I need houseplant help. I was given this peace lily plant last spring. After a few months, I repotted it to this (bit) larger clay pot. It is boosted to fit the height of the decorative pot with a bit of styrofoam. My usual mantra had been to water it once a week by soaking it in the sink for 1 hour. I also watered it some from the top at that time. Occasionally, I would miss or be late for a watering.
This winter it falls over if it hasn’t been soaked for 3 days. Limp like a rag doll! I’ve been trying to water/soak it 2x a week now.
Does it need a bigger pot? Is this something that needs divided? Should I trim some of the damaged leaves? Is it just done being a houseplant?
WARNING — Grossness ahead —-
And in full disclosure, I’ve found these worm-type bugs dead on my carpet. Nothing regular but 2 one week and none the next week or two. Twice when I’ve watered the peace lily, there is a bug like this on the pot so it makes me wonder if there is more problem with the plant. Do you know anything about this?
Usually when I find them they are dead and have curled in a coil. I couldn’t find a photo that I thought I had taken so went hunting and found this one live & walking on the edge of the pot (while the plant is soaking)!! Major EEEWWWW!!! 😦
Thanks for any help you can offer!! I don’t have a green thumb but I do like having house plants around.
and sew on... 
Your bug is a centipede. I hate them. They’re fast little guys and disappear really fast. If you think they’re in the soil, I would pour a little soapy water in the dirt. That’s what I do with plants before I bring them in for the winter. Here’s a site that looks like it has some good information about Peace Lilies.
Soapy water is a good idea to kill the bugs before I repot! 🙂 Thanks!!
Checked with my “go to” Master Gardener… Heidi Nash 🙂 She says:
“She should probably repot it, and check the root ball for bugs or bug eggs. They may be chewing on the stems down hidden in the moss she’s got around it. That would let her really see if it is root bound too. If there is hardly any soil left, and it’s mostly roots, it won’t have anything to hold water for it, therefore needing watering more often. “
Oh thank you for checking with your “Master Gardener” and for helping me!! 🙂 I have some looks from your grandmother but not the green thumb!
I will be aiming to repot it soon. So glad to have good pointers from you & Heidi!!
ICK!! Sorry I can’t help! I had and LOVED the peace lilly we used to have when we were first married! It was also so forgiving when I forgot to water it….. but then I never repotted it to a larger pot and realized to late the reason it kept going further downhill was it was just a gigantic ball of roots and no soil. Oops. Once we have no little ones who might knock it over or eat it I’ll def look to get another one so let me know if you figure this buggy-situation out 🙂 ~Sarah
This one is from my church from last spring so I’d like to keep it but sometimes get really frustrated with it wilting. But yes, definitely a different time of life that I have a big plant on the floor! 🙂 I like it and it is huge so hoping my repotting helps.
That is a centipede, and centipedes go where there is water. You find them under rocks and plants and near rivers. They like your wet plant. They live in damp basements and go anywhere there is water. I used to see them in my bathroom when I lived in an apartment where there was occasionally water running through the basement from an outside stairway. They also like to hide in cardboard boxes and hide in dark places. Do you know that if you step on a centipede and squish half of it, the other half will run away? True story. Ask me how I know.
Now that is really gross!! :p I’m going to trust you on that and not try to prove it to myself. You are funny!
I’m agreeing with the comment of check if there is enough soil/compost – also what sort of compost did you use? You can get water retention granuals to mix into soil/compost to help keep the roots moist but there needs to be enough there.
You can root prune if necessary – take out some of the roots, or divide the plant into two and pot both up into new soil. The new soil (mixed with water retention granuals if necessary) will have nutrients too – have you been feeding it?
Centipedes might be eating your plant but are more likely eating dead material.
I buy potting soil so will look for something with extra help for the plant. I’m not good at adding in plant food but I suppose all the plants would like it with spring and new growth coming. I didn’t know about water retention bits. Thanks!