How to Manage a Drooping Peace Lily Plant at Home
Peace lily plants are prized by both beginner and experienced houseplant owners for their gorgeous green foliage, symbolic value, and host of additional benefits. Although peace lily plants are easy to care for, their leaves can sometimes droop or wilt. Thankfully, there’s no reason to panic because the causes of drooping leaves can often be remedied quickly and easily. In this article, we’ll look at the reasons why your peace lily plant might be drooping and how to fix it.
Reasons Your Peace Lily Plant is Drooping – The Essentials
Peace lily plants may droop for several reasons, but the most common cause is either underwatering or overwatering. Peace lily plants may also have drooping leaves if the temperature or humidity is incorrect. Too much sunlight, unsuitable soil, and plant pests can also cause drooping leaves.
Common Reasons Your Peace Lily Plant is Drooping
If the foliage of your peace lily plant starts drooping, don’t panic. It only takes a little bit of detective work to figure out the cause of the drooping leaves. Each potential cause has its own symptoms and prevention methods. Here are the main reasons why your peace lily plant is drooping.
1) Underwatering
Peace lily plants, also known as Spathiphyllum, are natives of the tropical jungles of South America and Southeast Asia. These glossy plants are used to the humid conditions of these regions, which means that they need moist soil. Peace lily plants can’t tolerate dry conditions and usually need watering about once a week.
If the leaves of your peace lily plant are drooping, check the soil with your finger. If the top inch or two feels dry, then the drooping leaves are most likely caused by underwatering. Give the plant a drink, and it should perk back up.
Because peace lily plants can tell us when they need watering, they’re an excellent choice for novice houseplant owners.
2) Overwatering
Although peace lily plants need moist soil that replicates their natural habitat, it’s possible to go too far. Overwatering is another common cause of drooping leaves in peace lily plants. If peace lily plants are left in waterlogged soil, they can develop issues like root rot.
Thankfully, drooping leaves can be a good indicator of overwatering. When the leaves of the peace lily are drooping, test the soil using your finger. If the soil feels wet, you’re watering the plant too much or too often.
Try and let the plant dry out a bit more until the top inch or two of soil is dry. If this doesn’t work, make sure there are drainage holes in the nursery pot to allow excess water to drain away. If the soil is still too wet, then you’ll need to repot your peace lily plant with fresh soil that isn’t waterlogged.
3) Wrong temperature or humidity
As jungle natives, peace lily plants need warm temperatures and medium to high humidity to thrive. If neither of these levels is correct, the plant may have drooping leaves. Peace lily plants do best when temperatures are between 55 and 85ºF (12 to 30ºC), and humidity levels are around 60%.
If the environment is too dry or hot, peace lily plants can experience drooping leaves. Brown leaf tips and leaves falling off are also signs of incorrect temperature or humidity. Keep the peace lily plant away from cold or hot drafts to maintain a consistent temperature.
Use a hygrometer to check humidity levels around your peace lily plant. You can boost humidity by misting the plant every few days or using a humidifier or pebble tray.
4) Incorrect light levels
Peace lily plants thrive most in indirect sunlight to partial shade. Because these plants are indigenous to the jungle floor, they’re used to dappled sunlight and a fair amount of shade. If the peace lily plant gets too much or too little light, this can cause drooping leaves.
Dry drooping or wilted leaves can be a tell-tale sign that a peace lily plant is exposed to too much bright sunlight. Variegated peace lily plants can be particularly susceptible. Wilting leaves that start turning yellow can be a strong indicator that the peace lily plant is growing in too much shade.
To prevent any drooping leaves caused by incorrect light levels, try and position your peace lily in an east or north-facing room. Place the plant at least a few feet away from the window to reduce direct light levels.
5) Inappropriate soil conditions
Peace lily plants need a well-draining soil mix that provides plenty of airflow around the roots. This soil still needs to retain enough moisture to help the plant grow. If the soil is too dense or drains too quickly, it can cause problems such as drooping leaves.
If the leaves of your peace lily are drooping or wilting, examine the feel of the soil. If it feels waterlogged, then the soil doesn’t have sufficient drainage. Try to mix in materials like sand or perlite to increase drainage.
If you have dry soil and drooping leaves, your peace lily probably isn’t getting enough water. This means that the soil is draining too quickly. Incorporate some more potting mix or houseplant compost to help the soil retain more water.
6) The plant needs repotting
Peace lily plants may exhibit drooping leaves because they’re too crowded in their pot. Peace lilies are relatively slow-growing plants, so they shouldn’t need repotting more than once a year. Crowded peace lily plants have drooping leaves because the plant can’t get enough nutrients or water to support their growth. If you see roots protruding from the holes in the nursery pot, then your peace lily plant definitely needs repotting.
Repotting or dividing the peace lily is the obvious solution. You can either repot the whole plant into a larger pot or divide it to create multiple plants. Use a soil mix that’s similar to what the plant was growing in before. After the peace lily has acclimatized to its new pot, the leaves should perk back up.
7) Pest or diseases
Although they’re fairly hardy plants, peace lilies can suffer from a few pests or diseases. These afflictions can cause drooping leaves. Fungus gnats, mealybugs, and scale insects are common pests that can bother peace lily plants.
If your peace lily plant’s leaves are drooping, perform a thorough inspection of the plant. Look for small black flies (fungus gnats), masses of scale-like objects (scale insects), and sticky honeydew deposits (mealybugs).
Fungus gnats can be tackled by using sticky traps or a plastic bottle cap full of almond oil. Make sure that your peace lily also has well-draining soil. Use insecticidal soap or neem oil to clear mealybugs and scale insects. You should also remove any leaves that show honeydew or mold.
8) Root rot
Root rot is a common symptom of overwatering and can cause drooping leaves in peace lily plants. Overwatering can be difficult to avoid, especially if you’re a novice plant owner. If the soil feels consistently damp or the roots smell bad, root rot is the likely cause.
Tackle root rot by repotting the peace lily in a fresh, well-draining soil mix. When you remove the plant from the old soil, cut off any mushy or smelly sections of the roots. Once it’s time to water again, only give your peace lily a drink if the top inch or two of soil feels dry.
How to Fix a Drooping Peace Lily Plant
The best way to fix a drooping peace lily plant is to provide your plant with its ideal growing conditions. This means a warm, humid environment, well-draining soil, and indirect sunlight or partial shade. You should also keep to a regular watering schedule to prevent problems like underwatering or overwatering.
Peace lily plants grow best in temperatures between 55 and 85ºF. Keep humidity levels at approximately 60% by misting the plant every two or three days. You can also use a humidifier or a pebble tray or place the peace lily in a steamy, humid bathroom. Recently propagated or repotted peace lily plants can be particularly susceptible to cold drafts or inappropriate temperatures.
Peace lilies need a well-draining soil mix that can still hold a bit of moisture. This basically means having a good mix of drainage material and nutritious compost. A good basic mix uses a 2:2:1 ratio of normal houseplant compost, sand or bark, and perlite.
These tropical plants are used to the shadier conditions of a jungle environment. That means they can’t handle intense or direct sunlight. Instead, aim to provide your peace lily plant with some bright indirect light or partial shade. East or north-facing rooms are ideal for this.
Although peace lily plants need reasonably moist soil, they hate being waterlogged. If left to sit in too much water, peace lilies are vulnerable to root rot and pest infestations. A good rule of thumb is to water your peace lily when the top inch or two of soil feels dry to the touch.
Finally, aim to fertilize your peace lily plant every 6 to 8 weeks during the spring and summer months and occasionally trim and prune any excess growth.
Also, it’s worth noting that peace lily plants are considered toxic to both humans and pets so it’s prudent to wear gloves when handling these plants.
Drooping Peace Lily Plants – The Final Word
Peace lily plants are the perfect choice for novice plant parents. But although the leaves of your plant drooping can be scary, don’t panic. With a little bit of detective work, you can quickly identify and remedy the cause. Underwatering, overwatering, and incorrect growing conditions are the most common reasons why your peace lily plant has drooping leaves.
If you’re looking for your next peace lily plant to add to your collection, see our in-depth guide to the best plant shops delivering peace lilies nationwide.
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