The peace lily is a beautiful plant and is easy to maintain. But it is best to be careful with the amount of water you give it; overwatering or underwatering a peace lily can ruin the plant.
Underwatering your peace lily causes drooping because the stem and leaves do not get enough water and nutrients from the root system. If you do find your peace lily drooping, there may be various reasons. The most common reasons are underwatering, overwatering, and excessive, direct light. Other reasons may be harsh temperatures, improper soil, unacceptable humidity levels, infestation, and more. But every plant condition has got a solution!
Let’s go through the signs of an underwatered peace lily and how you can fix it.
Signs Of An Underwatered Peace Lily
The common signs of you underwatering your peace lily are mentioned below and will help you notice the problem at an early stage:
- Droopy leaves and stem
- Dehydrated and limp looking plant
- Yellow leaves and dry patches
- Weak roots
Drooping is the first sign that the peace lily plant is not getting the required amount of water and that you need to take action to help it thrive again.
It would be best if you kept in mind that the drooping may be caused by something else. For example, it could be due to excessive light or overwatering. You can check how much direct sunlight your plant receives and how moist the soil is to rule these out.
If your plant is placed in direct sunlight for many hours a day, try to move it to a place with more indirect light. If the soil is always drenched in water all the way to the top, you are probably overwatering your peace lily, and you should let the top of the soil become slightly dry between watering the plant.
However, if you know – deep down inside – that you tend to go too long between watering and if the soil is dry from top to bottom, your plant is likely to be underwatered!
How To Fix An Underwatered Peace Lily
Here are the best tips for getting your peace lily back into shape.
Water Your Plant Regularly
Obviously, it would help if you started by watering it. It is a good idea to water your plant about once per week. Check the soil every few days, and when the top third is dry, you should consider watering it.
In the growing season, you should water it more often than in the winter. Keep an eye out for drooping, discoloring, and dry soil. Notice any of these, and you should act accordingly.
Water Type
You can usually go for tap water; the important thing is the temperature, always use room temperature water.
If you really want to spoil your plant, you can also use purified water for watering your peace lily while you nurse it back to health. It will contain no chlorine, fluoride, or other harmful chemicals, allowing your peace lily to concentrate on absorbing the nutrients.
Yellow Leaves With Brown Spots
If the peace lily remains underwatered for an excessive period, the edges of the leaves start to turn yellow or even brown. You can remedy it by trimming the damaged leaves.
Pay Attention To Rootbound Plants
If the water runs straight through the flower pot when you water it, it is a sign of a root-bound plant. You can take care of a root-bound peace lily by repotting it.
Final Words
Peace lilies are not difficult to keep healthy and beautiful. But, when something is wrong, it is quick to let you know by its wilt and drooping. Luckily, when you remedy the issue, it is also quick to react and straighten back up.
Underwatered peace lilies will have droopy leaves and will look limp and unhealthy. But, first, make sure it is actually because it is not getting enough water. Overwatering and too much direct sunlight can have a similar effect.
To fix your underwatered peace lily, water it regularly right before it starts to droop. To time it right, check the soil regularly and water just when the top of the soil is dry.