today, too, had brown tips...I'll be misting them...you could also set them on a pebble tray with water.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
"I've decided to quit my job, drop out of society, and wear live animals as hats."
Jun 04, 2012, 04:46 PM
vera ellenMay, I'm glad you were able to divide and save your peace lily. They should do well for you now. Enjoy!
ve
Jun 06, 2012, 01:40 PM
MayThree days later.....plants looking perky! Thanks everyone.
love life