The Peace Lily plant is a common choice amongst plant owners. While you do not require a green thumb to care for it, you can still face several issues if your houseplant care game is not where it should be.
Often new plant owners find it challenging to understand the requirements for a specific plant species.
The same applies to caring for the Peace Lily plant, where improper care can cause your Peace Lily to droop. In this article, you find all the potential reasons and ways to prevent sagging.
Table of Contents
Peace Lily Drooping – This is What’s Happening!
A peace lily droops because of underwatering or overwatering. Other reasons include direct sunlight, insect infestation, temperature, low humidity, and poor soil conditions.
7 Reasons Why Your Peace Lily Sags
1. Underwatering is the #1 Reason for a Floppy Peace Lily
Watering issues are the main reason why your Peace Lily may start drooping. Underwatering your Peace Lily will cause the leaves and stems to droop.
Your plant does not get sufficient water and nutrition. The pressure in the cells cannot be kept, and petioles sag.
It is common to see the plant look alive one day and droop the next day. You may plan your watering schedule based on when the plant starts to sag. But this is not a good idea.
This is not a good idea since once your Peace Lily is drooping, you are watering already too late, and the plant gets damaged each time you water too late.
2. Overwatering is the Biggest Risk
Overwatering your Peace Lily is worse than underwatering them. When you over-water your Peace Lily, it can cause the soil to become waterlogged, which then causes the roots to rot.
Once the roots rot, the system stops working, and your plant stars die. This is because dead roots cannot absorb water and nutrients from the soil.
When this happens, your plant cannot create energy to survive, causing it to sag and even die.
3. Excess Amounts of Direct Sunlight – That is No Good For Your Spathiphyllum
Peace Lily enjoys being kept in shaded areas. Your Peace Lily can survive under-low light conditions but is less likely to bloom in low light conditions.
This plant rarely receives direct sunlight in its natural habitat, so it is not tolerant of bright direct sunlight.
You can keep your Peace Lily under direct sunlight during cooler days, but never leave it exposed for more than one to two hours. This is because the leaves will start to burn or develop brown spots.
Drooping will also occur as your plant loses too much water due to the high transpiration rate.
4. An Insect Infestation On Your Plant
There are not many insects that feed on Peace Lilies. However, mealybugs can be a common occurrence.
These pests attach to the leaves and suck out all of your plant’s nutrients, causing it to sag.
Sucking the sap out also naturally causes your plant to become dehydrated, and this causes your plant to droop even further.
5. Temperature Issues Can Cause Drooping
Peace Lily prefers to be kept under average indoor temperatures. It is generally a good choice to keep it at a temperature between 65-75 degrees Fahrenheit (18-24 degrees Celsius).
However, if you keep your plant under highly fluctuating temperatures, it will start to sag.
You must monitor and keep the temperature stable without huge temperature swings. Natural fluctuations between night and day, as well as the seasons, are fine.
6. Poor Soil Conditions Are Always Problematic
Peace Lily is not a demanding plant, but it requires well-draining soil, as waterlogged soil can cause its roots to rot.
Rotted roots will not be able to provide your plant with enough water, and the Peace Lily will start to sag.
This is why providing your plant with good well-draining soil using chunky material that drains well is important.
7. Low Humidity Levels Might be the Culprit
Peace Lily likes warm climates where humidity levels are high. If the humidity level around your Peace Lily is low, then your plant will start to sag. Keep humidity at 50% or higher.
This is because transpiration levels become high, and your plant becomes dehydrated.
Ways to Prevent Your Peace Lily from Drooping
1. Provide Just Enough Water
You must closely monitor its leaves to provide your Peace Lily with enough water. If it was healthy the day before and drooping, you must water your plant again.
Clemson University suggests keeping the soil slightly humid but never wet.
If water is not helping your plant look alive again, the roots have started to rot due to over-watering. You can try saving your plant by pruning off the rotted roots, but this might not be enough to save your plant.
You should focus on the plant’s surroundings and see what factors affect water for your plant. High-temperature levels and low humidity levels make your plant require more water.
Whereas low-temperature levels and high humidity levels make your plant less thirsty.
2. Provide Proper Sunlight
Peace Lily can survive in low light, but bright indirect sunlight is the best option. Place your plant near a north or west-facing window.
Move your plant away from the window’s glass to reduce the chances of the leaves burning on a hot day.
3. Get Rid of Insect Infestations
You can eliminate mealybug infestation by spraying your plant with 70% isopropyl alcohol. This is safe for your plant and will kill off the mealybugs.
You can also use insecticidal soap spray to remove these pests from your Peace Lily leaves. Neem oil is a great alternative to isopropyl alcohol, and it is also an organic choice.
More than once, I have waited too long before trying to eliminate pests. This always backfires once the pest infestation is too big. Eliminating harmful insects such as mealybugs, thrips, scale, spider mites, and fungus gnats is almost impossible.
4. Keep Your Peace Lily Under Optimal Temperature Conditions
Keep your plant away from windows and doors that are opened and closed frequently. The draft coming from the windows or doors can cause a lot of temperature fluctuations around your plant.
Never place your plant close to a heat or fireplace. The heat will cause humidity levels to drop, and your plant will start to sag.
Also, keep your Peace Lily away from air conditioners and high-speed fans. This can also drastically change the temperature surrounding your plant.
5. Provide Well-Draining Soil
You should choose a soil mix that is well-draining for your Peace Lily. The best soil mix will include perlite, peat moss, and fine bark.
You can also use tiny rocks at the bottom of your pot to increase drainage.
6. Stabilize Humidity Levels For Fast Growth
Frequently mist your Peace Lily as it will increase humidity levels around it. You can also purchase a humidifier to help increase humidity levels constantly.
Double potting your Peace Lily can also help increase humidity levels. Simply take a pot that is larger than the one your Peace Lily is placed in.
Then take sphagnum moss and fill in the space between the two pots. This will increase the humidity around your Peace Lily.
This is also a cheaper and better long-term solution for your Peace Lily.
Other methods are putting plants closely together and using a pebble tray filled with water.
FAQ
Why won’t my Peace Lily stop drooping even after watering?
Suppose your Peace Lily does not stop drooping even after watering. Then the issue may be related to something else, such as temperature, humidity, sunlight, or insect infestation.
Will my Peace Lily leaves stop drooping if I provide enough water and sunlight?
Peace Lily mainly droops due to issues related to watering. Thus, once you have watered it, it will look alive again. However, if it does not stop dropping, try changing the soil, humidity, and temperature levels.
The Final Lily
The Peace Lily is a great plant that is easy to grow and produces stunning blooms. When underwatered, it might be a bit dramatic. With these reasons and remedies, you know all you need to keep it happy.
Daniel has been a plant enthusiast for over 20 years. He owns hundreds of houseplants and prepares for the chili growing seasons yearly with great anticipation. His favorite plants are plant species in the Araceae family, such as Monstera, Philodendron, and Anthurium. He also loves gardening and is growing hot peppers, tomatoes, and many more vegetables.