Peace Lilies are one of the easiest houseplants to grow, although they are really prone to getting root rot. Root rot can develop relatively fast, provided that there is excess moisture in the potting mix, or the potting mix doesn’t drain well. Once one of the roots starts to rot, it will be extremely difficult to keep the entire root system healthy, eventually, most of the roots will rot. Peace Lilies with root rot have to be treated as fast as possible or else the entire plant will simply die off.
Root rot in Peace Lilies is oftentimes the result of overwatering or a waterlogged soil. To save your Peace Lilies from root rot simply remove the rotten roots, and repot the plant. If all the roots are rotten the plant can still be saved, cut off all the roots, and place the Peace Lily in a vase. Allow the plant a couple of weeks to grow new roots in the vase and at that point, you can repot it, just make sure to use a fresh potting mix.
If you see your Peace Lily flowers struggling then my personal recommendation is to use a fertilizer that is specially made for Peace Lilies Click here to check it out on Amazon.com
Peace Lilies need a well draining soil, and the most likely cause of root rot is overwatering. Peace Lilies do not need a lot of water, they do like having some moisture around the roots, but if the roots stay in water for a prolonged period of time they will eventually start rotting. In most cases this rotting process is irreversible, so the best approach is to simply cut off all the rotten roots, even if it means that you cut down all the roots of the plant.
The good news is that there are tell-tale signs that your Peace Lilies have root rot, and saving your Peace Lilies from root rot is relatively easy. The bad news is that once the Peace Lilies have root rot they are really prone to getting sick, and the combination of root rot and disease is often fatal for the plant. If the tips of your Peace Lily leaves are brown then check out my recent article Peace Lily Brown Leaf Tips ( Top 8 Causes ).
Peace Lily Root Rot
Peace lilies are generally resilient plants, but they can be susceptible to root rot if their growing conditions are not ideal. Root rot in peace lilies is often caused by overwatering or poorly drained soil, which leads to the roots being constantly wet and deprived of oxygen. The first sign of root rot is usually yellowing or wilting leaves, which may eventually turn brown and become mushy. To treat and prevent root rot in peace lilies, it is important to adjust the watering routine. Allow the top inch of soil to dry out before watering again and ensure that the pot has proper drainage. If root rot has already occurred, it is crucial to remove the affected parts of the plant and repot it in fresh, well-draining soil.
Peace Lily Root Rot Main Causes
The main cause for Peace Lilies getting root rot is overwatering, most people tend to water on a specific watering schedule, and oftentimes this leads to overwatering. The best way to water Peace Lilies is by simply sticking your finger into the topsoil and if the top inch is dry then, and only then water it. On the other hand, if the top inch is still moist then you can skip the watering for another day or two.
Water logged soil or a potting mix that doesn’t drain well can also cause root rot for Peace Lilies. Usually, the older the potting mix is the worse it will drain. Eventually, the potting mix will clump up and water can accumulate in it, given enough time the roots will start to rot. This is why it is extremely important to use a new and fresh potting mix for your Peace Lilies once every 2-3 years.
Different types of fungi can also cause root rot for Peace Lilies, in every potting soil there are different fungi, some are beneficial for the plant while others can harm it. Fungi that thrive in waterlogged soil will start rotting the roots of the Peace Lilies once the soil is waterlogged. If the flowers of your Peace Lilies are turning brown then check out my recent article Peace Lily Flowers Turning Brown ( Top 10 Reasons ).
Root Rot Signs
One of the tell-tale signs that your Peace Lilies have root rot is brown and mushy roots with a strong rotting smell. Simply take out your Peace Lily from the pot and look at the bottom, if the roots are mushy and brown then it is a clear sign that your Peace Lily has root rot. The stronger the rotting smell is the more spread the root rot is, in this case, you have to repot the Peace Lily and cut off all the sick and dead roots.
Peace Lilies that have root rot tend to wilt rather fast, and at this point, most people will simply water their Peace Lilies even more thus making the situation a lot worse. If the topsoil is moist and the Peace Lilies are still wilting then this is a clear sign that the plant has difficulty absorbing the water, this usually means that it is suffering from root rot.
If the leaves of your Peace Lilies are slowly turning brown and then falling off then this could be a sign of root rot. Once the plant is unable to absorb water and nutrients with its roots, it will sacrifice some of its leaves for nutrition in order to stay alive. The problem comes when even the remaining leaves are weak, eventually, the plant will get to a point where it can simply not stay alive by cannibalizing its own leaves and it dies off.
Everybody who has grown Peace Lilies has at one point noticed brown leaf tips, for the most part, this is not a serious issue, but it could be a sign that the Peace Lilies are starting to develop root rot. If the tips of the leaves started to turn brown all of a sudden, then just keep an eye out on the plant, if you notice that some of the leaves turn completely brown then odds are that the Peace Lily is suffering from root rot.
Balck mold growing in the pot is usually a sign of overwatering, the problem with it is that if the black mold is growing on the surface then the entire potting mix is filled with it. Black mold tends to grow if the soil is waterlogged or if you are watering your plant too often. This black mold can cause a lot of problems for Peace Lilies, and oftentimes the entire root system will rot away in a matter of weeks
Peace Lilies that are root bound are especially prone to root rot, at that point the plant is already stressed out and if you keep the plant in the same pot it will eventually develop root rot. Usually, the most common place where water tends to sit in a pot is at the bottom of it, and this is where most of the roots will be tangled up. Pull out your Peace Lily from the pot, and if you see the roots at the bottom going in circles then the plant is root bound, simply repot it into a bigger pot. If your Peace Lilies are not flowering then check out my recent article Peace Lily Not Flowering ( Top 11 Reasons ).
Will Your Peace Lilies Recover From Root Rot?
The good news is that Peace Lilies are very sturdy plants and will be able to recover from root rot in most cases. As long as your Peace Lily still has some healthy leaves and the stems of the plant are not rotting then it will survive. On the other hand, if your Peace Lily has a few drooping leaves and the stem is also starting to rot then it can still be saved but the chances of that happening are relatively low.
How To Save Peace Lilies From Root Rot
If your Peace Lilies have root rot then remove the plant from the pot, and remove the soil from the roots. Cut off all the brown and mushy roots, if you even leave a small piece of rotting root then chances are that it will start to rot the healthy roots as well. Only leave the roots that are white, this is the color of a healthy root, once you have done that simply repot the Peace Lily with some new potting mix.
Saving Peace Lilies With All The Roots Rotten
In some cases, you might find that all of the roots of your Peace Lilies are either rotten or are starting to rot away. In this case, remove all the roots, and make sure to cut the roots at their base. If the stem of the Peace Lily is also looking brown and mushy then this means that the stem of the plant has also started to rot away, in this case simply cut off the rotten part. It is extremely important not to pot the Peace Lily that has all of its roots removed or rotten away, as it is unlikely that it will survive.
Simply take the Peace Lily and put it in a vase, give it a couple of weeks and new and healthy roots will start to grow. You can add rooting hormones to the water, or you can simply use cinnamon as it has the same result. Once the Peace Lily has a couple of roots you can repot it, just make sure not to make the same mistake as before with excess watering and the plant will bounce back in a couple of weeks.
Key Takeaways
- The most common reason why Peace Lilies get root rot is due to overwatering.
- As long as the Peace Lilies have a couple of healthy leaves they should survive if you cut off all the rotten roots.
- Use a rooting hormone to accelerate the growth of healthy roots once you have repotted the Peace Lilies.
