Every person chooses plants for some purpose: to decorate the interior, purify the air, symbolize home warmth and comfort. A Peace Lily, a beautiful and delicate flower, fits all these criteria. The plant symbolizes female happiness, brings light and comfort to the apartment. A fairly common flower for novice florists, it does not require complex care. Even a beginner can easily cope with it.
Basics
Peace Lily is an evergreen perennial plant that belongs to the Aroid family. It originates from the Philippines and is natural to Indonesia, Central and South America.
The genus Spathiphyllum includes about 30 different species, but the main similarities are the spear-shaped leaves of a dark green color. During the flowering period, the plant produces a long stem, on which a flower of extraordinary beauty blooms. The flower itself looks like an ear, wrapped in a light satin cloth. White flowers also resemble ‘the flag of peace’ - this is where the name comes from.
The inflorescence consists of a peduncle, which is about 20 centimeters long, supporting the central spadix. Many small male and female flowers are located there.
Spathiphyllum is one of the ten indoor plants that purify indoor air well. The plant is able to neutralize benzene, formaldehyde and carbon monoxide.
Watering
Spathiphyllum needs watering once a week. Keep in mind that if it is grown at low temperatures or poor lighting, the need for water will be less. This rule also works exactly the opposite; at high temperatures and large amounts of water, more water is needed.
This flower is very sensitive to chlorine, so it is better not to water it with tap water. It is best to let the chlorine evaporate from the liquid: pour water into a container and let it sit for 24 hours. You can also use distilled water. Be careful not to overwater the plant: due to the large amount of water in the soil, its leaves may turn yellow.
The Peace Lily loves a high percentage of air humidity, since its usual habitat is the tropics. This is especially important in spring and summer, but in autumn and winter, it will be enough to spray once a week with warm water. When spraying, try not to pour water on the flower: ugly brown spots may remain on it.
For high humidity, place the pot with the plant in a tray with expanded clay or pebbles. Water the stones periodically: they will evaporate moisture, thereby the plant will receive the right amount of it.
Temperature
The room temperature should not drop below 18 degrees Celsius (64.4 degrees Fahrenheit). The most comfortable temperature for a flower is between 22-24 degrees Celsius (71.6-75.2 degrees Fahrenheit).
Light
In the warm season, the flower needs diffused sunlight. Place the flower on the sill of windows that face west or east. In the cold season, we advise you to install additional lighting - a fluorescent lamp.
Do not place the flower in direct sunlight: it may cause the leaves to dry out and turn yellow. Try to create partial shade around the flower. Some gardeners even cover the lower part of the window with plastic.
Other recommendations
Although the flower is not very picky about care, we still advise you to adhere to the rules below:
1.Ground and pot
For a Peace Lily, it is better to choose shallow and low pots, the volume of which is about 1 centimeter larger than the root system. The presence of drainage will also be a prerequisite, as it helps to remove excess moisture from the soil and for its aeration.
We recommend you to choose a light soil; a ready-made soil mixture for Aroids would be best suited.
2. Top dressing
Here, you need to be very careful: an excess of nutrients leads to the adverse effect. You should not completely abandon fertilizing, though; but choose complex organic fertilizers. Use them only in spring and summer, during the period of active growth, but no more than once a month. In the fall and spring, stop the procedure completely.
3.Transplantation
Experienced gardeners advise replanting the plant once every two years.
At the very beginning, choose a new pot (2 centimeters larger than the previous one). Lay the drainage at the bottom of the tank; expanded clay is best suited. Now, moisten the substrate in the old pot, and then very carefully, trying not to damage the root system, take out the flower. After that, you need to gently shake off and rinse the roots.
Fill the prepared soil on the drainage and moisten it a little. Then, place the flower in the center of the pot and fill all the voids with soil.
After this procedure, it is best to put the flower in the shade and leave it there for 2 weeks. Then, you can return it to its usual place.
