The "Peace Lilly" is a beautiful plant, with dark green leaves boosting bright
white flowers - the down side - they can get brown tips on the end f the leaves.
Why? There are lots of reasons the tips may turn brown. Everything from
over-watering, under-watering, heat exposure, too much fertilizer, or a
combination of these factors, can cause your peace lily to have brown tips.
Throw in a mix of the different varieties and Peace Lily confusion sets in.
There are dozens of Peace Lily (Spathiphyllum) grown today. Some varieties are
grown for their mass of flowers, but flowers come at some expense. The expense
of nutrients the flowers take and the plant cannot use. Peace lilies usually
have lots of leaves, and may need more moisture to support the foliage. If you
notice lighter colored leaves and if the plant dry out too much the plant may
get browning tips.
Flower
Where are the Brown Tips on Your Peace Lilly?
The older leaves will be lower on the plant. If this is where the brown tips
show up - these leaves do not "pull" food, as new rapidly growing leaves will.
Brown tips and leaf loss in this case may be natural.
Some varieties are not grown for flowers like Supreme, Lynise, and Sensation.
These are plants usually grown in 10 inch and larger pot size and may present
the same problem in looks, but for a different cause.
In the nursery these plants receive water and fertilizer on a regular basis.
They may be watered daily or every other day. Suddenly, the plant is shipped to
a nursery or garden center and now does not receive the same treatment.
If the plants get less water and the fertilizer (salts) in the pot increase
because of the reduced moisture can cause burning of the roots. This stops the
plant from using all the moisture and food available with a complete root
system.
What about Under-Watering?
Under-watering can occur in two ways (and probably more). The first - the plant
just does not get enough water and wilts down before the next watering. A little
droop may be OK, but not laying on the ground. This is rarely the case with
houseplant owners.
The second method we'll call "fake watering". You assume you are watering but
really do not. This happens when the soil dries out, and may even pull away from
the pot and the soil is re-watered. The water takes the path of least resistance
and goes straight to the bottom of the pot. The soil may become moist in some
areas but soil mass never becomes evenly moist. The plant may perk up some but
the soil is still too dry.
Result - Brown tips.
Remedy - Water slowly and not in one small area, completely saturate the soil with moisture.
Brown Tips from Over-Watering!
Over-watering can produce brown tips too. The reason - the root system cannot
use all the water available. The roots swimming in water rot off. Less roots
means less leaves, and usually the oldest leaves go first.
Heat Stress
Too much heat is another possibility. You may wonder how you can have too much
heat, when it is 72 degrees in your house. The temperature may read 72 but to a
plant sitting next to the window the temperature can be much higher than you
realize. We all can find hot and cold spots indoors.
House Plants - Great Communicators
Plants are great communicators, they re-act in ways we can easily understand if
we stop and look at the situation. Plants may not tell us exactly what is wrong
BUT they do tell us to LOOK something is wrong.
When you are looking for answers to WHY, ask some questions. Many times the
little things we may not pay attention to cause the problems. First, did
anything change in the environment?
Something as simple as - Opening up the house after a long winter to air things
out can cause problems. The temperature may be a little cool and a light sweater
or long sleeve shirt may be fine for you but did the plants get a sweater?
Here are a few other questions to ask:
* Did you move the plant?
* Has the watering changed?
* Is the plant new and getting acclimated?
* What is the root system like?
* What variety is it?
* Is the plant actively growing? Putting out new leaves with good color.
ALL valid questions.
Do not assume because you see some brown tips your plant may need repotting or
fertilizer. It may be just the opposite.
Thomas Fryd shares his plant experience at http://www.plant-care.com and recommends Indoor House Plant Secrets where you can learn house plant care from the pros.