When and How to Divide Peace Lilies

Peace lilies (Spathiphyllum spp.) are tropical evergreen herbaceous perennials widespread as houseplants for his or her low-maintenance care necessities, engaging foliage, and lovely white flower-like spathes.

Many individuals find yourself with a peace lily they’ve inherited or picked one up as an impulse buy on the grocery retailer and since they’re really easy to develop, sooner or later the plant outgrows its container.

When you’ve got a peace lily that’s outgrowing its present dwelling, you will have a few choices.

We hyperlink to distributors that will help you discover related merchandise. Should you purchase from one among our hyperlinks, we could earn a fee.

You could possibly purchase an even bigger container and repot your peace lily. However ultimately, you’re going to expire of house when you maintain shopping for greater and greater pots.

Another choice is to divide your plant, so as an alternative of 1 massive specimen, you’ll have two or extra smaller ones.

This retains the unique plant at a manageable measurement in the identical container, and offers you with further crops to share.

Division is a propagation technique that works effectively with peace lilies and provides you the chance to pay one ahead to a pal or supply up one or two sections at your native houseplant swap.

Should you’re excited to begin the method, right here’s what we’ll go over on this information:

Earlier than we get began, when you want a refresher about methods to develop peace lilies, take a look at our information.

As they are saying, timing is every thing. In order that looks like place to begin:

When to Divide Peace Lilies

Spring is one of the best time to divide your plant, whether or not you’re rising your peace lily indoors or out.

That is the start of the rising season, and the plant will placed on new development rapidly and the divisions bounce again simply. Fall works, too, in order that’s second possibility.

The worst time to divide your plant is throughout the summer season. For these grown indoors, winter isn’t perfect, however it may be executed. In case your peace lily is at the moment in bloom, keep away from dividing it until completely needed.

All of that stated, the reality is you’ll be able to divide your peace lily throughout the summer season and winter, and it’ll most definitely be fantastic, they’re fairly resilient.

Indicators you’ll both must go up a pot measurement or divide your plant embrace roots popping out of the drainage holes, failing to bloom, soil drying out too rapidly, or the plant merely trying too massive for its present dwelling.

It’s a good suggestion to repot or divide your peace lily each few years to refresh the potting medium.

Preparation

Earlier than you are able to do the precise work, just a little preparation is so as.

You’ll want a pair of pruners or scissors and possibly a shovel or trowel. You additionally want new containers for the divisions – until you’re rising them within the floor.

Wash your instruments in scorching, soapy water or wipe them with isopropyl alcohol. You also needs to clear any pots you intend to make use of.

Water the soil of your peace lily totally, 24 hours earlier than dividing your specimen. This ensures that the plant is hydrated and the roots are good and plump.

Do any pruning you have to do to take away lifeless, broken, or diseased leaves earlier than you begin, too.

Prepared? Nice! 

Dividing

Since they have an inclination to supply stems in clusters, you’ll be able to divide a peace lily in half, or you’ll be able to create a number of small sections relying on the dimensions of your plant.

You possibly can separate any part that has a couple of stems and leaves and loads of roots connected.

Within the case of a potted plant, fastidiously take away the specimen from the container and brush away the soil so you’ll be able to clearly see the roots.

At this level it’s best to be capable to determine the pure divisions within the root construction, which is able to make separating the sections simpler.

Search for an space the place there are a number of leaves connected to the roots and gently begin teasing this space away from the principle plant.

As you tease the realm aside, you may must get in there together with your clippers and sever any tangled roots or roots which have a number of branches. Don’t fear, these broken areas will regrow.

For crops within the floor, you have to dig them up earlier than dividing. Check out the plant and measure about six inches out from the sting of the stems across the whole perimeter.

Dig down a few foot all the best way round after which get the shovel underneath the plant. Wedge it out of the bottom and set it apart fastidiously.

Brush or knock the soil away from the roots earlier than teasing aside the sections as mentioned above.

Replant

When you will have divided your plant, you have to repot or replant the unique specimen and any divisions you will have taken.

Should you’re working with out of doors crops, you’ll be able to place the mom specimen again into its unique spot after which dig holes the identical measurement as the basis balls of the divisions you have to transplant.

Set the plant within the floor on the similar top because it was initially, then backfill with soil earlier than watering in effectively.

Should you divided a potted plant, place the unique part again within the pot and fill in round it with potting soil.

Don’t bury it any deeper than it was within the unique container or the plant may rot. You might want to use this chance to refresh the potting soil.

For the brand new divisions, set these in their very own particular person pots.

Select containers that permit about an inch of room across the perimeter of the basis ball and ensure to maintain them on the similar depth as they had been initially.

Backfill with potting combine as wanted, and water in effectively.