If you are newly starting to keep Peace lilies, you must be confused whether to re-pot your root-bound Peace lilies to a new container or not.
As a common houseplant, there are few things that you should know about Peace lilies. Whether they like to be root bound or not is one such thing. So, let’s find out if Peace lilies like to be root-bound.
Do peace lilies like to be root bound?
Peace lilies like to stay root-bound. They are well known for liking crowded conditions. In root bound state, Peace lilies bloom much better. However, Peace lilies will produce fewer leaves when they are root-bound. So, to get the best result, the optimal choice is to plant them in a medium pot.
Does my peace lily need a bigger pot?
Peace lilies are a common tropical houseplant. They are durable and require little maintenance and occasional re-potting. However, you can skip re-potting for some time if you start with the right size of pots.
Peace lilies like to stay in a densely crowded place. That is why you can begin with a medium pot. Later, you will need to re-pot them gradually. If your Peace lily becomes too root-bound, you will need a bigger pot.
For changing a pot, always choose a 1 to 2 inches larger pot than the previous one. Peace lilies, in general, do not need a pot larger than 10 inches or diameter.
When should I re-pot my peace lily?
Re-potting a houseplant is a common practice among most plant keepers. Sometimes, people re-pot due to some issues or sometimes just to give the plant more room.
As Peace lilies like overcrowded conditions, they do not need frequent re-potting jobs. However, re-potting once or twice each year is a good practice. The best time is to re-pot your Peace lily once every spring to refresh the soil.
You can also re-pot your Peace lilies if they have any critical issues like root rot. If the growth of your Peace lily is slowing down due to a root-bound state, you can re-pot them.
How to tell when a peace lily needs re-potting?
Peace lilies, in general, like to stay in a crowded pot. However, excess populated pot can be harmful to their growth. That’s why they need re-potting over time.
If your Peace lily seems to drop more leaves than usual, you should re-pot them. Another sign that your Peace lily needs re-potting is a sudden halt of growth.
Re-potting is also essential if your Peace lily seems to have root rot. Peace lilies usually start shedding leaves frequently and become yellow due to root rot. If your Peace lily has yellow, consider changing its pot.
How to save and fix a root-bound peace lily?
Peace lilies grow very fast, and in a short time, they tend to grow too many roots causing them to be root-bound. You can occasionally trim them, but the best solutions are dividing them or re-potting the plant.
Dividing the root-bound peace lily:
By dividing, you can fix your Peace lily and also propagate it into multiple new plants. Here’s how you can split a Peace lily plant:
Water the plant:
The day before dividing, water your Peace lily, count the number of offsets, and collect pots accordingly.
Slide the pot upside down:
Then gently slide the pot upside down and squeeze the plant out. If it resists, pull out the plant gently by the stem. After pulling it out, put the plant sidewise.
Separate stems:
Now, take your time, slowly work around the bounded roots, and separate the stems along with the offsets.
Plant each stem separately:
Now, plant each stem in new pots and fill them. Water and put them in a shady corner.
Re-potting peace lily:
Another way to fix a root-bound Peace lily is to re-potting the plant in a bit larger pot. Apply this method following some easy steps:
Pick a larger pot:
At first, you have to select a larger container than the current one. Preferably 1.5 to 2 inches larger in diameter than the present pot. And put a fine mesh at the bottom to prevent soil leakage.
Fill the pot with soil:
Now, fill the new pot with some fresh organic soil. Fill half of the pot or a bit more.
Place the plant:
Now, gently put the plant in the new pot. Before placing the plant, trim off some excess roots at the bottom. These will later grow back. Then put some more organic soil to fill the remaining portion.
Firm the soil:
Now, gently firm the soil with your finger. Then water them and place the newly re-potted plant in a shaded location.
Should I trim peace lily roots?
Peace lilies are popular among other houseplants. You can keep these tropical plants practically anywhere in a room. Peace lilies are also known for growing very fast, and as such, they require some trimming from time to time.
Trimming a Peace lily helps to keep them in shape. Besides, cutting the excess roots of a Peace lily helps with the drainage of the pot. Trimming is essential to prevent root rot as well.
When there are excess roots in your Peace lily pot, they will clog up the pot and hinder drainage and ventilation through the soil. As a result, the overall growth of the plant will slow down. Moreover, extra roots also slow down nutrient absorption.
So, you can trim your Peace Lily roots every once in a while. It will help them with the drainage and also help with their growth efficiency.
What size pot do I need for my peace lily? How big of a pot do I need for a peace lily?
Peace lilies grow fast and start getting root-bound if you put them in a small pot. The general way is to plant your Peace lily in a small pot and gradually increase the size.
Peace lilies on maximum require a pot with a diameter of around 10 inches. They don’t demand any larger pots. The material of the pot usually does not matter for Peace lilies.
Putting a Peace lily in a big pot may harm it, as they will have more soil and moisture. This extra moisture may cause root rot. That’s why try using a pot with 10 inches diameter at max.
How to know if peace lily has root rot?
The best chance of saving a Peace lily with root rot is identifying the disease soon. You can identify root rot in your Peace lily following some symptoms.
The most common symptom is wilting of leaves and yellowing. A Peace lily infected by root rot will suddenly start having yellow leaves. Another common symptom is mushy roots. If your Peace lily seems to have mushy roots, probably they are infected.
Sometimes, when infected, Peace lily leaves start becoming brown. After a while, the leaves might even begin to drop. These are some common symptoms of root rot disease. If your Peace lily has any of them, act fast and start treatment.
How to save peace lily root rot?
If your Peace lily is drying of root rot, do not despair because there might be some hopes left. If you act early, you can save your Peace lily from root rot.
The most common treatment for root rot disease is trimming the infected roots. By trimming, you can remove all the fungal-infected parts from your Peace lilies. After that, you should wash the remaining roots with fungicides.
Another option is to water your Peace lilies with Hydrogen Peroxide. This solution terminates all the harmful fungus.
The final step is to re-pot the plant with new organic nutrient-rich soil. These nutrients will help heal the roots and provide the plant with additional nutrients.
How do you keep a peace lily from rotting?
Root rotting is a common disease among many plants, including Peace lilies. Peace lilies, in general, are susceptible plants when it comes to watering and soil quality.
When the soil is too damp and soggy, your Peace lily will catch root rot disease. To prevent root rot in your beloved plant, you need to make sure of proper drainage.
When planting a new Peace lily, make sure the soil is good and does not have any fungus in them. The ideal soil is organic tropical soil that is rich in good nutrients. The organic element in this type of soil helps drainage and prevent fungus.
Does a peace lily need drainage?
Peace lilies are a beautiful, tropical breed of plant. They are a perfect match to provide a tropical ambiance to your room. However, like most other plants, they require some level of maintenance.
Peace lilies do not like dry soil. So, they always need some sort of wet soil. However, they do not like overflowing water either. That is why they need frequent drainage.
Peace lilies require an adequate amount of water in the soil as well as proper drainage. To maintain appropriate drainage, pour water in your peace lily pot regularly. While watering, make sure there is no excess water by letting the excess water drain away.
Final Thoughts:
Like many other houseplants, Peace lilies like to be root-bound. They usually bloom better when they are in a root-bound condition. Although this affects the growth of their leaves, Peace lilies still prefer root-bound conditions. So, if you need to re-pot your Peace lily, avoid a bigger pot.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Why Does My Peace Lily Have Holes in the Leaves?
How to Get Rid of Bugs, Gnats, Flies, Fungus in Peace Lily?