Peace Lily Tips Turning Yellow and Brown

Peace lilies are tropical plants that thrive in moist, humid conditions. If the tips of your plant turn brown and yellow, it’s a sign that you’re overwatering or underwatering, or your peace lily is suffering from other problems such as temperature stress or sun scorch.

When a peace lily is overwatered, the roots aren’t able to access oxygen. A peace lily should only be watered when the top inch of soil is dry.

Poor Drainage

Peace lily plants are fussy about their water. They like consistently moist soil but they don’t tolerate boggy or wet conditions. Using a light soil mix that holds moisture but drains well is best. You can feel the soil to gauge if it is moist enough but don’t overwater. Always let the top inch of soil dry out before rewatering.

Being native to tropical jungles, peace lilies need humid conditions. If the air is too dry, it will cause the tips of the leaves to turn yellow and then brown. You can boost humidity by placing the plant on a pebble tray or misting it daily. Vivlly’s coco soil for plants works like vermiculite to improve drainage so that the plant can absorb the water it needs. It also helps to retain the soil’s nutrients. Ensure your pots have adequate drainage holes and avoid placing them on saucers, trays or decorative outer pots to prevent boggy soil.

Overwatering

Overwatering occurs when you water your plant without checking the soil to see if it’s moist first. Peace lily plants need consistently moist soil, but they can’t tolerate soggy soil.

Soggy soil can lead to root rot, which kills the peace lily plant. Inspect the roots of your plant to see if any are black or brown and smell bad. If so, remove the infected peace lily from its container and repot it with fresh potting soil in a larger pot that has adequate drainage holes. Sterilize your pruning scissor before cutting off the infected roots.

If you have trouble getting your peace lily to flower, try fertilizing it with a houseplant fertilizer designed for blooming. It will contain a higher concentration of phosphorous, which helps flowers develop. It’s also a good idea to switch to a brighter location for your peace lily to encourage flowering. It’s much more difficult to get a plant to bloom in low light.

Too Much Light

The leaves of Peace Lilies will begin turning yellow if they are exposed to too much light or direct sunlight. They need low to medium light to produce flowers and foliage, but too much will result in droopy, yellow leaves with the veins remaining green. This condition is usually temporary and can be corrected by moving your plant to a darker location or covering the leaves with a sheer curtain.

Incorrect watering is another common cause of Peace Lily yellowing leaves. This can occur when your water is hard, soft or contains too much chlorine or fluoride. The plants also don’t like tap water that has been run through a water softener as the minerals build up in the soil.

Overwatering can also lead to the roots of the plant being smothered in water, which deprives them of oxygen. To prevent this, be sure to water your Peace Lily generously each time and let the water drain thoroughly. Emptying any saucers, trays or decorative outer pots of excess water regularly is also recommended to mitigate root rot.

Fertilizing

The plant may be suffering from one of the common peace lily diseases: Cylindrocladium root rot causes yellow or brown foliage on the lower parts of the plant; Dasheen mosaic virus produces leaf mottling and yellowing on the leaves. If you suspect disease is the cause, consult our guide to peace lily diseases for treatment options.

Watering with bottled, filtered or rainwater can help to prevent the plant from turning yellow and brown. Adding grit or perlite to the soil can also improve drainage and reduce the risk of root rot.

Peace lilies benefit from regular feeding with liquid houseplant fertilizer, especially in the months of highest growth and flowering. A good choice is a liquid fertilizer designed for houseplants that has slow-release pellets to avoid overfertilizing. Keep in mind that these types of fertilizers can build up in the soil to a point where they inhibit plant uptake, so only apply them during the growing season.