Peace Lily Problem

My peace lily gets brown around the edges. Does any one know what could be causing this?

Oh, I do hope someone can answer this one. I have plants in some commercial buildings, and this is the worst problem with that one. I have read up on it, but so far nothing has helped.

I've read it's usually from low watering and/or low humidity.

HTH
Jennifer

Not the case for mine, I read the same things. The ones I have at home are in a controlled situation, and they continue to do this. I water the ones in the buildings on a regular schedule, after checking the soil to allow for variations in conditions. I thought it might be from drafts, but careful monitoring convinced me that wasn't the case. I have bought new, healthy ones, and within a couple of months they have this problem. A commercial nurseryman suggested it could be from exposure to nicotine, but the bank buildings are non-smoking environments, as is my home. I have tried various locations over the past four years, with no improvements. I cut two of them back to the soil, and when they re-sprouted, the new growth was fine. But after the plants reached about 18" height, they soon began to have brown edges. I have experimented with misting, different soil, plant foods, various lighting, over probably 30 years, but the end result is always the same. I actually quit growing them out of frustration, but now I need them in the buildings, so it began all over again when I began that project. I can't put fiddle leaf figs and Janet Craigs in every office!

Thank you so much for your replies. It almost seems like it is what this plant does at times.

This message was edited Saturday, Dec 7th 3:13 AM

This is normal for nearly all plants. Leaves only live for so long and then they begin to die. Remove the browning leaf as near to the base of the plant as possible.

it's definitly lack of humidity try placing it in a pebble tray with water or really spoil them like i do and use a humidifier:)

I read today brown leaf edges are caused by hard water. Can anyone confirm this? This the first I've heard of this.

Well, hard water is the only thing mentioned thus far that would apply to mine. I never tried using different water, but it's definitely worth a shot. It seems the small ones don't have this problem, just after they get larger. I have tried misting, different feeding, even growing in a vase of water, but when they reach a certain size, they begin to do this. And it's not like leaf dieback where the old leaves are being replaced with new growth, it's around the outer edges of most of the leaves. If I cut back all affected leaves, I would have a very small plant over and over. Even when they grow in my greenporch, which is almost ideal for houseplants, this eventually happens.

My new growth stays green until around the time they get to be full size, so I know exactly what you mean.If I removed all the brown leaves I'd be left with a stick and some dirt....lol What do you suggest as alternate source of water? I have one thristy peace lily,and I don't think collected rainwater would be enough:)

Maybe we could just cautiously change the pH of our regular water. I've even thought about putting coffee grounds in the soil. I remember a neighbor who had one on each side of her patio doors, and she just automatically emptied her grounds into them and the other plants in her home and on the patio. I don't remember them being anything but robust and I wonder if the acidity was in any way responsible.

I have always thought that it is the clorine in the treated drinking water so I would suggest rain water or distilled water as a thing to try.

Ah, probably a good idea, Elena, but we have so little rain here, the poor thing would dry up, and distilled is for me to drink when it's almost a dollar a gallon. I might try some to see if it works, just so I will know.

Aimee, doesn't the clorine evaporate out of the water after a period of time? I think if you let the water stay in an open container for a while it should evaporate out and not be a problem any longer. I don't know chemistry at all so I haven't a clue how long that would take. Maybe someone else can answer that question for us. Rain water would be fine for the plants during the rainy season and you might want to catch rain water then and hold it over for the plants for dryer season use. If there is a lake, river or pond nearby that water would work fine also.

Elena,I read leaving tap water out for 24 hrs is supposed to make the clorine and flouride eveporate.I've tried this and I still have the same problem,maybe enough of the minerals are left to still do damage.Can Anyone with some knowledge of chemistry help us out?

Maybe boiling it would help????????? Help, someone!

Georgetown has been using a different form of chlorine for several years, because it does usually dissipate. The new form doesn't dissipate so completely or so fast, and this has been a problem for people who had been setting it out for their fish tanks. I'm thinking Austin probably changed theirs as well.

Since most of the problem plants are in Austin in commercial buildings, it isn't practical for me to try to use other water than is available there. I have on occasion taken rain water, but that can be quite a hassle and usually doesn't work out. I am trying to switch over to a weekend schedule, when I will just go into Austin specifically to work with the plants. Unfortunately, some of the employees are wannabe gardeners. On no particular schedule, with no understanding of a plant or its needs, they will decide to water some of them. Sometimes. Usually overwatering, then totally forgetting them for weeks at a time, but not in any pattern. That was the reason I originally got the nod from the president to take over the plants. Then I was unable to even drive myself to Austin for months, and caring for plants was out of the question. I had no backup plan, foolishly, as I never expected to be so seriously ill as to be unable to water a few plants. I am still not able to rely upon myself, so I appreciate the efforts of others to fill in, even though they are not "plant people". I might end up pulling out the spaths and replacing them with some Janet Craigs, but those also get brown tips.

As my son says, there is no such thing as a houseplant, it just isn't natural habitat for them. Some can survive, but none are free of problems in a dark building with central heating and air conditioning.