A Gardeners Forum Forums Gardening Reference Gardening in 2004 ACK!! Attack of the killer Peace Lilly!

I have a MONSTER of a Peace lily that probably should be divided...but I'm torn.

The last time I repotted the thing, it went into a 24" pot and I thought, gee, this is the last time I'll probably be able to handle this by myself! haha That was 4 or 5 years ago. It seems perfectly happy....I've counted up to 20 blooms on it at once, and it's beautiful. BUT, it is also bigger than my comfy cozy rocking chair! hahaha It pretty much dwarfs the poor chair and just looks way too oversized for the room.

So, the question is...how difficult is it to divide Peace lilys and keep them healthy?

I also have another peace lily that finally found a home in my house that it really likes and has started blooming again after its first blooms when I received it 6 years ago at my mother's funeral. Now, quite a few of its lower leaves are yellowing/browning. I think it needs to be repotted because it droops if not watered a couple times a week.

This plant, though, has quite a bit of stem on each of the individual plants that stands above the soil. Is it better the have the stem base under soil and can the bases drying out be contributing to the leafe loss? Some of the leaves that are turning yellow are new growth, some are old growth, so I don't know if I should be worried or not.

Thoughts????????

thanx!!!

For your "too big" peace lily you might want to try root pruning. Slice off the outer inch or two of rootball around the sides and bottom. This will allow you to move it into a smaller pot, if that is desirable. You can also slice off some of the outer stems and thereby reduce the foliage width. This will make your plant a more manageable size.

Peace lilies do not age particularly well. As they add new leaves they lose older ones. Eventually you have lower stems that are quite bare and don't stand up very straight. In addition, the soil porosity collapses from all of the repeated waterings that peace lilies require. That effects the roots and in turn, the leaves. New leaf discoloration is an indication of root problems and may be caused by age and soil density. Replacing the soil is a drastic measure and may or may not succeed. Moving it to a larger pot is not recommended.

Thanx, Will!

What is the best way to root prune...using a knife (smooth blade or serrated - or will a errated blade tear the root too much), or just plain ol' clippers?

I like the idea of getting it to a more manageable size, and I've searched this site and found quite a lot of information advising against dividing peace lilies because it can be traumatic for the plant and do more harm than good.

You mentioned that the stalks of older peace lilies can get pretty long and don't grow straight. Would you advise transplanting in a pot the same depth, or can the soil be built up to the base of the foliage if the plant is placed in a deeper container?

Sorry about the delayed reply. I have been very busy with Grand Jury Duty this month.

Use a long, sharp, unserrated knife and slice off the sides and bottom of the rootball.

Slice off an inch or two from the bottom. Add a thin covering of fresh soil to the bottom of the same pot. The plant will now sit a bit lower in the pot, allowing you to add a bit of soil on top to help support the stems.

Peace lilies do not last as long as some other indoor plants. In time, they do become lanky and the soil structuire collapses due to the constant watering. Then it is time to give it up and discard it rather than trying to keep it on life support.

i have to differ with will on the life of a peace lily. it is my experience that one can last many years. in fact i have one that is 13 years old and is doing fine. it does go through periods of distress, but that is usually tracable to my faults rather than that of the lily.

also, for dividing it, (and i learned this the hard way) that peace lilies can be divided using the same method as root pruning, except you slice the sharp knife through the plant to divide it as desired.

however, the standard way of dividing them, (to pull the individual plants apart) has not worked for me, and i have killed more than one that way.