Peace lily, also known as the white sails plant or spathe flower, is a stunning, low-maintenance plant with shiny foliage and white flowers called spathes. They are surprisingly easy to grow in water – as long as you provide them with the ideal conditions, that is.
Growing Peace Lily in Water – Step-by-Step Guide
Table of Contents
We’ll review each step involved in growing peace lilies in water in detail.
Look for a Glass Container That is Adequately Sized
Step one is to look for a glass container that can provide adequate space for your peace lily. It is common for some people to use a small vase, but you can also use a tall glass container if you prefer. A common reason why people plant peace lilies in water is so they can see the roots grow in real-time.
You could easily use a plastic container that hides all the action, but why bother? In any case, you should note that algae will be a nuisance to deal with.
This should not be a problem as long as you are changing the water on a regular basis. You will also have to remove the peace lily from its glass container every now and then. This is why you should look for a glass container with a wider mouth.
Although it’s not needed, it is highly recommended to weigh the plant’s roots to allow the peace lily to stand more straight.
You may use any type of decorative stone, such as rocks and caves, to anchor the roots. Some people prefer to get colorful marbles and pebbles because they are fascinating to look at. Just make sure to clean and disinfect them with some isopropyl alcohol (or rubbing alcohol).
Choose the Right Type of Water (important step)
It’s tempting to fill the glass container with tap water since it’s easily accessible. But doing so may restrict the plant’s growth and outright kill it due to the presence of harmful chemicals such as chlorine and fluoride. Instead, a much safer route is to go to a nearby store and fetch some tepid distilled water.
Tap water contains harmful chemicals that can cause the leaves to turn an unsightly shade of yellow.
Note that distilled water is devoid of beneficial nutrients that are good for your peace lily. To compensate for the lack of nutrients, you may want to add some liquid nutrient supplements.
This is an important step considering that the soil roots won’t be able to feed the plant like they usually would.
Alternatively, you may also get filtered water for your peace lily. The filtration process will remove contaminants such as lead, chlorine, fluoride, and various bacteria.
Not all filtration systems are equal. Some filters may be great at removing viruses but may not be good at removing contaminants such as fluorine that can harm the peace lily.
If you want to filter the water, consider using activated carbon or reverse osmosis to provide the best water for your lily plant.
Uproot the Peace Lily
Hold the peace lily with one hand at the base of its stems. Now tilt the pot over and carefully slide the plant out. The roots may resist this process if they’ve overgrown in the same container (usually happens if you didn’t change the container). You could also squeeze the sides of the pot if it’s made of plastic to loosen the soil.
Shake off as much of the soil from the plant as you possibly can. This can be done by rinsing the plane in water or hosing them to clear out all the soil.
Just make sure to be careful when using a hose because you don’t want to break the roots. The peace lily is a hardy plant and will grow back as long as it still has 75% of its root system intact. Any more, and the plant may struggle to bounce back.
Create a Plastic Stopper
The purpose of a plastic stopper is to secure the peace lily in place at the top of the vessel. You can cover the glass container with plastic with a hole in the center.
The stem of the peace lily will go through the hole so that the plant is kept in the ideal position. Creating a plastic stopper isn’t particularly hard, and you may be able to skip this step if you are using a small glass container.
Transfer the Peace Lily to the New Container
Before placing the peace lily in the glass container you chose earlier, it is prudent to take a good look at the plant.
You want to examine the roots of the peace lily to see if they have been damaged. This is an important step because damaged roots will prevent the plant from growing in water.
Once you identify damaged roots, you should go ahead and remove them with shears. Once everything looks okay, you should be ready to place the plant in a glass container.
Pro tip: You can get better results if you have a peace lily that has already adapted to growing in water. Although peace lilies prefer to grow in soil, they can be trained to grow in water over time.
Now it’s time to place the Peace Lily into the glass vessel. Assuming that you have already filled the vase with water, start by placing the roots into the container until they are completely submerged.
Anchor the roots with decorative rocks, as discussed earlier. Avoid adding fertilizer at this point because the plant will be in an elevated state of stress for a while. Fertilizing at this stage may do more harm than good.
Note that only the roots should be submerged, not the stems. The most difficult step of the process is now complete.
Another challenge is to ensure that you have an adequately sized glass container. Anything too small or big will produce less-than-ideal results.
Fighting Off Pests
Pests are always bad news for your tropical plants. The most common pests include spider mites, thrips, and fungus gnats.
You should always use homemade solutions to fight off pests. Most pests can be treated with some horticultural oil you can easily fetch from a nearby garden store. These thin oils work exceptionally well on pests by disrupting their breeding cycle.
You can also use insecticidal soap because they are very effective against aphids and mealybugs. Finally, you should use sticky traps to control the population of fungus gnats.
This can also work well against spider mites. Brown leaf tips and yellow leaves are a common indicator that your plants are under attack by pests and need your attention.
Always Change the Water
Remember, stagnant water is bad water. If you leave your peace lily in stagnant water for months on end, it will attract viruses, pests, bacteria, and of course, algae.
For best results, you should mark your calendar to remind you to change the water once every two weeks. This will prevent the roots from drying out, causing the plant to die prematurely.
Final Thoughts and Important Questions
So there you have it, a comprehensive guide to growing peace lilies in water. As long as you provide the plant with the ideal conditions, keep the pests away, and regularly change the water, you should be able to get good results with the peace lily growing easily.
If you do everything right, you will see amazing results, and the plant will adapt to its new environment in water relatively quickly. The only disadvantage of growing peace lilies in water is that their growth rate would be lower and may not produce white blooms.
Growing a peace lily hydroponically may stall its growth rate. If you’re fine with this arrangement, then by all means, grow your peace lily in water.
Looking at the roots is worth the effort of growing plants in water. It’s also easier to keep track of your plant’s health through the transparent glass container. This way, if you notice signs of root rot, you can stop it before it spreads too far.
Can Peace Lilies Be Grown in Water?
Yes, you can easily grow peace lilies in water. In fact, many stores sell them in vases that don’t contain any soil.
For best results, the base of Peace Lilies should be suspended above the water line with a layer of small river stones or a specially designed vase insert.
This method allows the roots to grow in a downward direction but prevents the base of the Peace Lilies and their leaves from getting constantly wet, which can easily lead to root rot.
Humidity Peace Lilies
As a rule, you should keep the peace lilies away from any heat source, including refrigerators and heaters. Peace lilies can grow well at a humidity level of about 50% but prefer anything above 80%. We recommend using a humidifier to keep the ambient atmosphere at a constant humidity level.
Fertilizer is Good for Peace Lilies
Peace lilies grown in water will need a bit of fertilizer every now and then. You should add a few drops of liquid fertilizer every two weeks.
This is important because the roots don’t have access to soil for nutrients. Also, the plant is trying to get accustomed to its new environment and will need all the nutrients it can get.
Don’t add too much fertilizer because it could burn the roots and kill the plant. A few drops of liquid fertilizer is all you need.
Brown leaf tips are a common sign that your peace lily plants are receiving too much fertilizer. If you notice a subtle shade of brown, it’s a hint that you should stop feeding your plant.
Peace Lilies Grow Well in Indirect Sunlight
The peace lily needs indirect sunlight or dappled shade in order to grow in the glass container. Peace lilies do exceptionally well when placed in indirect sunlight.
Avoid direct sunlight because it can burn and scorch the leaves. A good solution is to place them in a north-facing window or an east-facing window.
If the plant’s leaves are turning yellow, it’s an indication that you are providing too much sunlight.
You could also use aquarium light if the area where you live doesn’t receive sufficient light. The only problem is that aquarium lamps point directly downward at the water column and may not provide enough light to your peace lily.
Temperature Peace Lilies
Peace lilies are native to tropical rainforests and belong to the Arum family, where they have adapted to normal indoor temperatures.
They will thrive in temperature ranges from 60°F to 85°F. They don’t take kindly to cold drafts and will die if the temperature frequently dips below 45°F. Remember, cold spells are the Achilles heel for tropical plants like Peace Lilies.
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