A Gardeners Forum Forums General Discussion The House Plant Forum Just moved and now Peace Lily looks sick

When I was going to college in Sonoma County, I bought a Peace lily and a Rubber plant. Both plants were doing great there, and just before I moved I repotted the peace lily and put it in a bigger pot, maybe too big. I then moved to Berkeley, and the Peace lily has not been doing well at all.

Im not quite sure what it is, but there always seems to be something wrong. The room I rent has a window that lets in the sun in the afternoon, so I hide the lily in the shadowy parts of the room. I water when the two-way meter I bought says the plant needs water, and I can tell when the pot is lighter than normal. I trim off dead leaves, and it hasn't flowered in about a year.

It's been in this large pot for around 8 months, but recently it started drooping its outer leaves and just looking sick. The inner leaves look great. Super green, healthy with no brown tips. I don't know what to do. I would like to have this plant when I am retired, and pass it on. Should I repot it one step down? Not worry about it, since it is cold in the bay area? Any help would be great. Here is a recent photo of the plant, I can get more if needed.

The rubber plant by the way is doing great, that thing is resilient. Oh, and the peace lily might have those tiny little flies breeding in there. I see a few of them around the room.

http://www.thegardenhelper.com/peacelily.htm

Sometimes the re-potting in too large of a pot can be a problem but if you have white flies then that's your main issue. You need to buy a spray for that. I used a 'pyrethrum' based insecticide. I took of all the dead and dying leaves, sprayed the plant fully, tied it in a bag..then repeated a week after. Took me a month to kill those nasty things..and my plant was a small one.

Sometimes I think those bugs come in the soil we buy.

You could try take a slip of you plant..that way you can start another in case this one is too sick to save.

Hope this helps, someone else should be along soon to give more info..

Thanks for replying Tamara. They are not little white flies though, they are small brown ones, and I dont even see any on the plant. I see them flying around the room, maybe one of two of them. I was told they might be breeding in the dirt, maybe if too much water was put in there. I have some of that spray and I will try that again.

In the room I have I can't really put the plant in a space where there is no light, unless I put the plant in the walk in closet. I might start doing this again, as it worked before.

I would really like to save this one, and I don;t think its a lost cause yet? I dont even know to make "slips
to create a new plant if need be.

Danny if you read the link I sent, it say's your plant needs bright filtered light..

Here's a link on taking a slip/cutting http://www.thegardenhelper.com/cuttings.html