Peace lilies are known for their striking green foliage and pretty white blooms, as well as for being one of the most beginner-friendly houseplants around. Their ability to live in most light conditions and forgive the occasional missed watering make them easier to look after than other flowering houseplants.
Ensuring your peace lily blooms isn’t quite as simple, however. While they will tolerate being kept in lower light and temperatures, they won’t produce their signature white blooms unless they are properly cared for. Therefore, getting your watering routine right is key if you want your plant to produce striking flowers this spring.
Peace lilies are seasonal bloomers, with most healthy plants blooming between February and September.
That said, they can actually bloom year-round with proper care.
The experts at Love That Leaf shared their guide for getting your peace lily to flower “again and again”.
Explaining the reasons why your plant may not be producing blooms, they said one of the most common problems is not enough light.
“Yes, peace lilies are more low-light tolerant than most BUT that can come at the expense of flowers,” they explained, suggesting shifting the plant to a new position with brighter, but still indirect light.
Another reason for no blooms is that your plant isn’t mature enough; they said: “Some growers use a combo of carefully controlled conditions and growth hormones to induce flowering.
“Don’t be fooled. Just because your peace lily was flowering when you bought it doesn’t mean it’s old enough.”
The experts suggested that they often won’t flower until they are between one and three years old.
When it comes to watering and feeding, the experts said: “Peace lilies are not heavy feeders, but flowering takes a lot of energy. If you haven’t been feeding your peace lily at all, or have had it on a high-nitrogen formula (for foliage), both may prevent your peace lily from flowering.”
They recommend using a low-salt fertiliser with no urea, sodium or chlorides and feeding it little and often, something also known as the “Weakly Weekly Method”.
It doesn’t necessarily mean you have to feed your plant every week, but it’s a good idea to feed lightly every time you water.
Peace lilies like to stay slightly moist, but never soggy, so watering on demand is the most reliable way to go, especially if the light and temperature of your home fluctuates.
Before watering, poke your finger into the soil. If soil clings to your finger, but isn’t soaking wet, you can go ahead and give your plant a light watering.
