The peace lily also known as Spathiphyllum, is one of the most popular houseplants. With its lush green leaves and delicate white blooms, it’s easy to see why proper care is essential to keep your peace lily healthy and happy. Choosing the right pot is a key factor.
There are a few important things to think about when choosing a pot for your peace lily.
Pot Size
Pot size has a big impact on the health of your peace lily. Here are some general pot size guidelines:
- Start with a 4-inch pot for a new young plant. This small pot will keep the peace lily from getting too large too quickly.
- Move up to a 6-inch pot once the roots have filled the smaller pot. This gives the plant more room to grow.
- Increase pot size by about 2 inches each time you repot, until the plant reaches maturity. A mature peace lily does well in a 10-12 inch pot.
- Don’t put a small peace lily in an oversized pot. This can lead to problems with excess moisture and root rot. Go up in pot size gradually as the plant grows.
Pot Material
The material the pot is made from also affects your plant. Here are some top choices:
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Peace lilies do well in terracotta pots because the clay is porous and lets air pass through. This gives the roots a healthy place to breathe and keeps them from getting too much water.
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Plastic: Plastic pots are also a good option for peace lilies. They are lightweight and inexpensive, and they tend to retain moisture better than other materials like terracotta.
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Glazed Ceramic: Glazed ceramic pots are another good option for peace lilies in hotter climates. They are non-porous, which means they will retain moisture better than terracotta pots.
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Metal: Not as many pots are made of metal as other materials, but they can work well for peace lilies. They are durable and typically have a more modern look.
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Concrete: For peace lilies growing outside in colder, windier climates, concrete pots are a reliable option. Their weight makes them hard to tip over. Additionally, concrete is a porous material, so excess water will evaporate quickly.
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Wooden: Wooden pots are another option to consider. They are generally more expensive than other materials, but they can add a natural touch to your home. Keep in mind that wooden pots are not as durable as other materials and they may rot if they are constantly exposed to moisture.
No matter what kind of pot you pick, make sure it has holes in the bottom so water can drain out.
Drainage
One of the most important considerations when choosing a pot for your peace lily is drainage. Regardless of the material, the pot must have drainage holes to allow excess water to drain out and prevent root rot.
If possible, choose a pot with multiple drainage holes. This will help to ensure that excess water can drain out quickly and prevent the roots from sitting in water.
Pot Size Recommendations
- Start with a 4-inch pot for a new young peace lily.
- Move up to a 6-inch pot once it becomes rootbound.
- Increase by 2 inches each time you repot.
- 10-12 inch pot for a mature peace lily.
Most Recommended Materials
- Terracotta – porous, breathable, prevents overwatering
- Plastic – retains moisture well, inexpensive
- Glazed ceramic – retains moisture, decorative
- Concrete – heavy, hard to tip over
Key Considerations
- Always choose a pot with drainage holes
- Pick a pot size about 2 inches wider than the root ball
- Go up in size gradually as the plant grows
- Avoid oversized pots that lead to excess moisture
Frequently Asked Questions
How often should you repot a peace lily?
Most peace lilies need repotting every 2-3 years. More frequent repotting can shock the plant. Repot in the spring when the plant is actively growing.
Can you transplant a peace lily when it’s blooming?
It’s best to wait for it to finish blooming to reduce stress on the plant. But urgent repotting like pest control can be done while blooming if needed.
Do peace lilies like deep or shallow pots?
Peace lilies have shallow roots so don’t need very deep pots. Medium depth pots are ideal. Choose based on root ball size.
How long does a peace lily take to recover from repotting?
It may look weak at first but will recover in 1-2 weeks with proper care. Drooping leaves and slow growth can be reversed in that time.
Why is my peace lily drooping after repotting?
This can happen from shock. Ensure proper watering, light, temperature, humidity, and avoid moving to a too large or small pot.
Picking the perfect pot for your peace lily involves getting the size, material, and drainage right. Focus on providing a pot with adequate room as the plant grows, breathable material, and plentiful holes for drainage. With the right pot, your peace lily will flourish for years to come!
Post-Repotting Care Tips for Your Peace Lily
Once you have repotted your exotic beauty, you need to apply proper care for your peace lily. Follow these steps:
To avoid transplant shock, water the peace lily thoroughly. Then, follow a watering schedule of hydrating the plant weekly or once every 10 days. Prevent overwatering or underwatering by checking the top two inches of the soil. Water it only if it feels too dry.
Peace lilies need a bright spot with indirect sunlight and preferably partial shade. But right after repotting, it’s better to keep it away from sunlight in a more shady area. Once it gets adjusted to its new home within a week, you can place it in indirect or filtered sunlight near a east-facing window.
Peace lilies thrive within 65F-85F, at a humidity level of 50%-60%. Extreme temperatures and humidity levels can weaken the plant. Use your HVAC system to control the temperature indoors, and the humidifier to ensure the best growth conditions for your plant.
For the first six weeks, do not feed your peace lily. Once, the plant adapts after being repotted, use an universal houseplant fertilizer. Always dilute the fertilizer when you administer it every 6-8 weeks.
Peace lilies can get stressed and look droopy after repotting. The reasons might be the following:
- You put the peace lily in a new spot without taking the root ball out and cutting it back.
- It’s getting too much or too little water, which makes the ground wet or dry.
- The plant doesn’t fit in the new pot because it’s either too big or too small.
- You have not given your peace lily the recommended amount of light since you moved it, for example by putting it in a spot that gets too much sun.
Right after repotting a peace lily, it may look weak and unhealthy. But if you care for it properly, the plant will recover within 1-2 weeks.
It is worth noting that if the plant develops pale leaves, they won’t change back to green. However, droopy, curling leaves, slow growth, etc. , can be reversed.
Unless its urgently needed, repot a peace lily once every two years. If the plant experience issues and starts looking unhealthy, then consider repotting it as a remedial measure.
As mentioned above, instead of repotting it into a bigger pot, a very large peace lily can be divided into smaller plants to give away as gifts or to expand your indoor plant collection.
How Do I Know When a Peace Lily Needs Repotting?
Generally, repotting a peace lily plant once a year during or around the blooming season is sufficient. Sometimes, though, you need to get your tools together and repot your peace lily right away if you see any of these signs:
- Poor plant appearance: Your peace lily is turning yellow, brown, or droopy and looks sick because it can’t absorb nutrients from the soil.
- Plant growth slowed down: The plant isn’t making many new leaves or flowers, and the ones it does make are small.
- Roots that can be seen above the soil: When a plant gets too big for its pot, it can’t grow anymore, so the roots show up above the soil.
- Grown-through drainage holes: Plant roots may get too big for the pot and go through the holes in the bottom.
- Cracked pot: Roots that don’t have enough room to grow press against the walls of the pot, which leads to cracks.
- Root rot: Roots that are rotting often mean that there is a disease or that the plant needs better drainage. Moving the plant to a new pot with fresh soil may fix the issue after the roots are cleaned and trimmed.
- Soil drying out too quickly: If the soil in the pot gets hard, dry, and doesn’t have enough air flow, you need to get new potting mix and repot the plant.
- Insect growth: You’ll need to repot your peace lily if bugs get into the pot soil and infect the plant and its roots.