Yahoo News Little-known peace lily mistake to avoid that can make plant 'shrivel and wilt'
Peace lilies are beautiful plants that add life to any space, but they are also temperamental - and even the slightest tending mistake could cause them to wilt.
Of course, ensuring they are watered, fed and exposed to the right amount of sunlight is vital to keeping them healthy. However, it turns out that the type of pot they are planted in can also make a difference.
That's according to a group of gardening enthusiasts, who set out to help a fellow green-fingered gardener who ran into some peace lily problems.
Taking to the Gardening UK Tips Facebook page, one woman sought advice by sharing a photo of her plant by a window, with every leaf wilting. With this, she asked: "What’s wrong with my peace Lily? It’s not dry or over watered, it’s been fed."
Many felt that the pot it was in was too big, suggesting this may be the reason why the plant isn't thriving. Unlike other flowers, peace lilies actually do well when they become "root bound" and run out of pot space - leaving them with more energy to flower than to produce roots.
One woman explained: "It’s far too big for how small the plant is now it’s getting warmer that pot will dry out more make sure it’s always moist I'd move it from the window too take out of direct sun."
"The pot yours is in is twice a big as mine yet my plant is twice the size of yours it’s putting all it’s effort into filling that massive pot with roots hence why it’s not getting anywhere."
Others also posited that it may need a fresh round of soil, which should be refreshed when the levels get low. Another gardener advised: "I think the soil level has dropped (it rots away over time) so take it out of the pot, top up the soil, put it back k in and fill it so the bottom of the plant is about 2 cm from the rim.
"Water it thoroughly and let the excess drain away. Water it that way once a week and put it slightly in the shade if possible. Good luck. Hope it recovers
Others felt that both of these issues may be the problem, with a third writing: "I would say look at the pot it is in. Could pot bound and need some fresh soil. Ours recovered even after we put ours In a put in a new pot and away from direct sun light and no radiator"
The pot tip has been echoed by the experts at Miracle Gro, which has shared professional advice on how to plant and care for a peace lily. It began: "Peace lilies are perfectly happy growing in containers, but they don’t like sitting in pots much larger than their root balls."
Read below to learn how to properly plant a peace lily in a pot, as explained by Miracle Gro.
How to plant peace lilies
Select a container that has good drainage and is no more than one halg larger than the root ball of your peace lily.
Fill the container one half of the way with Miracle-Gro Indoor Potting Mix, which contains no compost or bark, both of which are known to shelter pesky fungus gnats. The mix also contains coconut coir, which helps soil re-wet easily.
Place the plant in the container so that the top of the root ball is about an inch below the top of the rim (to leave room for watering).
Fill in around the root ball with more potting mix.
Water your peace lily until moisture begins to drain out the bottom of the pot, then put a saucer under it and move it to its new home.
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