Peace lilies, Spathiphyllum spp. are easygoing houseplants that seldom undergo from illness points when supplied with the precise care.
In reality, they’re really easy to develop that Dr. Leonard Parry, Horticulture Professor on the College of Vermont says that they’ve been known as the “good houseplant.”
In our information to rising peace lilies, we cowl how one can domesticate these standard crops indoors.
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For greatest outcomes, they require a location that receives six to eight hours of shiny, oblique daylight, and well-draining soil.
Making use of fertilizer as soon as a month through the rising season, watering when the highest inch of soil dries out, and occasional repotting is nearly all that’s wanted to maintain them joyful.
Nevertheless, whereas it doesn’t occur typically, these tropical foliage crops can generally fall prey to illness.
On this information, we’ll cowl the most typical illnesses that may have an effect on peace lilies, and what you are able to do about them.
Frequent Peace Lily Illnesses
These illnesses are primarily an issue when business growers have large-scale plantings of peace lilies to provide them on the market.
It is best to be capable of keep away from these points by buying your peace lily from a good nursery, and inspecting it earlier than you deliver it house.
Choose wholesome specimens, and keep away from these with yellow leaves, mildew on the floor of the potting soil, and wilting foliage.
1. Cylindrocladium Root Rot
Cylindrocladium root rot is a fungal an infection attributable to Cylindrocladium spathiphylli.
Your houseplant might be susceptible to this illness whether it is overwatered, or is planted in soil that lacks enough drainage.
In heat, moist circumstances, this fungus can destroy your entire root system within the area of some weeks to a couple months.
It may be troublesome to detect, as a result of the rot can progress for a number of weeks earlier than the peace lily exhibits any signs of an infection on its leaves.
Sometimes, the primary you’ll discover of this an infection is the yellowing of the decrease leaves, and presumably wilting foliage.
On nearer examination, the leaves and petioles might also have darkish brown spots, significantly on the decrease parts of the petioles.
By the point you discover this discoloration, it’s doubtless that the roots are severely rotten, and you’ve got little hope of saving your peace lily. Discard the plant and all of the soil from the pot into the trash.
You’ll must sterilize the pot should you want to reuse it, because the fungus produces infectious resting buildings known as sclerotia that may survive in soil and natural matter.
Discover extra recommendations on stopping root rot right here.
2. Dasheen Mosaic Virus
This viral illness causes a mosaic sample of yellow to gentle inexperienced to seem on new leaves of crops which might be contaminated. It typically doesn’t trigger a lot, if any, discount in progress or failure to thrive.
The virus is often unfold between crops by bugs, comparable to aphids, contaminated potting soil, or gardening instruments.
There isn’t any remedy for this virus, and whereas your peace lily might not present any ailing results, other than discolored foliage, needless to say it might infect different associated houseplants, comparable to anthurium, dieffenbachia, and philodendron.
3. Leaf Blight
Phytophthora nicotianae is a water mildew (oomycete) that causes leaf blight on a big number of crops. It’s typically unfold by splashing water. Excessive moisture ranges and humidity are supreme circumstances for an infection.
The first signs of this illness are leaf margins and facilities which have black or brown lifeless spots.
If circumstances are moist, the spots might seem moist and mushy. Nevertheless, if the foliage is dry, these spots could also be dry.
Because the illness progresses, the spots will increase into bigger lesions.
The broken tissue will also be colonized by secondary fungi that may change the looks of the illness.
Should you catch it within the early levels, you’ll be able to strive repotting your plant into a brand new, sterilized container, utilizing contemporary sterile potting soil.
Reduce off the broken foliage and get rid of it within the trash, because the spores can persist in plant particles. Additionally get rid of all outdated potting soil and make sure you sterilize the container should you intend to reuse it.
A soil drench with Monterey Backyard Fos Illness Management Fungicide, accessible through Amazon, might be utilized instantly after repotting, in response to bundle directions.
Monterey Backyard Fos Illness Management Fungicide
Watering on the base of the plant and protecting the foliage dry might help to stop this pathogen from taking root (or leaf on this case).
4. Pythium Root Rot
Pythium root rot is attributable to one other water mildew, Pythium spp. The leaves of crops contaminated with this water mildew normally seem yellowish and wilted.
By the point you discover the signs on the foliage, the roots will probably be black and mushy.
This illness might be troublesome to tell apart from Cylindrocladium root rot, essentially the most notable distinction being that within the case of Pythium root rot, the petioles are usually not affected.
Damp circumstances favor the event of this illness, so keep away from overwatering, water on the soil stage, and ensure your plant has well-draining potting soil.
Early-stage remedy is identical as that for Cylindrocladium root rot: repotting into contemporary potting combine, and a soil drench utilizing Monterey Backyard Fos Illness Management Fungicide.
Nevertheless, in case your peace lily is severely contaminated, you might be greatest served beginning over with a brand new plant. Bear in mind to get rid of all contaminated potting soil and plant particles within the trash.
You Could By no means Encounter These Illnesses
As talked about, most of those illnesses have their origin in business nurseries the place giant numbers of crops are grown and propagated in shut proximity.
Though I’ll admit that I did lose a peace lily to root rot, odds are good you could develop your Spathiphyllum crops unscathed.
By protecting the foliage dry, watering solely when the highest inch of soil is dry, and offering your crops with enough gentle, you’ll doubtless by no means should cope with any of those illnesses.
Have you ever struggled with a illness in your peace lily? If that’s the case, tell us within the feedback part under.
And for extra data on rising peace lilies, take a look at these guides subsequent:
© Ask the Consultants, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. See our TOS for extra particulars. Initially printed January 2nd, 2021. Final up to date February fifth, 2025. Product picture through Monterey and Amazon. Uncredited photographs: Shutterstock. With further writing and modifying by Clare Groom.
