Why are spathiphyllum leaves turning yellow

Although underwatering is a common reason for a peace lily to droop, there are a number of other reasons you should be aware of. If you have further concerns about the quality of your tap water, consider using rainwater, filtered water or distilled water for your peace lilies.

Another reason Peace Lilies are so popular is their tolerance for low light. Their natural niche is as forest undergrowth, so they like shade. They are one of the few houseplants that do well in dim corners. They do need some light, of course. Photosynthesis is what gives them their lovely green color, after all, and their leaves will turn yellow or pale in the dark.

Barring extremes, the only real effect of dim light is fewer flowers: the leaves still remain fresh and green. The usual problem with light comes on the other extreme. Peace Lily leaves can yellow if their light is too strong, and hot direct sun will scorch their leaves with brown spots or streaks. All of these conditions are remedied by filtering their light or moving them to a shadier spot. They hate cold drafts, and leaving them on a cold porch can quickly lead to leaf yellowing—or worse.

The solution in either case is to move them to a draft-free location within their safe temperature zone. Magnesium and Iron deficiencies are usually easy to diagnose: if they are short on either one, the leaves will turn yellow but the veins will stay green. The best and most convenient way to keep Peace Lilies happy is to pot them in organic soil, which provides both nutrients and proper drainage. You can also give them a balanced, water soluble fertilizer once per month during the growing season.

This is the fertilizer I use for most of my indoor plants. Take care not to overdo it with fertilizer, as this can cause more harm to your plant than underferilizing. A little goes a long way. I almost always use my houseplant fertilizer at half the recommended strength on the pack to ensure I have no problems with excessive fertilizer.

Try to repot in the springtime, at the start of their growing season. Watering tends to be the primary culprit for houseplant leaves that turn yellow or brown. It could be a case of over-watering or under-watering. Too little watering could also cause the peace lily plant leaves to gradually turn yellow and brown. Without enough water, a peace lily plant will start to wilt and the edges of the leaves may dry out and turn brown.

In addition to monitoring the watering frequency, pay attention to the type of water you are feeding the plant. If you use tap water, let it sit at room temperature for 24 hours before use. This gives chlorine a chance to off-gas. It does nothing to rid the water of fluoride. Avoid heavily treated tap water if possible. Your peace lily is better off with bottled, filtered or rainwater. Use a sharp, sterile cutting tool to remove the leaves.

Dull, dirty blades cause damage and spread disease. When soil dries out, your plant will wilt. When watered it recovers. When repeated over and over this results in weak, yellow leaves. Check the soil moisture often. You want the potting mix to become almost dry, not bone dry, between waterings. As grown as houseplants, indoor heating during winter can dry plants out. Keep a close eye on your plant and adjust your watering schedule to suit its needs.

Harsh light can cause leaves of Peace Lilies to yellow. Remember these are woodland plants that grow naturally grow on the forest floor.

They like a low-to-medium light setting. An office, mall, or other settings with fluorescent light is also good. Avoid bright, direct sunlight, it is unnatural for Spathiphyllum plants. When the problem is too much light, the leaves turn yellow, but the veins stay green.

If plants enjoy the warmer months outdoors, bring your Peace Lilies in when temperatures begin to drop. Indoors, place Spathiphyllum in an area free of cold drafts. The temperatures should remain even and chill-free.

Lack of iron or magnesium can also cause leaves to yellow leaving the leaf veins to remain green. Excessive fertilizing causes a whole host of other problems. If you decide to use a houseplant fertilizer, choose a balanced, water soluble type.

Mix it half strength, and apply monthly during the growing season. Once leaves turn yellow they will never green up again. The exception is when plants are hungry. The leaves may green up but never to their previous dark green beauty.