What kind of potting mix should I use for my peace lily?

I have a peace lily that is not doing good. I think it's because it's rootbound in a very shallow pot. (diameter is 8" and depth is only about 4") so I'm going to the store to buy a bigger pot and wanted to know what kind of potting mix is good for this type of plant.

Thank you very much
Maureen

I use Pro-Mix, amended with extra perlite for mostly all of my houseplants. It's light and well aerated. Miracle-Gro, Scotts, and the like are too heavy and stay wet too long.

GH

Thanks Growhappy. I'm going to Home depot, I wonder if they carry this pro-mix. I'll be looking for it.

Thanks
Maureen

They typically do carry Pro-Mix. I buy large bags of it from HD. Good Luck!

GH, What do you do when the ProMix get hard on the top and won't let water seep in?

Debbie

Baja, I've never had that experience with Pro-Mix.....

GH

HI, as I thought, my home depot didn't carry it. (they don't have an extensive garden dept). So I bought scotts potting mix and a bag of perlite to mix into it. Do you think this will be ok?

Thanks
Maureen

It should be fine.... Are you using a clay pot or a plastic pot? Use more perlite with plastic and less with clay. Clay is porous and allows air to the plant's root system. I have two peace lilies, both variegated. One is in a clay pot and the other is in plastic. I water the plant in the clay pot much more frequently than the one in the plastic pot. Of course now that winter is approaching, the watering will be even less. Which ever pot you go with, just be very mindful of the soil and keep a close eye on it. YOu want to make sure it's not staying wet too long.

GH

GH

Thanks so much growhappy. I'm using a plastic pot and will be mindful of the soil. I appreciate your help.
Maureen

I use about the same soil mixture for everything as I use for African violets. Pro-Mix with Perlite or something like this. I also enjoy using the Bayer's advatage 3 in 1 potting soil mix with 40 percent perlite.

Peace lilies like moist soil all the time so I use straight potting soil with a little extra peat moss thrown in. This reduces how often you have to water it. Normally I use extra perlite for plants that like real good drainage.

Tom

Hi Tommy- OT here- do you force dormancy on your Amaryllis? I thought about you the other day when I saw a 'Pink Floyd' bulb for sale at my local GH! Cheers,

GH

GH - I do force the amaryllis although I am keeping an "Amputo" going this winter since it didn't seem to grow much at all over the summer. I think I have 8 or 9 amaryllis' now total and that will probably go up although I don't know where the heck I'll put them all!

Tom

Has anyone else read about the study a few years back that found that Spathiphyllum are sensitive to not only fluoride in water, but also to *perlite* in their potting mix?

I don't remember where I read this, or even any of the specifics of it....I'll have to go 'in search of'.

I'd always intended to change my potting mix for them by perhaps mixing in orchid bark/orchid mix rather than perlite...but so far all of mine have perlite mixed into the soil too!

Edited to add that I did find an article:
http://www.schundler.com/florides2.htm

This message was edited Oct 18, 2006 11:59 AM

Our Peace Liliy was trans-planted out of a plastic cracker pot it had been in with hardly any soil that a friend gave us several months ago . Hubby's back had been bad so he could not do anything with it. Finaly when we had gardners do a couple garden beds and trans-plants for us first week of Nov one of our Peace Lily was placed in our new garden bed. It is so happy and healthy looks better than it ever has . It use to bloom even in its sad pot :))
We can grow them in the ground year round here !