Lilly with brown leaves - Ask Extension
The leaves are turning brown on this lily. I already cut off a bunch of leaves that were all brown. It gets indirect sunlight. The pot has drainage h...
Knowledgebase
Lilly with brown leaves #881503
Asked August 14, 2024, 2:56 PM EDT
The leaves are turning brown on this lily. I already cut off a bunch of leaves that were all brown. It gets indirect sunlight. The pot has drainage holes. I only water when the soil feels dry.
Baltimore County Maryland
Expert Response
Leaf tip browning on Peace Lilies can be hard to diagnose because it can have multiple causes. Low humidity (including if the plant sits directly in the path of a nearby air vent), water high in salts (minerals that make it "hard" or if a household water softener or bottled water containing sodium is in use), too much fertilizer, and over- and under-watering can all result in similar symptoms. This plant is also among several houseplants that appears to be sensitive to fluoride in municipal water. Some gardeners use distilled or purified water in its place in that case, but that comes with the risk of leaching nutrients out of the potting mix faster, and distilled water can also be more acidic than tap water.
Has the plant been repotted in the past year or two, to replace the old potting mix with fresh? If not, consider doing so before autumn (when growth will slow), since old mix can accumulate salts (mineral deposits) and drain more poorly than it used to, both of which can stress roots and lead to leaf damage.
Is the plant within a foot or two of a window? If further away, it might not be getting enough light. Peace Lilies tolerate low light, but don't thrive in conditions that dim, and prefer more moderate light levels. Near a sunny window or even closer to a non-sunny window is best. The very long leaf stems in the pictured plant, plus its lack of fullness, suggest it's not getting enough light to keep leaves as long as it should, or produce new foliage to fill back in.
Unlike most houseplants, Peace Lily appreciates staying a bit more evenly moist, rather than getting dry several inches down into the pot between waterings. When it drains into a saucer, is that collected water emptied promptly? If not, and it sits in water, that might be causing some root problems. Although these plants are more damp-tolerant than dry-tolerant, they do have their limits as far as root wetness.
If the plant is repotted at some point and begins to recover, you can fertilize this coming spring if the new growth looks good. Ironically, even if excess unused nutrients from old fertilizer are building-up in the pot, it might still be lacking some of the nutrients that water tends to leach out, unless it was fertilized one or more times this past spring/summer. Nitrogen (the N in N-P-K on fertilizer labels) is important for lush leaf growth and retaining older leaves as long as possible before yellowing and shedding them as they dry out.
For future growing seasons, if you have the option, Peace Lily can do well outside during the summer if placed in a shady location. The good airflow, ambient humidity, warm temperatures, and better light (even in shade) can help them build-up energy reserves for the winter, and support good growth to catch up on any leaf losses from its time indoors. They should be brought back inside from around mid-October through mid-May or so.
Miri
Has the plant been repotted in the past year or two, to replace the old potting mix with fresh? If not, consider doing so before autumn (when growth will slow), since old mix can accumulate salts (mineral deposits) and drain more poorly than it used to, both of which can stress roots and lead to leaf damage.
Is the plant within a foot or two of a window? If further away, it might not be getting enough light. Peace Lilies tolerate low light, but don't thrive in conditions that dim, and prefer more moderate light levels. Near a sunny window or even closer to a non-sunny window is best. The very long leaf stems in the pictured plant, plus its lack of fullness, suggest it's not getting enough light to keep leaves as long as it should, or produce new foliage to fill back in.
Unlike most houseplants, Peace Lily appreciates staying a bit more evenly moist, rather than getting dry several inches down into the pot between waterings. When it drains into a saucer, is that collected water emptied promptly? If not, and it sits in water, that might be causing some root problems. Although these plants are more damp-tolerant than dry-tolerant, they do have their limits as far as root wetness.
If the plant is repotted at some point and begins to recover, you can fertilize this coming spring if the new growth looks good. Ironically, even if excess unused nutrients from old fertilizer are building-up in the pot, it might still be lacking some of the nutrients that water tends to leach out, unless it was fertilized one or more times this past spring/summer. Nitrogen (the N in N-P-K on fertilizer labels) is important for lush leaf growth and retaining older leaves as long as possible before yellowing and shedding them as they dry out.
For future growing seasons, if you have the option, Peace Lily can do well outside during the summer if placed in a shady location. The good airflow, ambient humidity, warm temperatures, and better light (even in shade) can help them build-up energy reserves for the winter, and support good growth to catch up on any leaf losses from its time indoors. They should be brought back inside from around mid-October through mid-May or so.
Miri
