Have you tried so hard with all the effort you could muster just to get your peace lily to bloom, and all to no avail? Do not give up yet! Your beautiful plant would be blooming beautifully in no time if you follow the guidelines below.
It is important that you note that a peace lily is a common houseplant that is often used to decorate and also brighten the indoors with its glossy white petals. Did you know that if it is not getting enough sunlight this can hinder it from blooming? Yes! For an indoor plant, sunlight is still very essential.
The fact that it is indoor does not mean it does not need light at all. But on the other hand, did you know excessive sunlight can also hinder it from blooming? And this can cause its lovely white petals to change color or even stunt its growth.
Read on to find out all you need for you peace lily to blossom with ease.
Peace Lilies Facts
The peace lily is also known as Spath. It is a member of the genus Spathiphyllum, which consists of about forty (40) species of monocotyledons. These flowering plants are usually found in America and south of Asia but they especially found in the tropic regions.
It is an evergreen plant that always blooms beautifully. They can grow and live for over three seasons or more. Peace lilies have large leaves which are 11 to 63 cm long and 5 to 27 cm long.
An interesting fact about the plant is that it requires just a small amount of water to pull through. In fact, it can be watered just about once a week, especially when the soil is a bit dry.
This plant is a very common indoor plant as it can also flourish in little sunlight. They are known to clear the indoor environment from contamination by toxic gases. Although the peace lily is a little toxic to humans, it still does not have great effects like true lilies do.
When do peace lilies flower?
Peace lilies most especially flower in the tropic areas of America and South of Asia and they can be sometimes found in thick forests. These areas have little light which is just right for the plant to bloom. Although, this plant can be forced sometimes to bloom using a chemical plant hormone called gibberellic acid. This is not an advisable way of growing the lily.
Peace lilies need a lot of time to bloom, especially if you got them from a commercial plant grower. This is because the lilies take up to a year to mature and flower properly, but commercial plant growers do not often wait that long as to maximize income.
On the other hand, you would also have to consider getting fertilized soil. The environmental conditions also have to be ideal for the peace lily to bloom, and this is your responsibility to get it done. More on this would be explained as you read on.
How to get peace lily to bloom
There are tons of things to consider when you aim to make your peace lily bloom. The best part is that you don’t even need to be a horticulturist to get it done. The only important thing to note is that it is going to require some effort from you since nothing good comes easy.
Proper Cultural Condition
A peace lily plant is quite a social plant – it lets you know what it needs at certain times. For instance, it begins to sag if it needs water. And the best part is that is doesn’t always need water. All you need to do is water it at least once a week and try to keep the soil moist as often as possible. Just ensure that there isn’t chlorine in the water you are feeding the peace lily with. Peace lilies are very sensitive to chlorine – the old leaves begin to turn brown and the sprouting leaves would lack vitality.
You would also want to get a good house plant fertilizer. One that is water-soluble would be perfect. A product with a balanced ratio like 20-20-20 would do just fine if it is diluted to about a half or quarter strength.
Proper Environment Conditions
One of the most important environmental conditions that these plants crave is proper lighting. As mentioned earlier, they require good levels of sunlight. But how much is needed? A partial shade would do, like somewhere besides the window and not directly in front of it.
If the peace lily is placed directly under excess sunlight, its leaves begin to fade and turn yellow. If the leaves turn brown or have brown streaks, it means that the sunlight is scorching. The best thing to do, if your peace lily is grown indoor is to place it about six feet away from the window. If your peace lily is grown in a garden, a proper greenhouse with some shades would do just fine.
Fluorescent lights are also friendly on peace lilies too if you can’t place the lily close to a window or direct sunlight.
Temperature
this should be a part of environmental conditions, but it is worth giving special attention. Peace lilies are very delicate, and special attention must be given to the room temperatures if they are grown inside the house.
They also do well in the average temperature that humans also enjoy. This is about 65 to 85oF. The humidity of the room should be moderate, but not too dry and not too wet. This is because they can’t survive in both hot temperatures and cold temperatures too. Anything below 45 oF might kill the peace lily in a matter of time. Also, try to keep the peace lily away from heating or cooling appliances in the home.
Since the effects of temperature and other environmental conditions have been discussed, you should not have any trouble getting your peace lily to bloom.