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Peace lily with drooping leaves and NOT taking in its water from the soil

ajla.kotolenko1ychrdZ7ajla.kotolenko1ychrdZ7 Posts: 5
in Plants
Hi, I bought a peace lily plant a few months ago and it looked pretty happy and healthy first few months, it bloomed pretty nice. But two weeks ago, it stopped taking in the water from the soil and its leaves drooped a bit. After waiting cca 10 days to see if the soil is going to dry I decided to repot it in a new pot to check if the roots had started to rot and the old one was a bit too small anyways (its roots were sticking out out of the drainage holes). The roots were healthy. I watered it after repotting. After a week in its new soil the lily still has drooping leaves and its soil is still wet. I think the cause for it could be the water quality because I am using tap water. Also I notice that one of the smaller leaves got a black colour. I am not sure if I should repot it again in dry soil, would that cause too much stress. Anyways could use the advice on this because I am not sure what to do now in order to save it. 

Posts

  • Ladybird4Ladybird4 Posts: 37,906
    Hello @ajla.kotolenko1ychrdZ7 and welcome to the forum. Many people do not realise that an OVER watered plant can often show the same signs as an UNDER watered plant i.e. drooping leaves. This may be what has happened with your Peace Lily. Try leaving it to dry out before you water it again.
    Cacoethes: An irresistible urge to do something inadvisable
  • ajla.kotolenko1ychrdZ7ajla.kotolenko1ychrdZ7 Posts: 5
    Hi @Ladybird4, thank you very much for your answer. I would always check the soil top before watering and usually soil top would be dry in 3-4 days after I water it but now it does not dry even after 7 days. I will try and leave it for a few more days without water and see if there is change, but I am scared that its root will start to rot. 
  • Ladybird4Ladybird4 Posts: 37,906
    What sort of compost have you got your lily planted in? Is the pot it is in a plastic pot?
    Cacoethes: An irresistible urge to do something inadvisable
  • ajla.kotolenko1ychrdZ7ajla.kotolenko1ychrdZ7 Posts: 5
    It is general soil for indoor plants, made mostly of peat, wood fibre, green compost and lime and the pot is indeed plastic.
  • Ladybird4Ladybird4 Posts: 37,906
    Many of those components hold on to water and constant damp could affect the roots. Take the plant out of the pot and allow it to dry out that way. Tap water could be left to stand for a day before being used to water the plant - this allows chlorine, which is not good for the lily - to leave. If possible use rain water. I notice you have the pot standing on pebbles to create a humid atmosphere. If water runs through the pot and there is a lot of water in the saucer, then that may cause a perpetually wet soil. Peace lilies like to be moist but not wet.
    Cacoethes: An irresistible urge to do something inadvisable
  • ajla.kotolenko1ychrdZ7ajla.kotolenko1ychrdZ7 Posts: 5
    I will do that, and maybe I could mix the soil with the perlite in order to improve the drainage. I will buy distilled water for now because there is not that much rain currently. But when possible I will use the rainwater. Thank you very much for your advice, very helpful! 
  • Ladybird4Ladybird4 Posts: 37,906
    You are most welcome.
    Cacoethes: An irresistible urge to do something inadvisable
  • CeresCeres Posts: 2,698
    Should your peace lily survive, which I hope it will, you could maybe try a different watering regime. I tend to just water mine once a week and I leave it standing in a couple of inches of water (including a dash of plant food) for a few hours or overnight, by which time it has soaked up as much liquid as it needs. Leave it to drain before returning it to its "home". Letting the plant decide how much water it needs removes any guesswork.
    I use tap water for most of my houseplants though of course tap water varies around the country and those with a water softener might have problems.
    A lot of houseplants thrive on a bit of neglect, that is they don't need to be fussed over because doing too much can be as bad as doing nothing at all.
    Good luck with the plant......it could carry on growing for years.
  • JennyJJennyJ Posts: 10,576
    I find that most houseplants, including peace lilies, do best if you wait until the compost is dry down to about the depth of your first finger joint (so an inch to 1.5 inches or so, maybe 3 or 4 cm in new money) before watering.
    Doncaster, South Yorkshire. Soil type: sandy, well-drained
  • ajla.kotolenko1ychrdZ7ajla.kotolenko1ychrdZ7 Posts: 5
    @Ceres I will try that way of watering next time if it survives. Yes, sometimes I feel I am bugging my plants. But I am a rookie, got a few indoor plants this year so now just trying to keep them alive. Thank you very much for your advice!

    @JennyJ I am always checking, but will be more careful from now on. Thanks for the tip!
     
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