Peace Lily Drooping & Keep Wilting - How to Save It

For their gorgeous green foliage, symbolic significance, and a variety of other advantages, peace lilies are prized by both novice and seasoned indoor plant keepers. Although peace lily plants are simple to maintain, occasionally their leaves will droop or wilt. The causes of drooping leaves can frequently be resolved quickly and simply, so there's no need to panic.

Overwatering and underwatering are the primary causes of peace lilies drooping. Other possible reasons include:

• Underwatering

• Overwatering

• Wrong temperature or humidity

• Incorrect light levels

• Inappropriate soil conditions

• Peace lily needs repotting

• Pest or diseases

• Root rot

Underwatering or overwatering are two common causes of droopy leaves in peace lily plants, and if the problem is addressed quickly, the plant will typically recover quickly. We'll examine the causes of and solutions for your peace lily plant's drooping in this article.

Reasons Your Peace Lily Plant is Drooping

Several factors can cause peace lily plants to droop, but the most frequent is either under- or overwatering. peace lily plants may also have drooping leaves if the temperature or humidity is incorrect. Drooping leaves can also be brought on by excessive sunlight, unsuitable soil, and plant pests.

Underwatering

Peace lily plants, also known as Spathiphyllum, are natives of the tropical jungles of South and Southeast Asia. Because these glossy plants are accustomed to the humid climate in these areas, they require moist soil. Peace lily plants can't tolerate dry conditions and usually need watering about once a week.

Check the soil with your finger if the leaves on your peace lily plant are drooping. The drooping leaves are almost certainly caused by underwatering if the top inch or two feel dry. The plant should revive after being given water.

Because peace lily plants can tell us when they need watering, they're an excellent choice for novice houseplant owners.

Overwatering

Even though peace lily plants require moist soil that resembles their natural habitat, there is a limit. Another typical reason for peace lily plant drooping leaves is overwatering. When peace lily plants are left in wet soil, they may experience problems like root rot. Read more: Peace Lily Root Rot - Signs & How to Save

Fortunately, drooping leaves can be a reliable sign of overwatering. Use your finger to probe the soil once the peace lily's leaves have begun to droop. If the soil feels wet, you're watering the plant too much or too often.

Attempt to allow the plant to dry out a little bit more until the top inch or two of soil are completely dry. If this doesn't work, make sure the nursery pot has drainage holes so that extra water can drain out. If the soil is still too wet, you should repot your peace lily plant in new, unwaterlogged soil.

• Also Read: 12 Amazing Peace Lily Benefits

Wrong Temperature Or Humidity

Native to the jungle, peace lily plants require warm conditions and a humidity level of 50 to 80 percent to flourish. If neither of these levels is correct, the plant may have drooping leaves. When humidity levels are around 60% and temperatures range from 55 to 85 ºF (12 to 30 ºC), peace lily plants thrive.

Peace lily plants may exhibit drooping leaves if the climate is excessively hot or dry. Incorrect temperature or humidity is also indicated by brown leaf tips and leaves that are falling off. To keep its temperature constant, keep the peace lily plant away from drafts of either extreme heat or cold.

Check the humidity levels in the area around your peace lily plant using a hygrometer. By misting the plant every few days, using a humidifier, or using a pebble tray, you can increase humidity.

• Read More: How to Propagate Healthy Peace Lily

Incorrect Light Levels

Most peace lily plants flourish in dim light to partial shade. These plants are accustomed to dappled sunlight and some shade because they are native to the jungle floor. It can result in drooping leaves if the peace lily plant receives too much or too little light.

A peace lily plant may exhibit dry, drooping, or wilted leaves as a result of excessive exposure to bright sunlight. Plants with multiple colors, like variegated peace lilies, are more prone. Wilting leaves that start turning yellow can be a strong indicator that the peace lily plant is growing in too much shade.

To prevent any drooping leaves caused by incorrect light levels, try and position your peace lily in an east or north-facing room. To reduce the amount of direct light, place the plant at least a few feet away from the window.

• Also Read: How Much Light Does a Peace Lily Need

Inappropriate Soil Conditions

The soil mix that peace lily plants require must be well-draining and allow for plenty of airflow around the roots. This soil still needs to retain enough moisture to help the plant grow. Drooping leaves are one issue that can result from excessively dense or quickly draining soil.

Check the texture of the soil if the leaves on your peace lily are drooping or wilting. There is insufficient drainage in the soil if it feels waterlogged. To improve drainage, try incorporating components like sand or perlite.

Your peace lily probably isn't getting enough water if the soil is dry and the leaves are drooping. This means that the soil is draining too quickly. Add more potting soil or houseplant compost to the soil to help it retain more moisture.

• Read More: What Is The Best Soil For Peace Lily

Peace Lily Needs Repotting

Due to overcrowding in their pot, peace lily plants may display drooping leaves. Since peace lilies grow relatively slowly, they shouldn't require repotting more frequently than once per year. Crowded peace lily plants have drooping leaves because the plant can't get enough nutrients or water to support their growth. If you see roots protruding from the holes in the nursery pot, then your peace lily plant definitely needs repotting.

The obvious solution is to repotter or divide the peace lily. Either divide the plant to make multiple plants or repot the entire thing into a bigger pot. Use a soil mixture that is comparable to the one the plant previously grew in. After the peace lily has acclimatized to its new pot, the leaves should perk back up.
Read More: Why Is My Peace Lily Not Blooming

Pest Or Diseases

Despite being a fairly hardy plant, peace lilies are susceptible to a few pests and diseases. Drooping leaves may be a result of these diseases. Fungus gnats, mealybugs, and scale insects are common pests that can bother peace lily plants.

Examine your peace lily plant carefully if any of the leaves are drooping. Look for small black flies (fungus gnats), masses of scale-like objects (scale insects), and sticky honeydew deposits (mealybugs). (Read More: Peace Lily Turns Black - 10 Causes & How to Solve)

Fungus gnats can be tackled by using sticky traps or a plastic bottle cap full of almond oil. A well-draining soil should also be present for your peace lily. To get rid of mealybugs and scale insects, use insecticidal soap or neem oil. Additionally, get rid of any leaves that have mold or honeydew on them.

• Read More: How Long Do Peace Lilies Last

Root Rot

Root rot is a common symptom of overwatering and can cause drooping leaves in peace lily plants. Particularly if you're a newbie plant owner, overwatering can be challenging to avoid. Root rot is most likely to be the issue if the soil feels consistently wet or the roots have a bad odor.

Repot the peace lily in a new mixture of well-draining soil to combat root rot. Cut off any mushy or foul-smelling roots when you remove the plant from the old soil. If you need to water your peace lily again, only do so if the top inch or two of soil feel dry.

How to Fix a Drooping Peace Lily Plant

Providing your plant with the ideal growing conditions is the best way to fix a drooping peace lily plant. This calls for a warm, humid environment, well-draining soil, and some shade or indirect sunlight. To avoid issues like underwatering or overwatering, you should also stick to a regular watering schedule. Read More: How To Grow Peace Lilies Outdoors

The optimum growing range for peace lily plants is 55 to 85 °F. Keep humidity levels at approximately 60% by misting the plant every two or three days. The peace lily can also be put in a steamy, humid bathroom, a pebble tray, or a humidifier. Recently propagated or repotted peace lily plants can be particularly susceptible to cold drafts or inappropriate temperatures.

A well-draining soil mixture that can still hold some moisture is required for peace lilies. This basically means having a healthy mixture of compost that is nutrient-rich and drainage-friendly. A good basic mix contains perlite, sand or bark, and regular houseplant compost in a 2:2:1 ratio.

These tropical plants are accustomed to the darker jungle surroundings. They are unable to tolerate bright sunlight, either indirect or direct. As an alternative, try to give your peace lily plant some bright indirect light or some partial shade. For this, rooms with an east or north facing window are best.

Though they require soil that is only moderately moist, peace lily plants detest being overly wet. Peace lilies are susceptible to pest infestations and root rot if they are allowed to sit in excessive amounts of water. The top inch or two of soil should feel dry to the touch before you water your peace lily.

Finally, aim to fertilize your peace lily plant every 6 to 8 weeks during the spring and summer months and occasionally trim and prune any excess growth.

It's also important to keep in mind that peace lily plants are generally toxic to both people and animals, so it's a good idea to wear gloves when handling them. Read More: Why Is My Peace Lily Dying - 5 Reasons & How to Revive

How to Revive a Peace Lily That is Drooping After Repotting

• Only repot peace lilies into a pot one size up from its original pot. The risk of drooping leaves due to root rot is reduced if the new pot is only marginally larger than the previous pot.
• Ideally repot your peace lily in a terracotta or clay pot. In order to relieve the stress that caused the peace lily's leaves to droop, I advise repotting your peace lily into a terracotta or clay pot (rather than a ceramic or plastic pot) as they are porous and allow the soil to dry out more evenly and create the peace lily's optimal balance of soil moisture. Peace lilies are sensitive to overwatering and damp soil, so I also advise doing this.
• Avoid compacting the soil when repotting your peace lily. Do not compact the soil around your peace lily after repotting because peace lilies need porous, well-draining soil. If you have compacted the soil when repotting, then the solution is to simply take the peace lily out of the pot and repot it again without firming the soil. Your potting soil can also benefit from the addition of perlite by being improved structurally, allowing for better drainage and a reduction in the risk of root rot.
• Adjust how often you water your peace lily after repotting. The amount of time between watering sessions should be extended to allow the potting soil to slightly dry before watering again. Due to the larger pot and the additional soil around the peace lily's roots, it typically takes longer for the potting soil to dry after repotting. Scale back the watering and wait until to surface of the soil feels dry before watering your peace lily to create the preferred level of soil moisture, to prevent drooping.
• Always repot peace lilies in pots with drainage holes in the base to prevent drooping, yellowing leaves. The new pot must always have a drainage hole, and after watering, any saucers, trays, or outer pots must be emptied of any excess water to ensure good drainage. Peace lilies must have good drainage, so make sure the new pot has both.

After the soil has had time to dry out and the peace lily has adapted to its new environment, a wilting plant should begin to grow again.

When peace lilies droop, it's sometimes just a reaction to the shock of being moved, not because of overwatering or soil moisture problems.

Peace Lily Drooping and Turning Yellow

The reason for peace lily leaves drooping and turning yellow is usually because root rot due overwatering. The roots of peace lilies are sensitive to excess moisture, so between waterings, the soil's surface needs to slightly dry out. When the soil is consistently wet, root rot causes the leaves to turn yellow and droop.

Be aware that the soil may be too wet, which may not necessarily be the result of overwatering, and that this may cause the peace lilies to droop and turn yellow.

Poor drainage has the same affect as overwatering and promotes the conditions for root rot, causing the leaves to droop and turn yellow.

Poor drainage can be because of pots without drainage holes in the base or due to saucers, trays and decorative outer pots underneath the peace lily, causing water to pool around the base of the pot, creating boggy conditions around the roots.

Due to inadequate nutrient availability in the soil, peace lilies may also droop and turn yellow.

The roots of the peace lily may deplete the soil of nutrients if it has been in the same pot for a long time (or if the potting soil is particularly deficient in nutrients), which will result in the leaves drooping and turning yellow on the lower leaves.

Contrary to popular belief, peace lilies can also become yellow and droop due to underwatering, either as a result of insufficient or excessive watering.

To ensure that water penetrates the potting soil and reaches the roots where it is needed, peace lilies should always be thoroughly watered.

If the peace lily is watered too lightly, then only the top inch or so of the potting soil becomes moist and the roots cannot access the water, resulting in the leaves drooping and older leaves at the base of the plant turn yellow.

Last Word

Peace lilies can droop for a variety of reasons, as you can see. Investigate each cause thoroughly before deciding on your course of action or treatment to ensure that you are providing your plant with the proper care.

If you're willing to do a little research and then get to work on undoing or reversing the situation, the low-maintenance, easy-growing Peace Lily can be quickly and effectively revived.