droopy peace plant after giving plant food..

hi! i received a peace plant in 2010 at my stillborn son's memorial service. it has done beautifully until 2 nights ago when i gave it some plant food. now it is drooping badly. i don't want to lose this plant! i haven't checked the roots, i suppose i should, but why would it do this only after receiving plant food? can i revive it and heal it??
thanks so much,
jennifer

Did you carefully follow the instructions on how much plant food to give it? Too little fertilizer won't cause problems, but if you accidentally gave it too much that is bad for plants, although I wouldn't expect wilting as the first sign of too much fertilizer so I think it's more likely that it's something besides fertilizer. I assume the fertilizer was probably diluted in water? If the plant was already a bit on the wet side and you watered it more in the process of adding the fertilizer that could cause wilting.

It could be a result of over-watering due to the ill effect that has on root function and metabolism. Roots depend on oxygen in the root zone to function properly. When oxygen is eliminated by a soggy soil, root function suffers immediately and the death of fine (water-absorbing) roots follows quickly, which also impacts the plant's ability to move water to the top.

Excess amounts of fertilizer can have an immediate and dramatic effect on a plant's turgidity and cause wilting as the initial symptom with normally more severe symptoms to follow. Plants depend on the process of osmosis to move water into cells and to keep them turgid. In order for osmosis to work as per Mother Nature's plan, we depend on there being a higher level of dissolved solids inside cells than in the solution outside of cells. Water tends to move back and forth until it reaches an equilibrium (isotonicity). IF the level of solutes outside of cells has a higher concentration of solutes in it (because of the fertilizer solution), water will move OUT of cells, tearing the plasmalemma from cell walls as it exits. This is technically called 'plasmolysis', but commonly referred to as fertilizer burn.

If you are sure you haven't over-watered, then flush the soil repeatedly to rid it of fertilizer salts, then unpot the plant & set it on a newspaper for a half hour or so. If you feel you've only over-watered, follow the same directions but don't flush the soil. If you're still unsure, it's best to be safe and flush soil, then unpot & set the plant on a newspaper (or a paper bag). You're just using the paper as a powerful wick to 'pull' excess water from the soil to give the plant the air it needs in the soil in order to maintain good root health/function.

Best luck.

Al

ok i flushed it and set it on newspaper.. do i let it dry out and water in a few days? it still looks so sad! but THANK YOU for the replies!!
jennifer

How long it's on newspaper depends on how large the soil mass is. The object is to let the newspaper act as a wick to 'suck' the water out of the soil - just as setting a wet sponge on a cloth or paper towel would pull water from the sponge. This happens quite quickly, so an hour or two to overnight for large plants is all you need.

You might wish to read the post at this link http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1226030/ for an overview on ways to help you improve your skills. If you don't want to read it all (I hope you DO, once you start) scroll down to where the bold underlined print says Watering Habits and start there. If you choose or make a favorable soil, almost all of the issues most beginning or struggling hobby growers face will go away. I'm not preaching, just letting you know that as a result of many years of guiding new and experienced growers I can say with certainty that your soil choice can be and usually is pivotal, because it's where the roots, the heart of your plants, live, and if you're unable keep the roots happy, there is no chance you can coax the rest of the plant to grow to its potential. The ability to grow well doesn't happen by chance, and arriving there happens very slowly if you leave things to the experience you get from trial and error. Learning all you can and using your experiences to validate what you've learned is the quickest way to proficiency and satisfaction from the effort:reward relationship.

Best luck with your plant and all things related to your growing efforts.

Al

Hi Jennifer, so sorry for the loss of your precious baby and now the problems you have with the Peace Lily that has became a symbol of your healing after that loss, this plant obviously means a lot for you all.

It is always difficult to tell people that to correct a mistake with any plant is not always instant, as we seem to expect the cure to be as fast as the cause of the problem.
My advice would be to by new potting compost from the store and gently remove
(by gently shaking) as much old compost from the plants roots as possible, then add some new compost to the bottom of the pot, set the plant back into the pot and holding the top growth in one hand, add compost around the roots, firm the compost down gently so there are no air pockets in the pot, lightly tap the pot on your work surface to settle the soil and just leave about half or an inch at the top of the pot free from soil, this allows you to water the plants freely. Don't feed the plant as there will be some nutrients in the new potting compost but after the plant has settled down a few weeks you can give a HALF strength feed, I let my indoor plants have a rest period from about October to March, I just give enough water to keep the plants alive over the winter months and as better light and warmth arrives early spring, I begin half doze feeds and a little more water till the plant tells me to up the watering, these plants don't like really bright sunlight so give light but but not too much directly onto the foliage.
To get the most of flowering, they send up more flowering stems when the plant has packed the pot with roots and it looks like it needs re-potting, so when you do re-pot, just move up one or two sizes of pot and not too big or you will slow down flowering. Hope this helps you out a bit and the plant forgives you for being too over zealous with the feeding, I hope you have many, many more years to enjoy this gift of a Peace Lily. Good Luck. WeeNel.

Greetings Weenel,

Thank you for this wonderful description. My mother passed away in 2002 and she had been given two enormous peace lilies while ill, which I took to my house. They were magnificent - the largest I have ever seen - and they bloomed regularly. I was ill last year for a couple of months and the person who was supposed to care for the plants did not do it. They were so badly damaged that I cut them down to almost nothing and potted them up. They survived and I wanted to start them again, since it is lovely to have a living memorial of my mother. I read this after going out to get some compost as well as a fast draining mix. I will now feel confident that, with care and time, they willreturn to their former glory. I have bookmarked this page. I am so grateful to you.

Donna Mack

Donna, you have not had your sorrows to seek over the last few years and believe me, it is not always easy to keep trying to do all the little things that make our world a better place but we keep trying to get on with our life again.
Regarding our living memorials like plants etc, I once read a little piece that went something like.
If you love something, set it free,
If it comes back it is yours,
If it fails to return it never was yours.
This little bit that was ANON and has helped me to understand a lot of things lost and found.
Plants to me are like our kids when tiny, they just need a little bit of special care and when sick we nurse them back to health, we all know someone who nursed and it was not to be a happy ending but, these people have to be recognized as there struggle being worth every moment as they did everything they could.
Plants are a wee bit like that eh, just do what you can and they will either flourish again or give way to the struggle but gave pleasure for a short time.
Always keep in mind Donna, your mother was worth more than a plant, her memories, her care for you when young and the times you shared are worth more than plants but these peace Lily's are a reminder of the day you let her go, not her wonderful life. I hope you understand what I am trying to say, but lastly I send you my heartfelt sorrow but also my joy at how you have got better and are carrying on as your Mum would want.
Look after yourself and stay healthy.
Best wishes and good luck for the future. WeeNel.

How lovely! Thank you.

Your more than welcome Donna, Take good care. WeeNel.