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peace lily question

Gardening Reference » Gardening in 2005
by rae on May 10, 2005 11:11 PM
Hello All,
I am new to the site and gardening and I've come in search of some answers, hopefully there is someone out there with some advice.
I bought a peace lily from the home depot about two weeks ago. It was a lovely plant that seemed to be pretty strong (the firt night I had it one of my cats bend a flower stem upon investigating the new addition. I turned the pot so the flower could lean against the wall and it stiffened back up- healing itself).
I had yet re-potted it because the pot I wanted to use didn't have a drainage hole and I was unsure how the lily would like this...so I was waiting.
The plant got moved to a corner that doesn't get much light and was doing fine for about a week. But when I got home from a weekend out of town I found it wilted. The entire plant was drooping. The soil felt moist but not soggy. I took it outside because it was a beautiful bright sunny day to soak up some rays(no water at this point). The next morning found it was still very droopy -maybe even wilting more. So I gave it a little water and left it in the sun for another day. Came home that evening...and it seemed worst! I asked my roommate if anything happened, did she water it or anything. But she had not watered it - nor noticed it wiltingthat weekend.
I don't know what to do for the plant. I have pulled all the leaves together in a loose "ponytail" with a stake like thing to lean on to try to prevent the stalked from benting and cutting off leaves and such.
Should I try and repot the plant now? Or is the lily in enough stress? Can I pot it in the pot without a drain hole, would gravel in the bottom be enough?
Any help you could give would be much appreciated.
Thanks ~Rae
by Dixie Angel on May 10, 2005 11:24 PM
Bright sun is a no-no for peace lilies. It needs filtered light.

If the soil is still wet and it is wilted, it may be developing root rot from being watered too much. Let it dry out just a bit before you water again.

There are many topics in the forum on peace lily. If you do a search, I am sure that you will find all the answers you need.

By the way...Welcome to the forum. I hope you enjoy it here as much as I do! [grin]

Dianna

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by phoenix on May 10, 2005 11:26 PM
[wayey] rae,
i have a huge 5'x5' peace lilly. they don't like direct sunlight,most varieties are low light i believe,the soil may be too wet. if you do a forum search at the top of the forum page you will find a bunch of very useful info [grin]
oh and hey...welcome to the forum it's the besr place on the net [grin] [grin]

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"If you want to talk bollocks and discuss the meaning of life,you're better off downing a bottle of whiskey.That way you're drunk by the time you start to take yourself seriously"
by phoenix on May 10, 2005 11:33 PM
[wayey] again rae [grin]
hope this helps i copied it from the house plant section
Most tropical house plants should be re potted every 2-3 years, to freshen and revitalize their soil.
The tip burn could be caused by over feeding, or chlorine in the water.
Peace lilies (Spathiphyllum floribundum) will grow and flourish in almost any well drained soil. However, it is always the best idea to use a good commercial soil mix containing peat moss, bark and sand.
They prefer bright filtered light, but will survive in low interior light. Peace lilies do best in a warm environment (68-85 degree daytime temperature) with a 10 degree nighttime drop.
Keep your Peace Lilies out of drafts, and never expose them to extended periods below 40 degrees.
Feed your Peace lily every 2-3 months, using a diluted (half strength) well balanced liquid fertilizer such as 20-20-20. You can also use a pelleted timed release fertilizer with caution. Over fertilizing can produce burning of tips and roots.
The soil should be kept moist but never soggy. Allow the soil to dry out slightly between waterings, but excessive drying can make the plant to wilt and cause yellowing of leaves. When watering, it is very important to use room temperature water which has been allowed to sit for 24 hours to allow the chlorine to evaporate. It is a good idea to bottom water.
Cleaning the leaves regularly with a damp cloth to remove dust will not only help the appearance but will also remove some pests which tend to gather on the underside of the leaves and help the plant to 'breathe'.
hope this helps

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http://photobucket.com/albums/y203/lilpuppolo/
"If you want to talk bollocks and discuss the meaning of life,you're better off downing a bottle of whiskey.That way you're drunk by the time you start to take yourself seriously"
by plantlady19 on May 12, 2005 06:10 PM
Definately sounds like root rot. Replant that baby immeadiately and toss all plants with black soggy roots. If they all have black soggy roots, toss the plant and cut your losses. Sometimes it is too late to help. Remember to never overwater and use pots with good drainage.

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Work like a slave.
by BJA001 on May 12, 2005 07:07 PM
My experience with peace lily’s have told me they don't like a lot of direct light. When I moved a few years back I drove with my peace lily in the back seat of my car (That doesn't have shaded windows) through Phoenix AZ. The plant wilted and many leaves burned so bad they turned black and died. Next time I have plants in the car for a long period of time I'm covering them with a sheet just to reduce the amount of light exposure.

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