Peace lily leaves turning yellow?

Peace lily (Spathiphyllum) is typical for its dark green leaves and white and strangely shaped flowers. It is a rather undemanding plant and if you provide few basic conditions it will thrive. This makes peace lily a great plant for beginners. However, this cute plant often suffers from leave yellowing, which later turn brown and black. What is the actual cause of this unwelcomed change?

Watering

Every plant has different watering preferences and these may be tricky sometimes. How often you need to water your plant mainly depends on the surrounding environment. If it is humid, you will water less. < strong >Usually, you may have watering problems with plants that you have acquired recently and do not have the experience yet. However, this should not be too difficult. Do not use water directly from the tap, which is usually hard. Use rainwater instead and if you cannot, let tap water sit for at least 12 hours.

Photo: Freeimages

Incorrect watering

Black leaves are mostly caused by improper watering. First, you notice blackish spots on leaf tips and edges. If you do not take an action, black spots will spread over the entire surface of the leaf. The problem may be caused by insufficient air humidity or, conversely, by too much watering. Check the substrate: if it is heavy and wet, the plant has too much water and its roots cannot breathe properly. They may rot and the whole plant will die eventually.

Can you save flooded plant?

If you noticed yellow or brown spots on leaves, check if the plant is still growing new leaves. If not, remove it from the pot. No mercy. Clean roots and remove damaged ones. You can also apply an antifungal product. Transfer the plant into a pot with fresh soil. Water sparingly. Give the plant time to get used to the new pot and do not apply any other treatments.

Insufficient watering

Peace lily may also suffer from insufficient watering. Short period of drought will not harm the plant, if it is strong and in good condition, however, if you keep ignoring it, the plant will give you a “hint”. Leaves start turning yellow and dry up eventually. You must water immediately to save the plant but you need to do it correctly (not too much or too little water). The best way is to water little bit as soon as the top layer of the substrate dries out.

Pests

Another reason for leaf yellowing may be pests – especially spider mites. These usually appear during the heating season, when air humidity is low. Remove the affected leaves and increase air humidity around plants (spray it with water, put a bowl of stones and water under it, move it closer to other plants, etc.). A bath in soapy water also works well against spider mites.

Dry air

Dry air can also cause leaf yellowing and browning. This also happens during the heating season. If that is the case, increase humidity again.

Draft

Drafts may also be the problem. You may grow on a windowsill but make sure that you do not open the window too often.

Too much fertilizer

More fertilizer is not better. Always follow the manufacturer’s instructions and observe plant’s needs. Too much fertilizer may turn tips and edges of leaves brown too. < strong >Use fertilizer once every two weeks from April to September.

Source: https://porady.interia.pl/…869

Preview photo: Pixabay