Peace lily is a beautiful plant with vibrant leaves and stunning white spathes. So, it is understandable if you are panicking because of the brown leaves marring your plant.
Brown leaves make them look depressing but do not be discouraged. It is a common issue usually caused by environmental problems or incorrect horticulture practices. You can rectify this easily once you understand why the leaves turn brown and what you can do about it.
Humans can wear a jacket when it is too cold or turn on the fan when it is too hot. Unfortunately, plants cannot, and neither can they speak. So you would only know they are stressed when they start showing signs of stress.
Brown leaves on peace lilies are a sign of temperature stress. They require a specific temperature range to stay healthy. If the temperature is too hot or cold, like anything above 80 and below 65°F, your peace lilies cannot handle it.
Most plants, in general, including peace lilies, cannot survive without water. Water makes them healthy and strong, but there can be too much of a good thing when you overwater your plants.
So, just because water is good for your peace lily does not mean you water it frequently. Too much can cause soggy soil, which should be avoided at all costs since it causes root rot. And when your peace lily’s roots are rotten, they cannot get oxygen, leading to plant death if neglected.
Watering your peace lily is similar to baking. Too much or too little of something, in this case, water, can cause problems like brown leaves. But how do you know which is which? For that, you should feel the soil. The soil will be dry and crackly if your peace lily lacks water.
Overwatered soil feels moist and clumpy. Also, observe the leaves. The leaves will change from green to yellow to brown and start drooping. Compared to underwatered plants, overwatered ones look full of life because their leaves are still upright.
Speaking of water, the kind of water you use also affects your peace lily. If your tap water is chemically treated to make it drinkable, it might contain fluoride and other additives that might be unsuitable for plants like peace lilies.
These chemicals increase salt concentration in the soil and impede the plant’s ability to absorb water and oxygen, resulting in the problem you are dealing with right now.
Peace lilies are rainforest plants, and rainforests have consistently high humidity. This does not mean they cannot be grown in household conditions. Your peace lilies can thrive in your house if you maintain the ideal humidity level between 40% - 60%.
Anything below this level prevents the peace lily from carrying out vital processes that keep its leaves glossy and vibrant.
You might be familiar with this if you have gotten sunburnt at the beach. Like humans, peace lilies will get scorched by the sun. These plants are not made for sunbathing because they are never exposed to direct sunlight in their natural habitat.
They are shaded by tall trees and only receive dappled sunlight. Their leaves are sensitive to direct sun, so if you have placed them in the wrong spot in your home, your peace lily leaves will turn brown.
Many are guilty of relying on fertilizers to speed up the flowering of peace lilies or when the plant is not growing as it is supposed to. If you are one of them, chances are your peace lily is probably over-fertilized.
Fertilizing when the plant does not need it causes the root to burn, leading to patchy yellow and brown leaves. And unlike other issues on this list, the symptoms of overfertilizing might appear as soon as you fertilize the plant. If this happens, you should rectify it immediately.
Not using the correct soil when planting your peace lily can also cause brown leaves. If you recently repotted your peace lily and made your soil mixture, you could have gotten the mixture wrong.
Peace lilies need compost or rich, well-draining potting mix to thrive—ideally with a soil pH between 5.8 and 6.5. Garden or standard potting soil usually does not work for peace lilies because it does not drain well or hold sufficient moisture. These issues cause root rot.
It may be time to check on the roots if you cannot remember the last time you repotted your peace lily. There is a high possibility that your peace lily roots might be bound. This means the roots are too big for the current pot and are probably tangled and squished.
When this happens, the roots cannot absorb nutrients and water, leading to brown leaves and premature decline in health. One way to confirm this is to check the bottom of your pot. If roots are shooting out of the drainage holes, your peace lily is definitely root-bound.
The only time when you should not be worried about a brown leaf on your peace lily is when it is caused by age. As your plant grows, it ages. Older leaves become brown and fall off eventually because it is too much work to keep them alive and to make way for new growth.
You should not be alarmed by this as long as it is one or two leaves at a time and not the entire plant since it is natural. Aging leaves usually turn brown at the tips before turning brown completely.
Brown leaves on your peace lily are usually not caused by pests. They occur simultaneously instead. This means if the leaves are turning brown, pests might appear.
This is a disaster because pests aggravate the issues. A sure sign of pests on leaves is usually seeing the pests themselves. The leaves also have holes followed by brown or yellow spots. Failure to address this issue timely leads to severe infestation and causes plant death.
Lastly, your peace lily could have leaf disease caused by fungus and bacteria. Some common diseases include powdery mildew, downy mildew, leaf spots, and leaf blights.
Besides brown leaves, these diseases cause a multitude of symptoms like white to light grayish, powdery growth on leaves, blotches or varying sizes, colors, shapes, pustules on leaf surfaces, etc.
These diseases are caused by poor sanitation and horticulture practices such as over/under watering, low humidity, over-fertilization, temperature stress, etc.
Too hot or cold temperatures will affect your peace lily’s health, so maintain the ideal temperature for peace lily. Move your plant to a cooler spot or turn up the AC if it is indoors. If it is outdoors, cover your plant with shade cloth.
Similarly, avoid exposing your plant to cold drafts during winter. Also, keep it away from heat vents as the hot air dries out the foliage and soil. You can also reduce watering during winter.
Getting the watering schedule for your peace lily might require experimenting because they need different amounts of water in different seasons. Additionally, as the plant grows, it might need more water, so having a fixed system might not work.
To get the water right, or if you do not know how to water peace lily, rely on your senses. You can touch the top inch of the soil before watering to check if the peace lily needs water. If it is dry, water it. If the soil is moist, wait until it is dry.
If your house lacks humidity, your peace lily might need the help of a humidifier or a moistened pebble tray. Place your plant near a humidifier or in the bathroom that has natural humidity.
If not, place the plant on a tray filled with pebbles and water. The water will evaporate throughout the day and increase the humidity around your peace lily – remember to top up the water regularly, but be warned it might increase the risk of diseases if the leaves are wet for too long.
To avoid scorching the leaves of your peace lily, place it away from direct sunlight. Put it in an area with bright but indirect light throughout the day.
If this is not possible, consider hanging sheer curtains or blinds over the window so the plant is not exposed to direct sunlight.
When it comes to fertilizers, remember- less is more. Your peace lily will not suffer if it does not receive enough fertilizers, but it will when there is too much. If you suspect your peace lily is over-fertilized, rinse the soil with filtered water to remove salt build-up.
After rinsing, avoid fertilizing for several months to let the plant recover from the stress. When you finally have to fertilize, use the recommended amount labeled on the packaging and dilute its potency by half to avoid salt build-up in the soil again.
Repot your soil if the soil is of the wrong quality and texture. When you repot, ensure you use light and well-draining soil mix.
An ideal mix would contain two parts of high-quality potting soil one part perlite and one part coconut coir. You can also use peat moss, but coconut coir is more sustainable and performs the same function.
Also, try to maintain the texture of the soil mixture to the previous mix. Anything drastically new will shock your peace lily. The shock will make it difficult for the plant to survive in new conditions.
There are many best water for your plants if your water is highly treated. Rainwater is the best if your peace lily is outdoors. You do not have to do anything about this.
If your peace lily is indoors, you could use distilled or filtered water only if you do not mind the cost or inconvenience. The last option would be to leave out your chemically treated tap water for 28 to 48 hours before use. Doing this allows some of the chemicals to dissipate before you use it.
Old leaves fall off on their own, but if you do not discard them, they will decompose in the soil, which can lead to fungal diseases. The best solution to avoid this would be to trim older leaves.
Cut leaves as close to the base as possible to prevent plant wounds. Doing this not only prevents fungal disease but also encourages flowering, which is the end goal of many peace lily enthusiasts.
These solutions work only for brown leaves. Check out this guide if your peace lily is turning yellow.
