Peace lilies are one of my favorite houseplants as they are one of the few that flower for months on end!
But in order to keep your peace lily flowering and keep it healthy we need to know exactly how to water it at different times of the year and according to our climate. I work at a garden center, so I have lots of experience growing peace lilies and maintaining them so that they look good for sale.
In this article, I’ll cover how to know when to water peace lilies because, in my experience, universal watering advice isn’t that helpful, as how often you need to water peace lilies can depend on several factors.
But if you’ve only got a minute, here’s my 3 sentence breakdown:
Peace lilies require the soil to be evenly moist, so water regularly with a generous soak. Typically, watering once per week meets the moisture requirements of a peace lily to avoid the plant drooping or developing root rot, but this can vary. Mist the leaves with water to increase humidity.
Keep reading to learn how often and how much to water and mist your peace lily and for important watering best practices to keep your peace lily healthy and prevent drooping or root rot…
How Often to Water Peace Lilies
So, if we are going to undertsand how to water our peace lilies, I find it helps if we appreciate how they grow in their native environment…
Peace lilies (Spathiphyllum) are tropical plants that grow in rainforest conditions in their native Columbia and are adapted to living in moist soil with high levels of humidity in bright indirect light or dappled shade (rather than direct sun).
As peace lilies are adapted to tropical conditions with consistent moisture, they are very susceptible to wilting in our homes because of dryer air and underwatering.
They can also wilt and turn yellow as a response to overwatering or, more often, when the roots are sitting in stagnant water.
So, to successfully grow peace lilies in our homes, I quickly learned the importance of replicating the watering conditions of its native environment.
Peace lilies require the soil to be evenly moist which for me, means watering around once per week with a generous soak. I cant tell when the need watering by feeliong the top inch of the soil which should start to feel somewhat dry between bouts of watering to ensure the soil is not saturated and to achieve the optimal balance of moisture.
It is important to emphasize that whilst peace lilies grow very well in houses at room temperatures of 65°F to 75°F (18°C to 23°C) during the day and at least 50°F (10°C) at night, the air in our homes is often too dry for peace lilies.
Dry air can be exacerbated by air conditioning, forced air, and convection currents from sources of heat, which sap moisture from the leaves and dry out pots quickly.
In my case, my air conditioning would sap the moisture from the air in the Summer, and my radiator would cause convection currents and heat the soil up so that it dried out more quickly.
So the conventional advice is to mist the leaves of your peace lily at least once per week if not more often, to create a humid micro-climate that replicates the humid conditions of its native rainforest environment.
When I tried this out for myself, I found the misting to be inconvenient (I have a lot of house plants!), and I noticed the tips of my peace lily were still turning brown in the depths of winter, which is because I had to have the heating on so the air was really dry.
So I tested some different methods of increasing the humidity, everything from misting more often, using a tray of water nearby for consistent evaporation, and using a humidifier.
Personally, I had the most success with using a humidifier. I found the fact that I can just turn it on to a specific setting and leave it was ultra convenient and it was the best at countering the dry air from the heating, so the tips of the leaves stopped turning brownn.
Increase the humidity and reduce water loss from the leaves so that your peace lily does not dry out.
In very dry homes, not just the tops of the leaves but also the edges of the leaves can turn brown, and the peace lily droops if the humidity is too low.
Here are the factors to take into consideration when it comes to watering peace lilies in the order of prevalence:
- The temperature and natural humidity levels of your climate.
- The size of your pot (smaller pots can dry out much quicker).
- The type of pot (whether it’s plastic or clay, for example).
- The airflow around your home (draughts, open windows, air conditioning can all sap moisture from leaves).
- The capacity of the soil to retain moisture.
So, as I mentioned earlier, I balk at the idea that there is some universal advice on how often to water peace lilies because if I watered a small peace lily in a plastic pot in a humid environment at the same rate as I water a much larger peace lily in a hotter climate that is planted in a clay pot then the small peace lily is likely to end up with root rot and the larger peace lily is likely to droop due to drought stress!
My tried and tested method for establishing how often to water peace lilies, according to your specific conditions, is to feel the soil to an inch depth.
The perfect time for watering is when the top inch of the soil still feels moist, but the surface of the soil feels somewhat dry to the touch. This could, of course, take 4 days or 10 days, depending on your conditions, which is why consistent monitoring of the soil is so important.
In most cases once per week is optimal but adjust how often your water peace lilies to suit your individual conditions to prevent the leaves from turning yellow and wilting from drought and overwatering.
This is the method of watering that I was taught when I started working at garden centers and it works fantastically for large peace lilies three feet tall and smaller ones that are only a few inches tall.
I highly recommend it!
(Read my article, how to save peace lilies with yellow leaves).
How to Tell Whether Your Peace Lily is Underwatered or Overwatered
Rather confusingly, the symptoms of both an underwatered or drought-stressed peace lily and an overwatered peace lily are largely the same (It’s very frustrating!):
- Drooping leaves are the most pronounced effect of drought stress and overwatering.
- The leaves can turn brown or even yellow.
- The leaf edges tend to turn brown if the humidity is too low.
My way of definitively telling whether a peace lily is suffering due to underwatering or overwatering is to feel the soil at the bottom of the pot through the drainage hole.
If the soil is boggy or damp, then overwatering is the problem, but if the soil is relatively dry, then it is safe to say underwatering and drought stress is the cause.
Increase or decrease your watering accordingly and the peace lily is likely to recover as it is a surprisingly resilient plant however overwatering usually causes more harm than under watering. (Read my article on how to revive a dying peace lily for more information and for the solutions).
If overwatering is the problem then my best advice is to repot your peace liliy to a clay or terracotta pot as these materials are breathable whereas plastic can retain lots of water. The clay pots help the soil to dry out more evenly. It is my most effective step at mitigating root rot.
Important Peace Lily Watering Tips
The peace lily is a tropical plant that thrives in warm conditions. The rain in its native Columbia is typically much warmer than the tap water in your home.
What I’ve learned is that the peace lily can suffer mild shock when it is watered with cold water, as the roots, in particular, are sensitive to low temperatures.
From my conversations with some specialist growers, the insistence on best practice is to leave the water in its container till it reaches approximately room temperature before watering.
You should also be conscious of the fact that Peace lilies can also be sensitive to fluoride and chlorine in the water, which can cause the tips of the leaves to turn brown and crispy. Chlorine evaporates if the water is left out overnight before watering your peace lily.
Fluoride can build up and harm the peace lily but using filtered water or rainwater occasionally to water your peace lily can mitigate these effects.
I personally use rainwater to water my peace lilies.
(Read my article, on how to fix peace lilies with brown leaf tips).
How Often to Water a Peace Lily in Winter
From my research, I discovered that peace lilies do not go dormant in Winter and can actively grow all year round in their native environment.
However, I’m sure you have noticed that growth tends to slow down during winter in our homes because of the reduced hours of light and reduced intensity of light (peace lilies should grow in bright indirect light).
This can lower the demand for water as can cooler average temperatures which reduces evaporation and water loss from the leaves.
However the temperature indoors can fluctuate more in Winter due to artificial sources of heat which can dry the plant out much quicker then normal.
It is worth reiterating that you may have to water and increase the humidity around the peace lily more often in Winter to counteract the drying effects of indoor heat from forced air and radiators.
I personally feel the top inch of the soil to monitor the moisture and increase my watering if I notice the peace lily drying out too quickly.
If the peace lily is too dry, the leaves let you know by drooping. A generous soak of water helps to revive the plant after a bout of drought stress and dry soil.
Pro tip: I periodically pick my peace lilies pot after watering and throughout the week to assess its weight. When the pot feels noticeably lighter, I know the soil is dry, and it is a good time to water.
How Much to Water a Peace Lily
Knowing how much to water your peace lily is essential.
Many variables can affect how often to water your peace lily but how much water you should use remains the same.
You need to water your peace lily with a generous soak so that excess water trickles out the base of the pot.
This ensures that the water has infiltrated the soil and reached the roots of your peace lily and that the soil is evenly moist.
Watering generously also encourages good root development, as it encourages the roots to grow down and access the moisture they need.
Watering too lightly results in only the top inch or so of the potting soil becoming moistened while the rest remains relatively dry, causing your peace lily to droop.
A good soaking so that the soil is moist helps to replicate the conditions of the peace lily’s native environment.
Avoid this mistake…
At the garden center where I work, we experimented with using several different soil gauges to measure the soil’s moisture to establish when it needs watering. What we found was the soil gauges are not sensitive enough and were essentially unreliable.
Some of them stated the soil was dry when, in fact, it was still damp to the touch, whereas others stated the soil was damp when it was dry.
I concluded that, in my opinion, there is not a better way to establish when the best time to water is then by manually feeling the soil yourself.
(Read my article, How to Grow and Care for Peace Lilies).
Water Peace Lilies in Pots with Drainage Holes in the Base
While peace lilies require evenly moist soil, they do not tolerate their roots being in boggy, saturated soil, so they must be planted in pots with drainage holes in the base to allow excess water to escape.
As we talked about earlier, watering so that excess water trickles out the base of the pot is a good way to ensure that the peace lily has been sufficiently watered.
If your peace lily is planted in a pot without drainage holes then excess water pools around the roots and the plant show signs of stress due to overwatering such as drooping and turning yellow. Saturated soil can cause root rot and can be difficult to revive the plant.
Excess water can still pool around the roots if:
- The drainage holes become blocked with compacted soil or roots. If you notice water draining slowly, check the drainage holes in the base to ensure water can drain freely.
- Saucers, trays, and decorative outer pots can prevent water from escaping. Saucers, trays, and sometimes decorative outer pots are used to prevent water from spilling in the home. Ensure that they are emptied regularly to prevent water from pooling around the roots and causing root rot.
(Read my article, why is my peace lily not flowering?).
Do you have any more questions or insights about peace lilies? If so, please comment below!!!!
Key Takeaways:
- Typically, watering peace lilies once per week meets their watering requirements to keep the plant hydrated. Water with a generous soak each time to ensure the soil is evenly moist. Mist the leaves with water to increase humidity and prevent the peace lily from drying out.
- Plant peace lilies in pots with drainage holes in the base to allow excess water to drain freely.
- The symptoms of both underwatering and overwatering are a drooping appearance with the tips of the leaves turning brown or yellow.
- Mist the leaves with water to increase humidity and emulate the conditions of the peace lily’s native rainforest environment.