Peace Lilly I need REAL help here!!!

[Sharon Marie]

Someone help me... I've been looking all over the net searching for help here. I have a peace lilly since 1996. My grandmothers funeral. It got root rot, I took it out of the soil and rinsed and removed all bad roots. A nursery web site I found someone advised me to put it in water, and to change the water every other day. I've been doing this and I think that it is getting worse. Today, when I changed the water The roots felt slimy. It is not really humid in my house, We are about 68-72 deg. Any help would be reallllly nice!!!!

[Kisal]

I'm just not sure that putting roots that were rotting from too much water into noting but water is likely to solve the rot problem. Perhaps the person meant for you to remove all of the roots and put the stem in water, so that it could sprout a whole new root system. I honestly don't know if that works with Peace Lilies or not.

https://www.flowershopnetwork.com/pages/newsletter/NewsletterMarch2003.php

"As far as watering is concerned, Peace Lilies prefer an evenly moist soil. Most people find that they can water their plants once a week, depending of course on light and temperature conditions. At lower light levels or cooler temperatures, any plant will use less water than when it is more actively growing. Use room temperature water. Soil should never be soggy, and plants should never stand in a saucer filled with water. Peace Lilies should also never be allowed to completely dry out, which will result in wilting of the plant, death of the tiny root hairs which conduct water to the plant, and subsequent yellowing or browning of the leaf edges. Peace Lilies do exhibit a sensitivity to chlorine in the water, so in metropolitan areas where it may be heavily chlorinated, it's best to allow the water to stand overnight to allow the chlorine to dissipate before watering the plants." [Emphasis mine ... K]

[Sharon Marie]

Some parts of the stem have brown on it. Is there any hope?

[CharlieK]

I can't help much but we have a big one that's 8-9 years old and I doubt it gets watered once a week. It is indoors next to a big NE facing picture window. I hope things improve. Give us an update if you don't mind.

[Sharon Marie]

I took the peace lilly out of the water. I trimmed the roots back to about 1-2". I planted it in a much smaller pot (so the roots would be sort - of crowded) and I used moisture control soil from miracle grow. I saw that the baby leaves that are new are doing well, but the other leaves that have brown are the same. I figure that I should let the newer leaves get large, and eventually remove the brownish leaves. Is that a good idea?

[Kisal]

Yes, that would be appropriate. The damaged leaves will never "heal" and turn all green again. Let the new leaves grow and then remove the damaged ones, so your plant is pretty again.

[vintagejuls]

Sharonmarie,

Kisal is spot on with advice. Peace Lily's can be a little tempermental if allowed to faint too often from lack of water. But you did the right thing by repotting. Good luck and let us know what happens.