How to Care for a Large Peace Lily

With adequate sunlight, waxy, white blooms will appear above your peace lily.

Peace lily (Spathiphyllum) is an attractive indoor plant that is so easy to get along with that the plant requires little care and will survive even in low light. Peace lily is a spectacular plant with huge, dark green leaves that grow not from a stalk, but directly from the soil. With adequate light, peace lily will produce big, white flowers. Although most peace lilies are moderate sized, growing from 1 to 4 feet tall, some varieties can grow as much as 6 feet tall with an equal spread.

Things You'll Need

• Large, sturdy pot
• Commercial potting mix
• Rolling platform (optional)
• Soft cloth
• Regular fertilizer for indoor plants

Instructions

1. Plant your peace lily in a large, sturdy pot with a drainage hole. Fill the pot with any good quality commercial potting mix. A rolling platform will simplify moving your large peace lily.

2. Place your peace lily in a moderately warm room with temperatures between 68 and 75 degrees F. during the day. Nighttime temperatures should be about 10 degrees cooler.

3. Locate your peace lily in moderately bright light 3 to 5 feet away from a window or filtered through a curtain. Although a peace lily will grow in low light, moderately bright light will produce blooms. Never place your peace lily in direct sunlight, which can scorch the foliage.

4. Water your peace lily regularly with room temperature water whenever the top inch of the potting mix feels slightly dry. The soil should be allowed to dry slightly, and should never be soggy. A water meter that will indicate when the roots are dry may be helpful for a peace lily in a large pot.

5. Fertilize your peace lily with a balanced fertilizer for indoor plants every two to three months. Peace lily doesn't require fertilizer in order to be healthy, so choosing not to fertilize is a viable option as well.

6. Dust the wide leaves of your peace lily whenever they begin to look dusty. Wipe the leaves with a damp cloth, and never use commercial leaf shine products.

Tips & Warnings

• Moving peace lily suddenly from one location to another location with different sunlight levels may cause leaf drop. If the peace lily is healthy, the lost leaves will soon be replaced with new leaves.

References

• Clemson University Extension: Peace Lily
• North Dakota State University Extension: Interior Plantscaping with Large Houseplants