If you are someone who cares for your plants more than you care for your own health, then seeing leaves of your plants turning an unusual colour must be daunting! Not just that, the sudden confusion on what to do now, must be running through your mind. But, there are certain things that can be brought back to good health with proper care, and certain things have to be let go of. Yes, there I said it. You must be prepared for the life and death of the plants just like all of us animals. Sometimes, you are not at fault at all. However, let’s read further on how we can do the best and nurture our beloved plants back to good health, in this case, by taking care of Peace Lily by looking at its leaves.
Peace Lily Brown Tips
The brown tips on Peace Lily leaves are majorly due to stress that affects the plant’s ability to transport water and nutrients effectively. This is usually the case with the majority of the plants. This stress can be caused by various environmental factors. The cells in the leaf tips die off, leading to the characteristic brown coloration. Sometimes, the leaves dry out, turning brown, in a process called desiccation.
Causes of brown edges on peace lily leaves
1. Hydration (Watering):
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- Underwatering: Lack of sufficient water can cause the tips of the leaves to dry out and turn brown. Quench that thirst.
- Overwatering: Excessive watering can lead to root rot, which hampers the plant’s ability to take up water, resulting in brown tips.
2. Low Humidity
Peace Lilies are tropical environment plants that likes high humidity. Low humidity levels can cause the leaf edges to dry out pretty soon.
3.Water Quality
Your tap water often contains chlorine, fluoride, and salts, which can build-up in the soil and affect the plant, leading to brown tips.
4. Nutrient Imbalance:
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- Over-fertilization: Excess fertilizer can lead to a buildup of salts in the soil, causing root burn and brown leaf tips.
- Nutrient Deficiency: Lack of essential nutrients, particularly potassium, can also cause brown tips.
5. Light Conditions
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- Direct Sunlight: Exposure to direct sunlight can scorch the leaves, causing them to turn brown.
- Low Light: Insufficient light can weaken the plant, making it more susceptible to other stressors.
6. Pest Infestation
Pests like spider mites and mealybugs can stress the plant and damage the leaves, leading to brown tips.
Solutions
1. Adjust Watering:
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- Ensure consistent watering practices. Water the plant thoroughly when the top inch of the soil feels dry.
- Use room temperature water and allow it to sit out for 24 hours to dissipate chlorine and fluoride. Or, you can boil the water for 10-15 minutes and let it sit out to settle at room temperature and then use it for watering the plants.
How to know what amount of water is needed for a peace lily? Check out our article on how to water peace lily.
2. Increase Humidity
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- Use a humidifier near the plant.
- Place the plant on a tray filled with pebbles and water to increase humidity through evaporation.
- Group plants together to create a microenvironment with higher humidity.
3. Improve Water Quality
Use filtered or distilled water to avoid the buildup of harmful minerals and chemicals.
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- Collect and use rainwater if possible.
4. Proper Fertilization
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- Use a balanced, water-soluble fertilizer at half the recommended strength every 6-8 weeks during the growing season.
- Flush the soil periodically to remove excess salts from fertilizer buildup.
5. Light Management
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- Place the Peace Lily in bright, indirect light. Avoid direct sunlight which can scorch the leaves.
- If the plant is in low light, consider moving it to a brighter spot or using a grow light.
6. Pest Control
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- Regularly inspect the plant for pests. Use insecticidal soap or neem oil to treat infestations.
- Wipe the leaves with a damp cloth to remove dust and check for pests.
Prevention Methods
1. Consistent Care Routine:
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- Develop a regular watering schedule based on the plant’s needs.
- Monitor the humidity levels and adjust as needed, especially during dry seasons.
2. Quality Water
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- Always use filtered, distilled, or rainwater to prevent mineral buildup.
3. Balanced Nutrition
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- Follow a balanced fertilization schedule, avoiding over-fertilization.
- Use soil that drains well and allows excess salts to be flushed out.
4. Optimal Light Conditions
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- Place the plant in a spot with consistent, indirect light.
- Rotate the plant occasionally to ensure even light exposure.
5. Routine Checks
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- Regularly inspect the plant for signs of stress, pests, or nutrient deficiencies.
- Clean the leaves to prevent dust accumulation and check for any early signs of trouble.
Peace lily leaves turning yellow
Well, there could be a lot of reasons why your peace lily plants are turning yellow/ pale.
Some of the common causes –
- Root rot and oxygen deprivation due to overwatering
- Underwatering, which creates a drought like situation
- Lack of nitrogen in soil
- Too much of fertilizer in the soil
- High Chlorine or Fluoride content in water
- Hard water being used to hydrate
- Old-age. Plant leaves get old too.
Solution for this works out well the same way we have mentioned above for the ‘leaves turning brown’.
Peace Lily Droopy Leaves
Not just yellow coloured leaves or brown bits in leaves is an issue, the peace lily can have droopy leaves. Some of the reasons for curling peace lily leaves are:
- Peace Lilies require moist soil. Dry soil creates issues with the turgor pressure being maintained and thus resulting in wilting as well as droopiness.
- Too much water > Root rot > Droopy leaves. You get that, right?
- Peace lilies can thrive in low light conditions, but not in the absence of it, or very minimal exposure. Insufficiency can be fatal for the leaves.
- Tropical plants like Peace lily can’t tolerate temperatures below 60°F (15°C).
- Being a tropical plant, it needs a lot of humidity in the area where it is planted.
- Lack of nutrients in the soil and pests can cause the leaves to be droopy.
Some Yellow leaves can be removed so that the plant focuses on utilizing the nutrients on the healthy parts of the plant.
Holes in Peace Lily Leaves
Major cause of holes in peace lily leaves is due to infestation of pests and insects. Commonly spider mites, aphids, thrips, and caterpillars can chew or suck on the leaves, creating holes. Also, snails and slugs are known for eating leaves and making holes in leaves. Keeping the plant indoors in such cases might help the plants to recover.
Brushing or wiping it rigidly can also cause mechanical aberrations on the leaves, leading to holes in the leaves. So, keep it soft to touch guys. Strong winds and heavy rain can damage the leaves.
Fungal infections like leaf spot can lead to dead patches (necrotic patches) that eventually fall out, creating holes. These can be avoided by proper fungicides or bactericides.
Lack of Calcium in the soil can deprive the plants of essential nutrients that help keep the cell structure stronger. Crushed egg shells can be used to incorporate calcium into the potting mix. Do wash the eggshells before adding it to the soil, as the wet eggshell with yolk in it can attract different kinds of pathogens that we don’t know how it will react with the plant.
FAQs
Why do my peace lily have small leaves?
Small leaves on a Peace Lily are oftenly due to insufficient light, nutrient deficiencies, or improper watering. Ensure that your plant receives bright, indirect light, regular fertilization, and consistent watering to promote healthy growth. Repotting your plant if root bound can also help improve the leaf size. Also younger plants tend to have smaller leaves.
Why is my peace lily leaf turning black?
Black leaves/ darkened leaves on your Peace Lily are typically caused by overwatering which has lead to root rot, or exposure to cold temperatures.
Why are my peace lily leaves turning yellow?
Yellow leaves on a Peace Lily are often caused by insufficient light, overwatering, or underwatering.
Why does my peace lily plant have scorched leaves?
Scorched leaves on a Peace Lily are typically caused by exposure to direct sunlight or low humidity.
Will yellow peace lily leaves turn green again?
No, yellow Peace Lily leaves will not turn green again. Although, if nutrition deficiency is the cause, it can be recovered to a bit if caught early, but it is highly unlikely.
How to make peace lily leaves bigger?
To make Peace Lily leaves bigger, ensure the plant receives bright, indirect light and consistent watering (not overwatering at all). Obviously, nutrient rich potting mix should be a must.
