Do you adore your peace lily plant and wish you had more of them around your home?
Whatever your reasons may be, the good news is that you can propagate your beloved peace lily — multiplying its beauty in a sustainable, budget-friendly way.
This guide is your one-stop resource for the best practices and considerations in peace lily propagation.
Peace lilies are one of the most popular indoor plants due to their easy care, air purifying abilities, and beautiful white flowers. As a proud peace lily owner, you may be looking to multiply your plant collection. Propagating a peace lily in water is an easy and fun way to get more plants!
In this comprehensive guide, we will walk through the step-by-step process of water propagating peace lilies, from choosing a healthy mother plant to transplanting the new plantlets into soil. We will also provide tips and tricks for success along the way. Let’s get started!
Why Propagate Peace Lilies in Water?
Propagating houseplants in water allows you to watch the rooting process unfold. It’s mesmerizing to see those tiny white roots emerge and slowly expand in the water.
Additionally, water propagation can be faster than soil propagation since the water and nutrients are readily available. The humid environment minimizes transplant shock.
Finally, propagating in water helps prevent rot and fungal issues that can occur in wet soil. As long as you change the water regularly, the cuttings will remain healthy.
Step 1: Select a Healthy Mother Plant
The first step is choosing a robust mature peace lily to act as the mother plant. Select one that is several years old and at least 2 feet tall with glossy green leaves. Older plants will root more easily.
Avoid propagating from sickly or damaged plants, as they likely won’t have the energy to generate new roots and foliage.
Step 2: Sterilize Your Cutting Tools
Before taking any cuttings, you’ll want to sterilize the cutting tools. This prevents transmitting diseases from the mother plant to the propagations.
Soak the shears or knife in rubbing alcohol for several minutes You can also use a lighter to briefly pass the blade through a flame. Allow the tools to fully air dry before use.
Step 3: Take Peace Lily Stem Cuttings
With your sterile shears or knife, cut a stem right below a node. Nodes are the part of the stem where leaves emerge. This is where new roots will generate.
Your cutting should be 3-6 inches long with 1-3 leaves at the top. Remove the lower leaves by making a clean cut at their base. This prevents rotting in the water.
Take 2-3 cuttings total to improve your chances of success, Place them in a cup of water immediately after cutting,
Step 4: Change the Water Regularly
After a few days, you will need to refresh the water to prevent bacteria growth. Carefully pour out the old water and refill with room temperature, filtered water.
Ideally, change the water every 5-7 days. Sometimes even more frequently in hot climates. The clearer the water stays, the better.
Step 5: Provide Bright, Indirect Light
Place your peace lily cuttings in a spot with ample bright, indirect sunlight. Southern or eastern facing windows are perfect.
Too much direct sun will scorch the leaves. But insufficient light will result in weak, leggy growth unable to support itself.
Step 6: Watch for Root Growth
Within 2-4 weeks, you should notice white roots emerging from the node underwater. The roots may be thin and threadlike at first, but will gradually grow thicker and longer.
Resist the urge to disturb or tug on the new roots. Allow them to grow undisturbed for at least 5-7cm (2-3 inches).
Step 7: Add Diluted Liquid Fertilizer
Once the cutting has developed an extensive root system, you can begin adding diluted liquid fertilizer to the water. Look for a balanced 10-10-10 or 20-20-20 fertilizer.
This provides nutrients like nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. Use just 1/4-1/2 of the recommended dose to avoid fertilizer burn.
Step 8: Transplant to Soil
When the roots have reached about 5-7cm in length, your peace lily propagation is ready for soil! Gently loosen the roots and place into a pot, using a well-draining soil mix.
Make sure the soil is moist but not soaked. Plant the peace lily at the same depth it was growing in water. Gradually acclimate it to less humidity.
9 Tips for Successfully Propagating Peace Lilies in Water
Follow these tips and tricks to ensure your peace lily water propagations thrive:
- Use clean, filtered water to fill containers and change it every 5-7 days.
- Keep away from direct sun, which can overheat the water and damage roots.
- Mist foliage daily to provide humidity while roots establish.
- Avoid disturbing or removing the plant from the water until sufficient roots form.
- Add diluted fertilizer once roots are 2-3 inches long to fuel the cutting’s growth.
- Propagate in spring or summer when the mother plant is actively growing.
- Ensure at least 1-2 nodes are submerged for the highest chance of rooting.
- Transfer the propagated peace lily to soil before roots get too long and tangled.
- Acclimate the new plant gradually to less humidity over 7-10 days after transplanting.
Troubleshooting Issues
Here are some common propagation issues and how to resolve them:
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No roots forming: Ensure at least 1-2 nodes are underwater. Change water more frequently and provide bright, indirect light.
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Roots are brown/mushy: The peace lily is likely getting too much direct sun. Move to a shadier spot.
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Leaves turning yellow: Mist the foliage daily for humidity and make sure water quality is high.
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Stem feels soft/hollow: Unfortunately, this cutting did not survive. Toss it and try again with a fresh stem.
Enjoy Your New Peace Lily Babies!
In about 2-3 months, you should have brand new potted peace lily plants generated through water propagation. Take pride in caring for these babies you propagated yourself!
The process does require diligence, sterile practices, and optimal growing conditions. But with the steps and tips above, you can master propagating peace lilies in water.
Enjoy doubling or tripling your peace lily collection to enhance your indoor garden. And why stop at just one round of propagations? The peace lily babies can become mother plants once mature, allowing you to repeat the water propagation process indefinitely!
Change the Water Regularly
To prevent bacteria and algae growth, change the water in the container every few days.
Keep an eye on the roots. After about 2–3 weeks, you should start to see new roots growing.
Once the roots have grown to around 5–7 cm long, the peace lily is ready to be transferred to a pot with well-draining soil.
This transition allows the plant to receive nutrients essential for its growth and longevity.
Repot the New Peace Lily Plants
Place each peace lily division into a new pot filled with fresh potting soil.
Make sure to bury the roots, but avoid covering the base of the stem.
How do you propagate a peace lily? #plantcare #plant #peacelily #propagation
FAQ
Can I grow peace lily from a cutting?
No, a peace lily cannot be propagated from a single leaf or stem cutting. However, peace lilies can be propagated by division, where you separate the plant into smaller sections, each with its own roots and stems.
Can you root peace lilies in water?
Introduction to Water Propagation: Peace lilies can also be propagated through water, offering a fascinating alternative to traditional soil-based methods. Water propagation involves rooting the plant in water until it develops a healthy root system before transferring it to soil.
Should I cut the yellow leaves off of my peace lily?
A: Yes, you should remove your peace lily’s yellow leaves. The plant will then start to direct its energy to its healthy parts. Trying to revive yellow leaves is a futile effort, as they’ll never turn green again.
Does peace lily grow better in water or soil?
Peace lilies need consistently moist soil, but they definitely don’t like to sit in saturated soil. Whenever the top inch of soil is dry, water the plant until the overflow starts to come out of the drainage holes.
Can peace lilies be propagated in water?
By following these steps, you can successfully propagate your peace lily through division in soil, creating new plants that will continue to grace your living space with their elegant foliage and gorgeous white blooms. Peace lilies can also be propagated in water, offering an alternative method to soil propagation. To propagate in water:
How to plant a peace lily?
The first step to take will be to find a glass container that you can use for the peace lily. Many people will use small vases, but you can also use a simple tall glass if you’d like to go that route. Next, you’re going to need to fill the glass container with water. Avoid using tap water since that isn’t going to work out properly for the plant.
Do peace lilies need water?
The chemicals in city tap water can harm the plant, so it’s best to use distilled water, rain water, or other purified water when growing a Peace Lily hydroponically. Fertilize Your Plant – Since plants typically get their nutrients from the soil, you’ll need to feed your Peace Lily once a month using liquid fertilizer.
Can peace lilies be propagated using stem cuttings?
Most peace lily propagation guides state that this plant can’t be propagated using the stem cutting method. Although it’s true that you’ll rarely be able to do this, or even want to, it can technically be done in some cases. You see, mature peace lilies do actually grow a stem above the soil eventually.
Can a peace lily grow vertically?
You can make a vertical cut anywhere, but if sections come loose by themselves, that’s ideal. If you accidentally separated a peace lily clump from your mother plant that has no roots of its own, you can consider propagating in water. It’ll root a bit more quickly this way than in soil, and you’ll be able to see if it’s progressing well.
How do you irrigate peace lilies?
Water and location: Water the newly potted peace lilies thoroughly, ensuring the soil is evenly moist and irrigate once the top 2 inches of soil is dry. Place the pots in a location with indirect light, allowing the plants to acclimate to their new surroundings. And remember to keep the soil consistently moist during the initial stages of growth.