Peace Lily Care and Getting It to Rebloom

Few houseplants communicate as theatrically as the peace lily (Spathiphyllum). One day it stands proudly, the next its leaves collapse like a fainting Victorian — a habit that makes it both endearing and easy to care for, once you learn its language. Getting it to flower again, however, is a slightly more nuanced affair.

Reading the Dramatic Droop

The peace lily's signature wilt is one of the clearest watering cues in the houseplant world. When the soil dries out, the leaves and stems lose turgor and flop dramatically, often within hours. A thorough watering usually has them standing upright again by the next morning.

While this makes the plant easy to read, repeatedly letting it wilt is not good practice. Each severe droop stresses the plant, can cause leaf-tip damage and gradually weakens it. Aim to water just before it droops rather than after.

A practical watering routine

• Check the top 2–3 cm of compost with your finger. Water when it feels dry but the deeper soil is still faintly moist.
• Water thoroughly until it runs from the drainage holes, then tip away anything left in the saucer.
• Expect to water roughly once a week in summer and every 10–14 days in winter, but always check first — pot size, light and warmth all change the timing.

Peace lilies dislike sitting in soggy compost just as much as they dislike drought. Constantly wet roots lead to yellowing lower leaves and root rot.

Light: The Key to Reblooming

This is where most peace lilies go wrong. They are sold as low-light plants, and they will indeed survive in a dim corner — but they will not flower there. To rebloom, a peace lily needs bright, indirect light for much of the day.

A spot a metre or two back from a north- or east-facing window is ideal. A west-facing window works too, provided the harshest afternoon sun is filtered through a sheer curtain. Direct midday sun will scorch the leaves, leaving pale patches and crispy edges.

Signs your peace lily wants more light:

• Lush foliage but no flowers for many months.
• New leaves smaller and darker than older ones.
• Slow growth even during spring and summer.

Why It Has Stopped Blooming

If your peace lily refuses to produce its white spathes, work through these likely causes in order:

1. Not enough light. By far the most common reason. Move it somewhere brighter before changing anything else.
2. Too young or recently divided. Small plants and freshly split divisions often skip a season while they re-establish.
3. Lack of feed. Flowering takes energy. Feed every 4–6 weeks during spring and summer with a balanced houseplant fertiliser, diluted to half strength. Skip feeding in winter.
4. Wrong temperature. Peace lilies bloom best when kept consistently between about 18–24°C. Cold draughts and temperatures below around 13°C will stall flowering.
5. Pot-bound, or the opposite. A slightly snug pot can actually encourage flowering. Repotting into a much larger container often delays blooms for a year.

Reblooming can also be coaxed by giving the plant a slightly cooler, drier rest period in late autumn, followed by warmer temperatures and regular feeding in spring.

Tackling Brown Leaf Tips

Crispy brown tips are the second most common peace lily complaint. They are almost always caused by one of a small handful of issues:

• Inconsistent watering — letting the plant wilt repeatedly, or alternating between bone dry and waterlogged.
• Low humidity — central heating, in particular, can dry the air enough to damage leaf tips.
• Tap water sensitivity — peace lilies can react to fluoride and chlorine in hard tap water. Try rainwater, filtered water, or tap water left standing uncovered overnight.
• Over-feeding — a build-up of fertiliser salts in the compost will burn the tips. Flush the pot through with plain water every few months.

Trim damaged tips off with clean scissors, following the natural leaf shape, to keep the plant looking tidy. New leaves should emerge healthy once the underlying cause is fixed.

Soil, Potting and Humidity

Use a good-quality peat-free houseplant compost with a handful of perlite mixed in to keep it open and well-draining. Pot into a container only one size larger than the rootball, and always one with drainage holes.

Peace lilies enjoy moderate to high humidity. Grouping plants together, standing the pot on a tray of damp pebbles, or running a small humidifier nearby all help — especially in winter when heating dries the air.

When to repot

Repot every 2–3 years, ideally in spring. Tell-tale signs include roots circling the bottom of the pot, water running straight through without soaking in, and the plant needing water every couple of days.

Propagation by Division

Mature peace lilies form clumps of crowns that can be separated. When repotting, gently tease the rootball apart into two or three sections, each with healthy roots and several leaves. Pot each division into a snug container, water well and keep somewhere warm and bright but out of direct sun while they settle.

A Quick Recap

To keep a peace lily happy and flowering: water just before it droops, give it bright indirect light, feed lightly through spring and summer, and watch out for harsh tap water and dry air. Treat it well and the rewards are generous — glossy arching foliage and those unmistakable white spathes rising above the leaves.