How to Root a Peace Lily

The peace lily is a popular houseplant for a reason; it’s low-maintenance, and any beginner can grow it. So, it’s only natural that you might want more, but you’ll need to figure out how to root a peace lily first.

To root the plant, you’ll need to remove it from the pot and identify the crown. Then you’ll need to divide the plant by its crown to get the new peace lilies. Afterward, you can root each one in a suitable soil mix and new pot.

Do you want to find out the nitty-gritty details? In today’s article, we’ll tell you everything you need to know about propagating and rooting your peace lily, so let’s dive in!

Peace lilies (also known as the spathe or Spathiphyllum plants) can’t be propagated by stem cuttings. On the other hand, propagation by seeds can take an extremely long time. So, the best way to propagate Spathiphyllum plants is by division.

This way, you can divide pieces of your peace lily to root them in new pots, and you’ll end up with two or three new plants in no time.

What You’ll Need

Before we start propagating and rooting, start by gathering the materials you’ll need for the process. Let’s check them out:

A healthy and grown peace lily with crowns (where the roots meet the stem of the plant)
A clean, sharp knife
A measuring cup for transferring the potting mix
Plastic sheet or newspaper to cover your work surface
Small pots for the new plants (the larger your plant is, the more pots you’ll need)
A suitable peace lily potting mix

Instructions

After grabbing all the materials, you can proceed with the following steps to propagate your peace lily:

1. Prepare the New Pots and Soil

Like most houseplants, Spathiphyllum plants prefer a soil mix that balances adequate moisture retention with draining capacity.

You need to look for a potting mix with texture, like the ones that include perlite, coir, loam, or peat moss. Conifer bark, coconut coir, pumice, and horticultural charcoal are also good options for spathe plants.

For example, you can add two parts of potting soil with one part of both perlite and coconut coir. You can also replace the coconut coir with peat moss, depending on what you have at hand.

2. Remove the Peace Lily From the Pot

Removing the plant from its pot might sound like a hassle, but it’s actually pretty easy.

First, you’ll need to place the newspaper on your surface to keep it clean from all the soil remains. Then, grab your mature Spathiphyllum plant. You need to make sure it’s a healthy one without any signs of infection.

After that, firmly hold the base of the plant and yank it gently. Just don’t apply too much pressure when pulling, as it can damage the plant. Instead, gently tap the side of the pot until it becomes free.

If the plant remains stuck, you can place it upside near your working surface and tap the base of the pot. This usually gets the job done. You can also run a knife around the plant to detach it from the old pot.

After getting your peace lily out, place it on its side to get a better view of the roots.

3. Separate the Peace Lily at the Crowns

Now, this is the tricky part. You need to wear your gloves and start wiping off the excess soil on the roots. You can use a soft brush to get into the tight parts.

After that, you’ll need to divide the plant from the crown section by hand. Just make sure that it has a couple of leaves and viable roots attached to it. Generally, smaller plants are easier to divide, but if it’s stuck, you can use your fingers or a sharp knife to cut it.

Keep in mind that you can make multiple divisions, but making fewer ones can ensure the plants will have the best chance of surviving. All in all, it’ll depend on the crowns you can spot.

More importantly, you don’t need to worry about damaging the smaller roots when you’re dividing the plant. As long as the main root of each new section is still intact, your peace lily should survive.

4. Root the New Peace Lilies

After finishing the propagation process, you’ll need to transfer the new plants and the mother plant to their new pots.

Since every case can result in a different number of daughter peace lilies, it’ll be hard to know exactly how many pots you’ll need just by looking. That’s why it’s always better to get extra pots in a few sizes, just in case.

Carefully place the new plants in the pot and fill the surrounding area with more potting mix till you reach the soil line. Finally, press down gently on the soil to secure the peace lily in place.

Taking Care of Your Peace Lily After Rooting

The first thing you need to do after rooting your peace lily is to make sure that it has enough water. If the soil is dry, you can water the pot until the first inch of the soil is moist to the touch.

Keep checking for the moisture of the soil every day. Don’t let your plant dry out or overwater it to soak the fresh roots. You can also use a moisture meter to check it, as it’s more efficient and accurate.

Remember to put the potted peace lilies back in partial sunlight, just like their mother plant. You don’t want the direct sun to ruin all your hard work with the rooting process!

In some cases, the new plants can suffer from shock due to the stress of transplantation. You might even spot some leaves falling off and drooping down. However, this is normal, and your plant should bounce back in a few days with adequate care.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do you still have a question in mind? Check out these common questions regarding rooting peace lilies:

When is the right time to propagate a peace lily?

You can propagate an indoor Spathiphyllum plant pretty much any time of the year. As long as the plant is mature enough and has identifiable crowns, you can propagate it.

If you’re planning to repot your peace lily, you might as well propagate it since you’ll be taking it out of the pot, anyway.

On the other hand, an outdoor peace lily can be propagated when the weather is warm enough. So, spring and summer are the best times to do so.

Can you root a peace lily in water?

Peace lilies have no problem growing in water. You can do so by simply filling a container with distilled water. Then, you’ll need to place the clump so that only its bottom is submerged.

What are the benefits of rooting a peace lily?

Propagation is a way to create more plants, so you can think of it as a way to get more of these beauties for free. Plus, it can help you control the size of your mature houseplant.

You can also sell the new plants or simply give them to your friends and family. After all, peace lilies make excellent gifts!

Conclusion

Knowing how to root a peace lily doesn’t require extensive experience. The key is dividing the plant at the crown point, where each crown still has leaves and roots intact.

After that, you’ll need to transplant each section into a new pot and watch them grow. Just remember to tend to the rooting plants to get them to thrive in no time!

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