Peace lilies are one of the nation’s favourite decorative plants because they produce large flowers and dark green foliage.
Sadly, the showy white petals can fade soon after the plants are brought home, and in many cases, they fail to return. Placing them near an east-facing window, however, may help.
The tip comes from the content creator behind the YouTube channel Sheffield Made Plants, who offers all sorts of gardening hacks to fellow green-thumbed enthusiasts.
"Peace lilies look stunning in the shop when they’re in full bloom with those big beautiful white flowers and dark green foliage, and this is why they are such a popular houseplant with so many people," he told viewers.
Placing the plant near an east-facing window may encourage new blooms
GETTY
"But when they bring the plants home the flowers die back, and they often don’t return, leading people to throw the plant out. I’m on a mission to stop this happening and to save this plant from extinction in your home."
Unfortunately, plant owners must accept that the flowers can rarely be restored to their former glory.
"This doesn’t mean we can’t get it to bloom again," the gardener added. "The secret that the growers don’t want us to know that the peace lilies we find in the shops are fed [...] a natural plant hormone that forces the plants to bloom.
"If you leave this plant two meters away from the window you’re unlikely to have much luck getting the plant to bloom again because giving the plant as much indirect light as possible is one of the main things this plant needs to send out flowers."
To get the most out of them try and place them as near as possible to a window so they get at least six hours of bright indirect light.
"If you live in the Northern Hemisphere, I find that placing the plant next to an east-facing window, where it gets three to four hours of direct morning sun is the best place for it.
"This maximises the amount of light the plant receives so that it can effectively photosynthesise and store energy to send out flowers."
If natural light is scarce, growing lights are a good option.
Peace Lily owners will also notice that the plants get quite thirsty, particularly when moisture levels in the air are low.
To counter the effects of a dry environment, the plant generally needs weekly watering during the Spring and Summer.
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS:
Peace lilies enjoy weekly watering
GETTY
Experts at the Houseplant Resource Center recommend always checking the dampness of the soil first, however.
"Peace lilies like constantly damp soil, which means you should water when the top few inches of soil feel dry to the touch," they explained.
"Another great way to measure this is to use a moisture meter. This is actually our favourite method because it gives you a better idea of what's going at the root ball."
They added that peace lilies that live in a pot and soil that drains well only need to be watered every seven to 10 days, whereas those that live in warmer climates tend to need more water.
