Peace lilies are one of the most common houseplants around, known to purify the air you breathe.
While peace lilies are beginner-friendly and relatively easy to care for, the plants will often tell you when something is wrong resulting in its leaves wilting and drooping.
Sometimes the plants - known for their beautiful white flowers - will not bloom. One expert has shared a few mistakes you could "unknowingly" be making.
Vladan Nikolic, indoor plant expert and founder of Mr Houseplant, explained the “most common mistakes” to avoid when caring for peace lilies at home, the Express reports.
1. Not providing enough light
Insufficient light is “one of the main mistakes” owners make that result in peace lily not blooming, according to the plant expert.
This is “easy to take care of”, however, and a tool called an illuminance metre can reveal exactly how intense the light is.
Vladan said: “Give your peace lily 10,000 lux (1,000 foot candles) of bright indirect light, and in a couple of months, it will start to bloom.
“The best way to ensure your plants are getting enough light is to invest in a light meter. That way you can measure the amount of light and be certain the light requirements of your plants are met.”
2. Improper watering
Underwatering and overwatering can hamper your plant's flower growth.
Luckily, a peace lily will let its owner know when it’s thirsty. When leaves begin to droop, water is needed. After watering, allow the top inch or two of soil to dry out before watering the plant again.
However, for those who have watered the plant and it’s still droopy after 24 hours, this indicates overwatering. In this case, let the soil dry out fully to the bottom of the pot, and then water the plant.
After a couple of rounds of this watering technique, the plant should “bounce back”.
3. Not using a proper potting mix
Using the wrong potting mix can have a “negative effect on flowering”. Peace lilies like well-draining and nutrient-rich soil.
The potting mix should be airy and loose so the plant’s roots can get enough oxygen. Owners can either use a high-quality store-bought potting mix, or mix their own by adding amendments to the soil mix they’ve bought.
The houseplant pro instructed: “Mix three parts of store-bought potting mix, one part perlite, and one part bark. Adding amendments that have larger particles creates macro-pores, which contain oxygen, which is essential for the health and resilience of the root system.”
4. Not repotting annually
The plant can become pot-bound when the peace lily isn't repotted annually due to soil getting compacted.
When the plant outgrows its container, the roots fill the pot almost completely and the soil becomes compacted. Pot-bound plants can’t absorb water and nutrients properly, and this “can harm the plant’s ability to flower”.
A peace lily should be repotted once a year to provide it with enough space to grow and to ensure it gets fresh nutrients that are essential for the plant’s growth.
5. Not fertilising
Fertilising is one of the best ways to be sure that a peace lily gets everything it needs to show off those wonderful white flowers. The houseplant guru said: “You should fertilise your plant only when it’s actively growing.
“If you fertilise the plant when it’s not growing, it won’t absorb the minerals and nutrients, which will accumulate in the soil and cause damage.”
Any fertiliser with an NPK ratio of three two one to two is a good choice for fertilising a peace lily during the growing season. Don’t forget to follow the instructions on the fertiliser package, to make sure the correct amount and ratio is being used.
Vladan added: “Peace lilies aren’t too fussy. If you avoid these common mistakes and meet the needs of your peace lily, it will continue to reward you with eye-catching flowers.”
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