Peace lily care: ‘The most important’ way to encourage potted plants to bloom ‘faster’
Also known as closet plants, the peace lily is one of the most popular houseplants for offices as well as most rooms around the house. Not only do they survive in low light and are easy to care for, but they also produce magnificent white flowers that can captivate the viewer. Although they are relatively easy to care for, peace lilies, like all other plants, have certain care requirements. If the plant is deprived of the right growing conditions, it will stop blooming, and in worse cases, grow completely.
With a following of over 500,000 on social media and over 10 years of potted plant experience, Vladan Nikolic has shared his top tips for encouraging a peace lily to bloom.
On his blog, Mr.Houseplant, the indoor plant pro shared his experience of owning peace lilies. He said: “I’ve had these big peace lilies for two years now and they’ve been blooming non-stop. Every three to four months they put out a new set of white flowers, from five to 12 flowers at a time.”
According to Mr Houseplant, light is the main factor in encouraging peace lilies to bloom. He said: “The most important thing is that the more light you give it, the faster the plant will develop and reach that flowering level of maturity.
“Flowering takes a lot of energy from the plant, so it needs a lot of light to bloom.” Vladan suggested that peace lily owners should get a light meter so they can be sure of how much light it is getting.
READ MORE: ‘Big mistake’ when caring for peace lilies – How to avoid ‘root rot’
Watering peace lilies can also encourage them to bloom, and not enough can cause them to not bloom, according to experts at Blooming Backyard.
They said: “Peace lilies love moisture. They require watering two to three times a week, preferably with distilled water, as they can be sensitive to some tap water chemicals and compounds.”
If distilled water is a stretch, even filtered water will do. Just try to avoid tap water where possible.
The experts continued: “These plants will tell you when they need water by hanging leaves.
“Some people use it as an indicator of when to water. But it can be one of the main reasons why your peace lily isn’t blooming.
“If the leaves droop or turn yellow or brown at the tips, the plant probably needed water a few days before. These signs are the result of stress, and a stressed plant is unlikely to produce many flowers.”
Peace lily leaves turning yellow is one of the most common peace lily problems. Do not let the soil dry out between waterings, but also do not waterlog.
For those who notice their peace lily developing black stems, it could be a sign that they are being overwatered. This can be due to too early watering, lack of drainage or the pot being in trays full of water.
