Peace lilies are probably one of the most beautiful plants cultivated for growing as an interior plant, with elegant white blooms and a crown of lush, green foliage. And yet, brown tips on the leaves are very common even on the best, most lovingly cared-for peace lilies.
Brown tips alone don't suggest any serious trouble, but they do show there's something not quite right. This post will help you learn the 12 common brown tips on peace lily leaves with practical solutions to each.
1. Inconsistent Watering
Perhaps the most common culprit of brown tips on peace lily leaves is inconsistent watering. The plants do not like fluctuating moisture levels; therefore, over- and underwatering can be problematic. If the plant is waterlogged, the roots become waterlogged and eventually rot.
This suffocation leads to the eventual browning of the leaves, which turns crispy at the tips. In underwatering, on the other hand, the lack of moisture results in drying leaves from the tip-down. The stress this tug develops between over-watering and under-watering will show up as unsightly brown tips.
Solution
Don't let tips turn brown due to inconsistent watering. Water regularly that the plant is used to. The secret lies in keeping the soil constantly moist, but never waterlogged or extremely dry. One can check the soil by inserting the finger an inch deep; if it comes out dry, then it is time to water.
\Make sure to use a well-draining potting mix so excess water can easily get out and a pot with drainage holes to avoid the collection of water around the roots. During spring and summer, the frequency of watering may be increased but reduced during winter when it is in a dormant period.
Peace lilies are plants from the tropics and do well in high humidity. This can be very dry, especially if grown indoors during the cold season when heating systems are turned on. Low humidity levels can lead to water being lost from the leaves of the plant more quickly than it can be replenished by the roots, thus dehydrating it.
The first symptoms are often drying tips of leaves, turning brown. Low humidity is most critical in areas where winters are severe because the relative humidity of homes tends to be low during this season.
Solution
Some things you can do to fight low humidity and increase moisture in the air around your peace lily include the following. The most effective one is to place a humidifier in the room where you are growing your plant to increase the overall humidity level; this will be more comfortable for both your peace lily and yourself.
You can also create a humidity tray to be placed under the pot. You will need a shallow dish, water, and pebbles. When the water evaporates, more moisture will exist in the atmosphere surrounding the plant. Another method is to mist the leaves with water, but do not over-spray, since this may lead to fungal growth.
3. Direct Sunlight Exposure
This could be because peace lilies get accustomed to the dappled light found in their native rainforests and hence thrive under indirect light conditions. On the other hand, their leaves are so thin that they could get sunburned when put in direct sunlight; this is characterized by brown-colored or sunburned tips and edges.
Peace lilies take a lot of heat from direct sunlight, through which they lose moisture from the plant, resulting in it dehydrating and thus causing damage to the leaves. This may happen in case the pot is placed beside a south window with intensive midday sun.
To save the peace lily from direct sunlight, which results in sunburn and brown tips, you need to get it in the right location. Any area with bright, indirect light works quite fine. An east-facing window would be a good place since this area has soft morning sunlight, not being affected by the intense afternoon sun.
If the greenery is placed in a window facing the south or west, and the light is extremely bright, this would need to be diffused employing a taut curtain or Venetian blinds. Alternatively, place the plant a few feet from the window so that only an indirect type of light reaches it.
4. Chemical Sensitivity (Tap Water)
The majority of people irrigate their plants with water from taps that contain numerous chemicals, mainly those against which the peace lily is sensitive. The continued uptake of the said type of water leads to an accumulation in large of notable quantities of chemicals such as chlorine and fluoride, which are used in the treatment of public water.
This results in toxicity that is expressed in the brown tips of the leaves. These can interfere with the plant's normal ability to take in nutrients and water, causing damage to the leaves and stressing the plant out. Peace lilies are a little sensitive in this regard, so be careful with your water.
Solution
To prevent chemical sensitivity, one could try using filtered or distilled water for the Peace lily. These kinds of waters are free from the chemicals that tend to inflict damage on your plant. If filtered or distilled water isn't easily available to you, you can still go on and use tap water. Just leave it for 24 hours before watering your plant.
This helps in the evaporation of chlorine in the water, hence making it safe for your peace lily. You can also leach the soil with distilled water a few times a year to eliminate potentially built-up chemicals. This practice is to prevent the buildup of unwanted chemicals in the soil, which will not be good for the health and foliage of your plant
While peace lilies do benefit from regular feeding during their growing season, over-fertilization does more harm than good. Excessive fertilization will result in a salt buildup in the soil and burn the roots of a plant so that it cannot take up water properly.
This salt buildup is often behind brown tips when a plant gets under stress. Overfertilization will knock the balance of nutrients in the soil out of kilter, giving the deficiencies and toxicities that will damage the plant further.
Solution
Fertilize sparingly and correctly to avoid over-fertilizing. Feed the Peace Lily with a balanced water-soluble fertilizer during the growing season—spring and summer—diluted to half the recommended strength.
Repeat the process once a month; in fall and winter, if the plant is not growing rapidly, reduce feeding. If you suspect that over-fertilization has already taken place, then flush out salts in the soil by watering with distilled water. Pour water thoroughly on the plant until it runs out of the bottom of the pot.
6. Poor Drainage
Peace lilies require well-draining soil to thrive, and poor drainage can lead to waterlogged roots. When the soil retains too much water, the roots can become oxygen-deprived, leading to root rot.
As the roots become damaged and unable to absorb water, the plant will begin to show signs of stress, including brown tips on the leaves. Poor drainage can be due to the use of the wrong soil, a pot without holes, or allowing the plant to sit in a saucer full of water.
Solution
Partway toward a solution of improved drainage is growing your peace lily with a properly draining potting mix. A mix that contains perlite or sand can help improve soil aeration, hence; no water pools at the roots. Also, make sure that the pot has drainage holes, so in case there is excess watering, the water can get drained.
Empty the saucer under the pot after watering, so that the plant does not stand in water. If your peace lily is already suffering from poor drainage, consider repotting it into fresh soil with better drainage. When you repot, check out for rotten roots (black or mushy ones) and cut off the part where the roots are damaged.
Peace lilies are sensitive to temperature changes and need a stable environment with temperatures between 65-85°F (18-29°C). Drafts, cold air, or sudden temperature changes will put the plant into shock, browning tips of the leaves.
This happens particularly in homes where this plant is near windows, doors, or air conditioning vents that expose the plant to the mentioned temperature extremes. In colder months, they may also be exposed to cold drafts if some windows or doors are open. Cold drafts will stress and damage a peace lily.
Solution
Keep the plant in a stable setting. Avoid placing a peace lily by drafty windows, doors, or vents where it will be exposed to cold air or sudden temperature fluctuations. If your peace lily stands near a window, particularly in winter, move it to some more sheltered place where cold drafts won't hit it directly.
Protect the plant by using thermal curtains and draft stoppers if moving the plant won't work. Also, in the summer, keep plants away from any air conditioning vents. The cold air coming out of vents is stressful, too.
8. Root Bound
It's root-bound when a peace lily grows, eventually the roots will fill up the pot. Once a plant is root-bound, the roots become compact and, in some cases, they will start circling the bottom of the pot.
This constrains the amount of water and nutrients the plant can take in and causes stress to the plant, which results in brown tips on the leaves. Other indications of a peace lily that is root-bound include stunted growth, yellowing leaves, and wilting.
In case the peace lily has turned root-bound, it should be repotted into a larger container. Use at least a pot 1-2 inches in diameter larger than the previous pot for the roots to spread further. Gently loosen up the roots when repotting so that they stretch out in the new pot.
Refresh with new, well-draining potting mix and water down the plant well immediately after repotting. You should repot your plant every 1-2 years, depending on the speed of the growth of your plant. In case you don't want to put it in a new pot, you can trim the roots back slightly so they are not overcrowded.
9. Pest Infestation
While having some resistance to pests, peace lilies are still frequently attacked by spider mites, aphids, and mealybugs. These insects infest the plant by sucking its sap, usually exhibiting brown leaf tips as the damage shows.
This can also turn leaves yellow, stunt growth, and generally debilitate the plant under serious attacks. These can be transferred to your peace lily from a new plant, contaminated soil, or from being outside during warmer months.
Solution
Prevention and treatment of pest infestations are the main lines of action: check your peace lily periodically for the manifestation of pests such as tiny webs, sticky residue, or even insects themselves visible to the naked eye. Isolate the plant if you find any pests to prevent this from infecting your other plants.
In the case of slight attacks, you may use gentle insecticidal soap or neem oil to treat the plant. Be sure to cover the leaves well, including on the underside of leaves where pests like to hide. In heavier infestations, several repetitions may be required, or it might necessitate a stronger insecticide.
Many of the older leaves of peace lilies decline somewhat as they age, turning yellow and developing brown tips; that is the life cycle of the plant. Leaves at the base of the plant, especially, lose vigor and start to dry, creating peace lily brown tips.
This is not necessarily an indication that something is wrong with your peace lily—it's just the plant ridding itself of older growth to make way for a new generation of leaves. If you notice that the brown tips show up mostly on older leaves rather than all over the plant, then it is likely because of aging.
Solution
Nothing to worry about if the brown tips are caused by an older leaf. This will simply retain the plant's appearance and health by trimming off the infected leaves. Eliminating old leaves will also continue encouraging new growth and help the plant expend its energy in maintaining its lush, green foliage.
Take off the older and torn leaves to make sure there is better circulation of air around the plant and that it stays in good condition. While it's normal to see peace lily brown leaf tips on the older leaves, maintain vigilance on the plant for other telltale signs of stress that may show up as yellowing on new leaves, or wilting.
11. Overcrowding
This may be the case because peace lilies like to have their own space; thus, if they are overcrowded with other plants or any other object, then they get stressed. Plants spaced very close to one another fight for light, water, and other essential nutrients that are required for their growth.
As a result of competition, a plant undergoes stress and, eventually, develops brown tips on the leaves. Overcrowding will limit air circulation around the plant; this in itself increases the risk of fungal diseases and a host of other problems.
Provide room to increase in size by keeping it in a location that will allow your peace lily to grow without encumbrances. Not only may other plants block needed light, but they could also create reduced air movement.
If you have a peace lily planted as part of a larger group of plants, you may want to consider rearranging the plants to provide more space between them. This will help in air circulation and prevent competition for resources, thus allowing your peace lily to be at its best.
12. Soil pH Imbalance
Peace lilies prefer slightly acidic soil with a pH range of 5.5 to 6.5. When the soil pH strays too far from this range, the plant may struggle to absorb essential nutrients, leading to issues such as brown tips on peace lily leaves.
A soil that is too alkaline can cause nutrient deficiencies, particularly in iron and magnesium, which are vital for the plant’s health. This imbalance manifests as browning of the leaf tips and edges, and in some cases, you may even notice peace lily black leaves if the problem persists.
To treat brown tips on peace lily due to soil pH imbalance, start by testing the soil pH using a home soil test kit. If the pH is too high (alkaline), you can lower it by incorporating organic materials like peat moss or by using a soil acidifier such as sulfur.
On the other hand, if the pH is too low (acidic), you can raise it by adding lime to the soil. Be sure to make these adjustments gradually, as drastic changes can shock the plant. Regularly monitor the soil pH to keep it within the ideal range, ensuring your peace lily can absorb nutrients effectively and avoid brown tips.
