Peace lilies have long been a favorite of indoor gardeners for many years. Not only is this a stunning plant to grow, but it also has the ability to help purify the air. With its classic white blooms and shiny deep green foliage, the peace lily can break down and neutralize carbon monoxide and other potentially harmful gasses.
Even though the peace lily is relatively easy to care for, it can start to develop discolored leaves when something is wrong. Let’s take a look at why your peace lily’s leaves are turning yellow and brown, and how you can fix the problem.
When your peace lily leaves turning yellow and brown, the issue is typically caused by poor care. In most cases, this is the plant’s way of telling you that it isn’t receiving the proper growing requirements it needs to maintain its health.
What Causes Peace Lily Leaves Turning Yellow And Brown?
Before you can treat a peace lily that has yellow and brown leaves, you will first need to determine what is causing the foliage to change color.
The most common causes of peace lily leaves turning yellow and brown are overwatering, excessive fertilization, underwatering, poor water quality, incorrect lighting, temperature fluctuations, and pests and diseases.
Overwatering
Overwatering is one of the most common causes of peace lily leaves turning yellow and brown – how to fix/prevent. Peace lily thrives in soil that is moist but not soggy. This plant cannot handle soggy roots. A good general rule of thumb is to water the peace lily once a week.
If you give your peace lily too much water, the overall health and wellness of the plant will suffer. Not only will the leaves discolor turning yellow and brown, but the leaves can fall off the plant and its growth becomes stunted. As the overwatering continues, root rot will start to form. Root rot is a serious disease without a cure that can kill the peace lily in as little as 10 days.
We at Plants To Trees first published this article on February 25, 2023. Copyright protected.
Excessive Fertilizer
Adding too much fertilizer can leave the peace lily with discolored leaves. You may also notice excessive salt, or a white substance, building up on the surface of the soil. When this occurs, immediately stop feeding the peace lily and flush the soil.
To flush the soil, simply place the plant under running water for several minutes. This will help to flush the buildup of fertilizer from the plant’s soil.
Peace lilies are not heavy feeders, and fertilizer should not be applied more than once every 6 weeks during the plant’s growing season. Additionally, apply the fertilizer at half its strength to help prevent burning caused by too much fertilizer.
Underwatering
Like overwatering, underwatering the peace lily can cause its leaves to discolor. Thankfully, underwatering is not nearly as serious as overwatering, and most plants will rebound once the plant is properly hydrated. With that said, however, you should still aim to not underwater the plant as it puts stress on the peace lily and makes it more susceptible to pest and diseases.
To determine if the issue is overwatering or underwatering, simply inspect the leaves. An underwatered peace lily will have leaves that are discolored and feel dry and crispy. Overwatered peace lily has discolored leaves that feel soft and mushy.
Poor Water Quality
The type of water you use to water the peace lily can also cause the leaves to discolor. This is typically because of the additives that cities place in tap water. Because of this, it is best to use distilled water, filtered water, or even rain water instead of tap water.
Incorrect Lighting
Peace lilies need bright, indirect sunlight, and placing the plant in direct light will cause its leaves to turn yellow and brown. On the flip side, not giving the peace lily enough light can also discolor its foliage. For the best growth, give the peace lily between 10 and 12 hours of sun every day. If you use fluorescent lighting, this amount will need to be increased to 16 to 18 hours a day.
Temperature Fluctuations
Peace lilies grow best when they have a constant temperature of between 68 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit. Temperatures below 60 degrees can cause the peace lily to develop discolored leaves and stunted growth. If it continues to be subjected to such low temps, the plant will go into shock. This can quickly kill the peace lily.
Additionally, peace lilies should be kept away from areas where the temperatures go up and down drastically. Areas such as under or near a heating and cooling vent are a good example of this type of area that isn’t suitable for peace lilies.
Pests
Pests and diseases are another issue that can cause your peace lily’s leaves to turn yellow and brown. The most common pests that affect peace lilies are sap-sucking insects, such as spider mites, aphids, and mealybugs. While seeing these pests can be alarming, they are usually more of an annoyance than a serious problem.
The article owner is Plants To Trees dot Com and this article was first published on February 25, 2023.
If you do see pests, use insecticidal soap and liberally spray the entire plant, including the underside of the leaves. You may need to reapply the pesticide once every 10 to 14 days. Make sure to check the instructions on the label to ensure you are applying at the proper intervals.
Related Articles
Peace Lily Leaves Splitting – How To Fix/Prevent
Peace Lily Leaves Turning Pale/White – How To Fix/Prevent
Peace Lily Leaves Falling Off – How To Fix/Prevent
Hoya Plant Leaves Curling – How To Fix/Prevent
PlantsToTrees.com is the owner of this article and we first published this on February 25, 2023.
Hoya Plant Leaves Turning Yellow And Brown – How To Fix/Prevent