Peace Plants

Q. My peace plant has dry brown leaves on the tips. How do I stop this from happening?

A. There are many reasons that the tips may be turning brown. The plant can be over-watered under-watered have too much heat low humidity have too much fertilizer or any combination of factors. Considering all the different varieties gets very complicated. There are many varieties of Spathiphyllum grown. Some are grown for the abundance of flowers they produce which come at a cost that nutrients going to the flowers are not going to the plant. These plants usually have a lot of foliage and may require more water to support the foliage. You may notice lighter colored leaves and if these plants are allowed to dry out too much brown tips arise.

If the older leaves at the bottom are where the brown tips are occurring these leaves are not transferring food which new fast growing leaves do. Brown tips and leaf loss in that case may be natural.

Varieties not grown for flowers like Lynise Supreme and Sensation are usually grown in 10"+ pots and may present the same problem in looks but for a different cause. In the nursery these plants are watered and fertilized on a regular basis. They may be watered every day or two. Suddenly the plant is shipped to where it is not receiving the same treatment. They may receive less water and the fertilizer salts in the pot get higher because of the reduced moisture and leaching and can burn the roots.

There are at least two ways to under-water. The first is just not watering the plant enough and allowing the plant to wilt down before watering. A little droop may be OK but not laying on the ground. The second method is "fake watering". Water applied when the soil has dried out with the soil pulling away from the pot is going to head to the bottom of the pot. The soil may become moist in areas but the root ball does not become sufficiently moist. It may be moist enough to let the plant perk up but the soil is still too dry. Water slowly and not in one small area.

Over-watering can cause brown tips also. The root system is just not able to use all the water you provide. The roots may be swimming in water and rot. Less roots means less leaves and the plant will usually begin by losing the oldest leaves first with tip browning.

Too much heat is another possibility. If a plant is sitting next to the window it can heat up more than realized. There are many hot and cold spots indoors.

Consider: Did anything change in the environment? Was the house opened for air after a long winter? Was the plant moved? Has the watering changed? Is the plant new and getting acclimated? What is the root system like? What variety is it? Is the plant actively growing and putting out new leaves with good color?