How Often Do You Water Peace Lily Plants? Ultimate Watering Guide (2023)

Last Updated on February 24, 2023 by Mattias

Peace Lily Plants are easy to care for. With the right watering frequency and amount of water, they will flourish and endlessly add elegance to your home. 

The question now is, what is the right amount of moisture and watering frequency that peace lilies need to flourish? 

You should use one inch of water to moisturize your peace lily plant once every week. 

However, it is hard to conclude a set schedule for watering these beautiful houseplants because they are certain factors that can influence how often they should be watered, and sometimes require you to water them more often than the above-stated frequency. 

So, in this article, we will explain the factors which could influence the watering frequency of your peace lily plant and answer other questions concerning the watering of these plants.   

Let’s begin. 

Factors Which Can Influence How Often You Should Water Peace Lily Plants

Several factors can cause you to either extend or maintain the conventional watering frequency of your peace lily plant. 

These factors include:

• The weather condition.

• The type of soil it is planted on.

• The size and type of pot it is planted in.

• The size of the plant. 

• The amount of light it is exposed to.

• Humidity level.

Let’s discuss them in detail.

The Weather Condition

One of the major factors influencing the watering frequency of a peace lily plant is the weather condition. And this is because of the difference in the speed at which evaporation occurs in different weathers.

During the summer months, the sun’s brightness intensifies, and the sun stays up more, which causes frequent evaporation of the moisture in the soil and hence requires the plant to be watered frequently. 

However, due to the humid climates during the winter months, the sun stays up less and doesn’t have as much intensity as during the early summer months, so the evaporation of the moisture in the plant’s soil doesn’t happen as fast.

This means less regular watering is required in these months. 

Also, the winter season isn’t an active growing season, so peace lily plants grow slower during this period, needing less frequent watering.

Meanwhile, the summer season is an active growing season, and these plants grow faster during this period, so more frequent watering is needed to help the plant’s growing process.  

The Type Of Soil It Is Planted On

The type of soil on which a peace lily plant is grown also influences how often it should be watered. 

If the soil mix you are growing your peace lily plant on contains sandy soil and other water-draining materials, then the moisture you use on the plant will drain out swiftly, and you will need to water the plant more often to keep it hydrated. 

But if the soil mix you are growing your peace lilies on mostly comprises clay and other

water-holding materials, you will need to water them less frequently because they can hold water for long periods. 

However, using a soil mix that can’t effectively drain water will put the plant at a high risk of being overwatered and affected by diseases such as root rot.

The Size And Type Of Pot It Is Planted In

Pot size and the material the pot is made up of are other factors that affect how often your peace lilies should be watered. 

Small pots can’t hold water for as long as larger pots can. So, if your peace lily plant is grown in a large pot, you should water it less frequently. 

In terms of materials, terracotta pots are built to make the water from the potting soil evaporate easily, so if you grow your plant in this type of pot, you will have to water it more frequently.

Meanwhile, plastic pots are not built to allow water to evaporate as swiftly as terracotta pots, so they hold moisture for an extended time.

Planting your peace lily plant in a pot made with this material will mean you will have to water it less frequently.

The Size Of The Plant

When a peace lily plant is large, it also has large leaves, enabling it to undergo transpiration and photosynthesis more than the small leaves on small peace lilies do. 

And to carry out these practices effectively, it will need more regular watering.  

The Amount Of Light It Is Exposed To 

When a peace lily plant is exposed to bright light, it carries out photosynthesis more than when it is grown in areas where it is exposed to areas with low light. 

However, this exposure to bright light will make the soil’s moisture evaporation faster; hence, more frequent watering will be needed.

Nevertheless, you must note that exposing your peace lily plant to too much light will burn its leaves, give them brown tips, and probably damage them. So, it is better to expose it to only indirect sunlight. 

If there are indoor plants, the right place to put them is at the north or east-facing window, where they will be exposed to bright and indirect sunlight. 

Humidity Level

The humidity level where a peace lily plant is grown can also affect how frequently it should be watered. 

If it is grown in an area with dry air or in a dry room, then the moisture in the soil will also get dried quickly, and you will need to water it frequently. 

However, if it is grown in an area with high humidity, the water won’t dry quickly and will need to be watered less frequently. 

How Do You Know When It’s Time To Water Your Peace Lily Plant?

There are two ways of knowing when to water your peace lily plant: using a soil moisture meter or your finger.

Using a soil moisture meter involves inserting it into the soil the plant is grown in and checking its moisture level. 

If the meter indicates that the soil is dry, then that means it is the perfect time to water the plant, but if it indicates that there is still moisture in the soil, then you would need to wait for a few days and check back again.

Meanwhile, using a finger to check soil moisture level involves poking your finger into the soil.

If the two inches at the top of the soil feel dry, it is time to water it, but if it still feels damp, you will wait a few days and check it again.

Drooping and wilting of peace lily leaves can also be a sign that it needs to be watered.

How Much Water Do Your Peace Lily Plants Need?

Your peace lily plant needs enough water to moisturize the plant and soak up its root ball, so ensure you use as much water as possible to accomplish this goal. 

If you use a pot to grow the plant, ensure that the bottom has drainage holes that the excess water and any salt built up in the soil can go through.

How Should You Water Your Peace Lily Plant?

If you want to give your peace lily plant a good drink and soak up its root ball, there are main ways you can do it: top to bottom watering or bottom-up watering. 

Bottom-up watering is the best way to moisturize very dry soil and give your plant a deep soak. 

This watering method involves putting your peace lily pot into a container or water-filled bucket. 

Ensure you put the pot so the water will come up to its middle, and then allow it to stay that way until the top inch of the soil gets moist. 

On the other hand, top-to-bottom watering involves using a long spout or any other watering means pouring a lot of water on the plant’s soil until it comes out through the drainage holes. 

While watering your peace lily plant, endeavor to water the base of the plant directly and not the leaves.

Piece lily leaves can’t absorb moisture as much as their roots can, and this inability to properly absorb it will put them at a high risk of getting brown spots or being affected by fungal diseases.  

Which Type Of Water Does Your Peace Lily Plants Need?

You should use either distilled water, filtered water, or rainwater to water your peace lilies.

This is because, unlike tap water from your faucet, these types of water don’t contain harmful chemicals like chlorine, which can cause harm to the plant. 

However, if tap water is the only type of water available and your peace lily plant needs watering, you should allow the tap water to stay still for a minimum of 24 hours before moisturizing the plant. 

This will give the chemicals in the water enough time to evaporate and give the water time to reach room temperature, hence making it safer for use on your plant.

Also, note that cold water isn’t good for use on these plants, as it will shock their roots. So, endeavor to use warm water instead. 

How Do You Know That Your Peace Lily Plant Is Being Underwatered?

Peace lilies are tropical plants that withstand drought for a while, but allowing them to stay without water will affect them, especially the leaves.

Here are a few signs that your peace lily plant will exhibit when it is underwatered:

• Its dark green leaves turn to yellow or brown leaves. 

• Its leaves begin to droop and limp. 

How To Fix An Underwatered Peace Lily Plant? 

The first thing you should do when you notice the signs of underwatering on your peace lily plant is to improve on how often you water it and ensure you start watering it when due. 

A correction in the frequency of watering your peace lily plant will see its leaves recover back to their originality in less than a week. 

However, while increasing the watering frequency of your peace lily plant, ensure that it has a good soil drain so that excess water can be expelled from it when it is well-watered. 

How Do You Know That Your Peace Lily Plant Is Being Overwatered?

Peace lily plant needs watering to flourish, but when you moisturize it more frequently than you should, it will make its soil soggy soil. It will give its roots more water than it needs, making it sit in water for a long period, therefore putting it at risk of being affected by a fungal disease.

Here are a few signs that you will notice when your peace lily plant is being overwatered:

• Its dark green leaves turn to brown or yellow leaves. 

• Its leaves begin to droop and limp. 

• Spots appear on its leaves.

• Its root begins to rot and produces a rotten smell. 

How To Fix An Overwatered Peace Lily Plant? 

What you should do to fix an overwatered peace lily plant depends on the level of impact which the excess watering has had on the plant.

So, the first thing you should do, in this case, is to inspect the plant and check how much damage has been done.

If the overwatering of the plant has caused its roots to rot, then the best way to save it will be to cut the affected roots and then get a new pot and plant the remaining roots. 

Now, ensure that the potting mix in which the plant is grown has good drainage, and ensure you use less water than you did, which caused it to be overwatered in the first place. 

How Often Do You Water Peace Lily Plants Summary

In this peace lily care guide, we have revealed the conventional water frequency for the peace lily plant, how to know when it is time to moisturize it, how much water you should use to moisturize it, and lots more. 

Hopefully, after reading this article, you have learned how to water your peace lilies and keep them blooming for a long time without fear of them being affected by root rot or other issues that might arise due to your watering them wrongly. 

Note that it is a good idea to always check the soil moisture level of your peace lily plant before watering it despite having a set schedule.

This will help you maintain moist soil while avoiding underwatering and overwatering and the negative effects of either.