How to Get More Flowers on a Peace Lily: The Essential Guide

Peace lilies are beautiful plants and are common in households all over the world. However, you must take proper care of a peace lily if you want it to bloom, as it is quite challenging to get a peace lily to grow new flowers once the original ones fall off. 

To get your peace lilies to grow new flowers, give them the proper amount of indirect sunlight. Water them around once a week, use the right pot and soil, fertilize them often, keep them at room temperature, keep them in a moderate to humid environment, and have patience. 

In this article, we will learn how to get a peace lily to grow more flowers, starting with how to care for a peace lily properly. 

When Do Peace Lilies Bloom? 

Peace lilies (Spathiphyllum) are known to only bloom under certain conditions and at certain times. They are sold for their beautiful flowers, but these flowers only come at certain times naturally. Also, once the flowers come off, it is hard to get them to come back. 

For these reasons, breeders would use a special hormone called gibberellic acid to force peace lilies to grow flowers even when they would not do so naturally. However, the problem with gibberellic acid is that it can cause the peace lily to grow misshapen foliage. Nevertheless, since it allowed breeders to force the peace lilies to grow on demand, it was used often. 

However, newer hybrids will grow flowers more easily and more often than the older hybrids. Still, the plant needs the right conditions to grow flowers, and this article will focus on providing your peace lily with those conditions so it can grow more flowers. 

In general, peace lilies flower in the spring and summer. Before gibberellic acid was used, breeders used to wait until the peace lily was ready to grow flowers naturally. 

However, these days, if you bought a peace lily that already comes with a beautiful white flower, it may not yet be naturally mature. Instead, it may have been “forced” to grow that flower through the use of gibberellic acid. 

Because your peace lily may not be mature, it may be harder to grow more flowers. Depending on the type of hybrid you have, you may have to wait until the spring or summer before you can get those flowers to grow. 

It is worth mentioning that the white “flower” is a spathe and not a real flower. The real flowers are enclosed inside the spathe, but they are very small, and nobody buys peace lilies for those flowers. Instead, they are bought for the spathe that surrounds them. 

In What Conditions Does a Peace Lily Bloom? 

If you want to know how to get your peace lily to grow more flowers, it is important to understand the conditions needed for it to bloom naturally. In general, peace lilies bloom in tropical climates. 

They need warm temperatures to grow (between 65°F (18.33°C) and 85°F (29.44°C) is ideal). They usually grow in dense forests where they get dappled sunlight, according to Gardening Know How.

The problem with peace lilies is that although they look great when you buy them, the spathe eventually dies. Often, this happens after just one month. 

In addition, considering that the peace lily you bought might not be mature and may have been “forced” to grow its flower through the use of gibberellic acid, it stands to reason that it grows more flowers after the first flowers have died can be difficult. 

Even if the peace lily is fully healthy, it may not grow any flowers. However, if you treat it right, care for it properly, and give it the conditions it needs, you will increase the chances of it growing flowers and a beautiful spathe. 

Depending on the type of hybrid you got and how mature the plant is, you may have an easier time getting it to grow flowers, perhaps even when it is not the spring or summer. 

How Long Does It Take a Peace Lily to Bloom?

This question does not have a simple answer as there are a lot of factors that will affect how long it will take for your peace lily to bloom. The main thing to remember is that peace lilies bloom in the spring and the early summer, so if you are reading this in the autumn or late summer, you may have to wait a bit longer than just a couple of months. If it is already nearing spring, you will have to wait less. 

Give Your Peace Lily the Right Amount of Water

A peace lily does not need a lot of water. You can water it just once a week, and that will probably be enough. You should make sure not to overwater it. At the same time, you want to make sure that the soil remains moist. Remember, peace lilies grow in tropical climates that are moist and damp. 

How will you know if your peace lily needs water? One way to know is by checking if it is sagging. This is a sure sign that it needs more water. 

If you forgot to water your peace lily and it is flat and sagging, don’t give up! By watering it again, you may be able to revive it and bring it back to the way it was before. 

One important note is that during the winter, your peace lily will need less water. In the summer, you should water it a bit more. 

It is also important to let the water drain out after you water the peace lily. To that end, use a pot with a drainage hole so that the peace lily does not end up sitting in water-soaked soil, as this can cause it to rot. If the pot is usually put inside a saucer, let it drain out before replacing it inside the saucer. 

Is it recommended to change your plant’s watering schedule? This depends. If you feel like your plant is not getting enough water or is getting too much, then, by all means, water it more or less often. However, if what you are doing right now seems to be working, there is no reason to change your peace lily’s watering schedule. Why fix something that is not broken? 

If you want to know when to change your plant’s watering schedule. You can watch this video to help you find out:

Don’t Use Chlorine in the Water

Although it is important to water your peace lily, make sure not to use water that contains chlorine. Peace lilies are very sensitive to chlorine, and using chlorine can cause it to turn brown. 

If you are using water from the local water system and contains a lot of chlorine, you should at least let the water sit in a pot or container overnight so that the chlorine percolates. However, it is better to use water that does not contain any chlorine at all. 

Also, even if the water does not have chlorine but contains some other chemicals or minerals, your peace lily plant may get harmed. It is best to use distilled water that does not contain any kind of minerals or chemicals. 

Give Your Peace Lily the Right Amount of Sunlight

Remember, we said that peace lilies grow in dense forests? In these dense forests, the sunlight that peace lilies get is shining through the dense forest ceiling. Strong, direct sunlight can kill your peace lily. 

As such, the best place to put your peace lily is outside but in the shade. This will mimic the kind of sunlight it will get in the forest. Under an awning, for example, is perfect. If you have a lot of trees on your property that provides a lot of shade, you can also consider putting your peace lily under them. 

However, if you live inside, there are still quite a few options for giving your peace lily light. You can place it around six to eight feet away from a window, for example, to get the light it needs but not direct sunlight. 

You can also put it in a room with fluorescent lights, as this has worked for many people. Many people put their peace lilies in rooms that do not even have windows and find that they still grow flowers very well. 

However, if you can, do give it more light than it would get from being in a room with no windows. It does not have to be natural light, as mentioned, so if you do not have a room with windows, at least set up some fluorescent lighting. It can be tough to find a balance, so you may have to experiment a bit with finding just the right amount of lighting for your peace lily. 

How can you tell if a peace lily is getting too much sunlight? One warning sign is brown leaves or even brown streaks on the plant. This is a sure sign that it is getting dried out from too much light, and it should compel you to move your peace lily to a more shaded area. 

Keep Your Peace Lily at Room Temperature

Peace lilies will bloom in mild temperatures. Anything between 65°F (18.33 °C) and 85°F (29.44 °C) is good. This makes it perfect as a household plant because room temperature usually falls into that range. 

However, if you put your plant outdoors, make sure not to put it outside if it is hot during the summer. The same applies to the outdoors during the winter. 

Although above 65°F is ideal, if you go below 45°F (7.22 °C), you run the risk of killing your peace lily. As such, if you put your plant outdoors in the shade, make sure to bring it back inside in the evening if it gets cold. 

In addition, if you keep your peace lily inside, make sure to keep it away from your heater, as that could cause it to die. The same applies to your air conditioning — keep the peace lily away from all heating and cooling appliances. 

One trick to help your peace lily grow quicker is to change up the temperature in the night. Remember that peace lilies like to bloom in the spring and summer? If you are keeping your peace lily indoors, you can mimic the summer temperatures so that the peace lily thinks it is summer and blooms accordingly. 

To that end, you can keep the daytime temperature around 72°F (22.22 °C) and the nighttime temperature around 60°F (15.56 °C). 

Although we mentioned that you should place a peace lily a few feet away from a window so that it can get some indirect light, do not place it near an open window during the winter. This is because cold drafts can enter through the window and harm your peace lily. 

Give Your Peace Lily the Right Humidity

If you keep your peace lily inside, make sure the room has a moderate amount of humidity. You do not want it to be too dry, but you also do not want it to be too humid and moist. 

If the room where you are keeping the peace lily is very humid and moist, you might want to consider using a dehumidifier to help make it a bit drier. However, make sure that it remains at moderate humidity instead of getting very dry. 

If you don’t know what type of humidity is best, lean towards more humidity rather than less humidity, according to the Farmer’s Almanac. In that case, peace lilies can grow in humid conditions. You may want to spray the leaves with mist so that they are more moist. 

This is especially important to do during the summer. However, during the winter, you want to water your peace lily less often, as mentioned earlier. 

Use the Right Pot

You may be using the wrong pot for your peace lily, and this can cause it to get overwatered. Your peace lily needs to be in a pot that drains well. Look for a pot that has a draining hole. You may also consider getting a pot made of porous material, unlike a plastic or glass pot. 

Use the Right Soil

Using the right soil is important, too, as if you use the wrong soil, the plant could get overwatered. Look for potting soil that is designed to drain well. For example, you can use this Wonder Soil Mix from Amazon. It is designed for cactuses and succulent plants, which also need soil that drains very well. 

Use a Fertilizer

You don’t want to over fertilize your peace lily, but giving it some fertilizer every two to three months can help it grow. You can use this Joyful Dirt Premium Indoor Fertilizer from Amazon, or you can use another houseplant fertilizer that is designed for plants that are being grown indoors. By fertilizing your peace lily on a regular basis, you can ensure that it gets its nutrients. 

However, it is important to stick to the recommendations on the label of the fertilizer. You do not want to give your plant too much at a time. Neither you want to give it so little that it misses out on important nutrients. 

What if you did not fertilize your plant for a long time? Should you double the amount of fertilizer you give it the first time you fertilize it again? Or should you at least increase the dosage? The answer is a resounding no. You can not make up for the missed time by increasing the dosage of fertilizer. Instead, accept the lost time and start fertilizing it regularly. 

Another thing to consider is that peace lilies need a bit more magnesium than many other plants. It is important to look at the label of any fertilizer you get and make sure that it contains magnesium. 

If you are buying your fertilizer in person, ask them to help you find a fertilizer that will help your peace lily grow flowers. If you are buying your fertilizer online, it is better to find one that contains magnesium, though any fertilizer will still help. 

Another thing you should look for is phosphorus, as this is also something that peace lilies need. Fertilizers made for flowering plants often contain more phosphorus, according to the Farmer’s Almanac. 

There are signs to look out for that may suggest that your plant is not getting enough fertilizer or getting too much fertilizer. If the flowers look green, you may be giving it too much fertilizer. In that case, start giving it less at a time or start giving it fertilizer less often. If the flowers look weak, you may not be giving it enough fertilizer, so you should up the dose and/or the frequency. 

Repot Your Peace Lily

Repotting a plant should always be done with care. In addition, it should not be something you do very often. This is because when you repot a plant, it may go into shock. It is not easy for a plant to get used to its new conditions. However, if you are not having any luck with your peace lily, repotting it might be one way to get it to start growing more flowers. 

Move Your Peace Lily to a New Location

This may help, but it also may not make a big difference. If you are frustrated with the lack of growth your peace lily is experiencing, moving it to a new location can help. It is hard to say what might be the reason for this, but there are reports that this can help. This may be due to an improvement in lighting, temperature, and humidity. 

Take Care of Insects

Although insects can ruin many plants, peace lilies do not have a big insect problem. However, this does not mean that they can not get any insects at all. They may occasionally get spider mites and aphids, but you can wipe off the leaves to remove them. 

If the problem gets bigger, and for some reason, your peace lily seems to have been infested with insects, you can always use a light insecticide to clean up the insects and fix the problem. 

Have Patience

This is important. We mentioned that many breeders force the peace lily to grow its flowers and spathe by using gibberellic acid. For this reason, many people do not even realize that the peace lily is, in fact, a seasonal plant. It is not a year-round plant, even though you can buy it with flowers around the year. Knowing this will help you manage your expectations. 

You may have to wait until the spring or summer for your peace lily to grow flowers. This is okay and normal. By having patience and being persistent with giving your peace lily the care it needs, you will increase the chances of rebloom. 

If you do not manage your expectations, you might end up giving up too early. Even worse, you may try to change its watering schedule or exposure to sunlight unnecessarily. 

Get the Right Kind of Peace Lily

This is not something you can do if you already have a peace lily and want it to grow more flowers. However, if you want to buy a new peace lily and want it to grow new flowers after the first season, getting the right kind of peace lily is important. We mentioned that there are many hybrids and varieties and that some are more likely to bloom than others. 

Generally, the larger varieties are less likely to grow flowers. As such, opt for a smaller peace lily or even a medium-sized one. If you do have a larger variety, manage your expectations. You may have a more difficult time getting it to grow more flowers. 

If you really can not get your peace lily to grow new flowers, you can always buy a new peace lily. You should consider getting a smaller variety so that you do not have to keep buying new peace lilies. 

One more thing to consider is that some hybrids are bred for foliage and not flowers. Although these hybrids usually have a few flowers in the summer and spring, they are not bred for them. This means it will be harder to get actual flowers, and you may be better off spending your efforts on a variety that is bred for its flowers and not just its foliage. 

Should You Use Gibberellic Acid? 

Since we mentioned that gibberellic acid could be used to force a peace lily to grow flowers, you may be wondering whether you should use it to make your peace lily bloom. 

There are both pros and cons to doing this. On the one hand, you can get flowers and a beautiful spathe on demand. If you have several peace lilies and you just can’t seem to get them to grow flowers, gibberellic acid can be a “shortcut” that can seemingly change your life. You can make your home very beautiful with those beautiful spathes on demand. 

At the same time, there are some disadvantages to using gibberellic acid. It can be hard to find on the retail level, as they are usually used by breeders who buy them in bulk. If you find it, it may be expensive, so it may not be worth it for you. 

Also, as we already mentioned, gibberellic acid can cause your peace lily to grow misshapen flowers and spathes that just do not look natural. If you are a breeder and know what you are doing, and if you are growing a lot of peace lilies and can afford to throw away some to make a profit on others, this is not a big problem. 

However, if you only have one or a few peace lilies, you run the risk of ruining the look of your peace lily. Sure, you can get flowers on demand, but is it worth it if it looks so weird?

If you use gibberellic acid, a good idea would be to use very little at a time. Just a dab of gibberellic acid can give your peace lily the final push it needs to grow its flowers.

Warning Signs to Look Out For

Here are some warning signs to look for, according to the Farmer’s Almanac: 

• Brown leaves: This may be caused by too much sunlight, too little water, too much fertilization, or not enough humidity (too much dryness). 
• Yellow leaves: The leaves may simply be old, but they may also not be getting enough or getting too much water. 
• Green flowers: You may be giving the plant too much fertilizer. 
• Weak leaves: A bit of fertilizer might help. 

Final Thoughts

Growing more leaves on a peace lily requires a lot of patience (unless you go the gibberellic acid route). However, by being patient and consistent with the care you provide to your plant, you can reap the rewards of having a beautiful peace lily gracing your home. Be careful to give it just the right amount of water, sunlight, fertilizer, and humidity it needs for it to thrive and grow.