is a spathiphyllum a Peace Lily?

Exposure

In our country, Spathiphyllum are grown exclusively as houseplants, as they fear the cold, and prefer minimum night temperatures above 12-15°C. They can bear unsuitable cultivation conditions, such as dark or shady positions, but in order to obtain luxuriant plants and abundant blooms it is necessary to provide at least a few hours a day of filtered sunlight, avoiding that the sun’s rays strike the plant directly.

This plant, in our latitudes, is mainly grown as an indoor vegetable or in any case to be collected during the winter months. It can therefore only be kept in pots.

In order to grow well, it needs an averagely warm environment, rather bright and possibly with good atmospheric humidity.

To grow with its proper vigor, the spathiphyllum needs a very bright exposure, but the light, especially from spring to summer, must never be direct. If it is excessive, it can in fact cause burns.

Ultimately we can say that indoors it is good to place it near a window, perhaps screened with a clear curtain.

We always keep in mind that the part of the spathiphyllum most exposed to light grows faster. To keep the specimen balanced it is good to remember to rotate the vase about every 15 days.

If during the summer we want to move the specimen outside we can place it under a pergola or in the shade of a deciduous tree.

However, it must be specified that it can also live in environments where the light is more scarce. She generally reacts quite well, only slowing growth and, of course, flowering a little less.

Watering

Water regularly throughout the year, allowing the soil to dry out slightly between waterings. In nature, Spathiphyllum grow on the edges of ponds and streams; it is however advisable to avoid excessively watering the specimens grown in vases.Every 25-30 days supply some fertilizer for flowering plants, in half the quantity compared to that recommended on the package.

For it to grow vigorous and healthy it must never suffer from thirst. It must therefore be watered regularly throughout the year. Generally an adult plant with average temperatures of 20°C requires 2-3 weekly interventions.

In any case, avoid using saucers and indeed, let the water flow freely from the drainage holes.

An excellent method for irrigating this type of plant is by immersion: it will be sufficient to fill the sink halfway and insert the vase, leaving it there for about 10 minutes. Finally, the water is drained and the excess water is allowed to drain for a while before placing the plant back in its initial location.

Spathiphyllum flower

The flowering of this plant is almost continuous. Clearly there are periods in which spathes are produced more abundantly (particularly in the summer months), but if the temperatures and ambient light in the apartment permit, production will only slow down during the bad season. The flowers are pure white and very erect on fine stems. They are similar to those of the anthurium (belonging to the same family) and in fact in some countries it is also called “false anthurium”. The spadix is ​​instead of a cream colour. Their growth, compared to the leaves, is rather slow.

Ground

Spathiphyllums prefer rich and soft soil, which can slightly retain humidity and also slightly acidic; we can use balanced soil, mixed with a little chopped bark and with a good dose of soil for acidophilic plants. For an adequate development of the plant it is advisable to cultivate it in large containers, in order to leave room for the new leaves. Repotting is done in late winter or early spring.

The substrate must always be quite humid, but never full of water. Permeability and perfect drainage must therefore be guaranteed. The ideal is to arrange a drainage layer on the bottom of the container with materials such as glass marbles or expanded clay.

We can then use a special compost for green plants, in any case with a good amount of peat and maybe a little perlite or pumice. We always leave a few centimeters between the surface of the soil and the edge of the pot. In this way the water will not overflow.

Spathiphyllum multiplication

Spathiphyllum in nature propagate by seed; actually for us it is much simpler to propagate them by dividing the tufts of leaves, taking care to maintain a few well-developed roots for each portion practiced. The new plants thus produced are immediately planted individually; this operation is carried out at the end of summer or at the end of winter.

How to divide it?

We proceed at the beginning of spring and it is an operation that should generally be carried out every 4 years.

– First of all, the earthen bread is extracted and the roots are opened with the help of a pen and acting delicately.

– Slowly separate the portions formed by stems and roots and place them in different jars.

Pests and diseases

Excessive watering or prolonged permanence of the earthen cake in stagnant water can favor the development of root rot; often these plants are affected by mites. The spathiphyllum is a very healthy herb, but it can happen that it is attacked by insects or mites. In the first case (aphids can occur) a pyrethrin-based insecticide can be distributed.

The mites are defeated by increasing the humidity through vaporization or (in the most serious cases) with specific products

Rusticity of spathiphyllum

Yes, maintenance is very simple and in addition it often proves to be very resistant even to less than ideal situations. It can grow reasonably well even in dark environments and does not suffer immediate damage if, for example, we are distracted and forget to water it from time to time. Furthermore, it is particularly simple to propagate it and obtain, over time, other seedlings to give as gifts or to use in other rooms of our house.

Spathiphyllum species and varieties

Being a much loved vegetable, hybridizers have strived to create new varieties that can satisfy amateurs.

At the time of purchase it is always good to observe the vase carefully to make sure that, for example, the earthen bread is not excessively wet. In that case there is the risk of buying a spathiphyllum specimen with the root system already compromised. It will then be very difficult to recover.

Then we always choose a plant with beautiful bright and lively leaves and with at least one flower (so we can check that it is to our liking).

In all, there are 27 known species of spathiphyllum, all native to tropical America, except one which is endemic to Malaysia. A very interesting Mauna Loa hybrid was also created, larger than one metre, suitable for scenographic settings in entrances or large halls.

Here are the cultivars and species that can be most commonly found on the market.

Spathiphillum repotting

The best period for this operation is undoubtedly between the end of winter and the beginning of spring. This is the moment in which it is at least partially in vegetative rest and therefore will be less affected by our maneuvers. However, if problems should arise (such as root rot for example) it is also possible to intervene during the rest of the year. With a little more care, the operation will be very successful, even if the plant will probably need more time to recover.

Generally it is necessary to proceed once a year, when the roots begin to emerge from the drainage holes. Initially the plant grows very quickly, and then stabilizes.

It is important to point out, however, that the bigger the plant, the more spathe it produces.

Environmental humidity

As with all plants from tropical areas, for the spathiphyllum it is not only the water present at the level of the roots that is important, but also that available in the air. Only by increasing it will we be able to have truly splendid specimens.

We can proceed in different ways

– Spraying the leaves from time to time, possibly with demineralised water

– Use a saucer filled with expanded clay and water. (However, let’s avoid that this comes into contact with the roots so as not to cause rot).

– Insert the pot into another larger container filled with moist peat.

Temperatures

Cool temperatures are always ideal.

During the winter it lives well in a room where there are between 16 and 18°C. The minimum temperature for it not to be damaged is around 13°C.

During the summer, on the other hand, the average temperatures must reach 20° and never exceed 27°C. If it is very hot it is good to increase the air humidity.

Drafts, on the other hand, are much to fear. We therefore try to place the specimens away from doors and windows.

Why is my spathiphyllum not flowering?

Surely this problem is caused by errors in plant care. Generally it is sufficient to increase the humidity and expose it better.

It may also be useful to administer a specific fertilizer every fortnight, perhaps with a moderate potassium content.

If the plant is very large, it may need to be repotted or divided.

Spathiphyllum – Spathiphyllum: Cleaning Spathiphyllum

We will have to intervene with scissors only if there are dry or damaged leaves. We cut at the base making sure that the scissors are very clean and sharp.