Indoor plants can easily improve our living spaces by creating a happier and healthier environment, while also contributing to air quality.
The peace lilly is an elegant example of this with its hardy demeanour and pretty white flowers.
But if your peace lily is looking a little under the weather, it could be that you are making a very common mistake that is causing the leaves to turn brown and die.
Leslie Branson, a gardening expert and owner of the plant shop Growing Somewhere, has explained that a common reason peace lilies need reviving is due to the fact that they are sensitive to a chemical found in most tap water.
In a video that Leslie shared online, he asked: “Do you have a peace lily or spider plant whose leaves keep turning brown on the tips but otherwise seems pretty healthy?”
The plant expert admitted: “Mine used to get pretty bad with several inches of brown dry parts at the end of the leaves, and I didn’t really know why until recently.”
It turns out that peace lilies are incredibly sensitive to chlorine, and it can cause the tips of the plant to burn. Burnt or brown leaves are a sign that part of the leaf is dying and will eventually fall off.
This means that despite all your best efforts, watering your peace lily could actually be harmful to its leaves and the overall health of the plant.
To alleviate the danger, Leslie explained: “All I do is simply sit my water out. Your city water likely has chlorine in it, and sitting my water out for about 24 to 48 hours will allow the chlorine to evaporate.
“It’s the chlorine that is causing the tips of the leaves to go brown so if you just set your water out and let it evaporate then you will no longer have that problem.”
Small amounts of chlorine are likely found in most water supplies here in the UK. This risk is likely to increase if you live in a city, so it needs to be filtered out of the water before you use it on your plant.
Leaving some water aside for a day or two will see the chlorine naturally evaporate, making it safe to use on your plant.
You can also use rainwater to water peace lilies if you cannot wait that length of time.
Distilled water, however, is not recommended for houseplants because it lacks essential minerals that plants need for healthy growth and development.
