Diagnose Peace Lily...looks like Charlie Brown xmas tree

[P A U L]

I bought Peace Lilies last week. I think I overwatered them--possibly because I neem oiled the hell out of them for spider mites. The mixture was about 99% water to <1% oil. All the leaves droop down to the ground and look like bok choy cabbage.

The leaves did not change color at all and remain green. None yellow, none brown, none appear 'damaged' in any way. They just look like...Charlie Brown's christmas tree. The leaves felt sturdy before, now they feel like moist paper towels.

Are these guys...going to stand up again eventually or did I royally screw up?

 

[P A U L]

Additional info:

I did not spray only the leaves. I pretty much sauna-steam-roomed them. At first, I sprayed the base of the stems around the soil, the leaves, below the leaves. Next day I noticed more spider mite bites, so I did the same. Noticed more spots the next day...got annoyed, put all the pots inside a large trash bag and sprayed inside the bag and kept it here for about an hour.

As for watering....after neeming it, I think I sprayed the top of the soil around the base of the stems...maybe a good 40~50 pumps of the spray (mist setting) every day for 3~4 days. About 2 days after that, 5/8 started to droop. About 20 pumps is about 2~3 tablespoons. I never left them in a tray/saucer. I kept them on my window sill, sitting on top of a bookend (those things that hold up books on a shelf). Currently, the Los Angeles night temp is about 50F. The base of the bookend has a large hole, large enough for the pot to tilt if I don't position it correctly.

I don't recall seeing water dripping out of the bottom. I wasn't really paying attention. If any water did drain it would have just dripped out the window. I'm on the 10th floor of my apartment...the window sill has a slight tilt and would just drain the water away outside. Again, I wasn't paying attention to drainage.

Currently...the top soil is fairly dry...I'm afraid to water it in case I did overwater. I think I could pick-up/pinch a bit of soil and crumble it between thumb and finger. When I brought the plants home from the store, the soil was moist for 2 days(?).

I only used distilled water that I bought from walgreens in those gallon cartons.

 

[alp]

Got a pic, Paul?

By the way,

Welcome to the forum!

 

[roadrunner]

Typically, drooping leaves on a Peace Lily is an indication that it needs watering, but don't expect the leaves to pop up instantly, probably takes about 24 hours and after watering, don't water again, because they don't like soggy soil.

Neeming the hell out of it seems not to be a good thing, especially if some of that oil dripped into the soil -- Neem oil is deadly. What size container is it in? It might be a good idea to change containers with new soil? As mentioned above, pictures would help...

P.S. I wouldn't bother watering the plant with a spray bottle, it's alright to spray the leaves with water, but for the roots, I'd just pour the water until you got a very, very small amount of seepage at the bottom of the pot, to ensure the entire root system has water. -- Yes, the soil will be soggy, but that's ok, as long as it isn't soggy every day, i.e. just let it dry out and water again whenever needed. It's the constant sogginess that is bad, not the every-once-in-awhile sogginess.

 

[roadrunner]

Also, you say it's in a window, but didn't mention how much sun it gets; Peace Lilies like bright areas, but do not tolerate direct sunlight. They also hate the cold, but 50 deg won't kill them, but what's worse is dry air, they like it humid -- that's why it's good to spray water on the leaves. If your place is heated, that usually creates a very dry area, probably be best to keep outside in the shade, at least during the day, if weather permits.

 

[DirtMechanic]

From what I read, 60f or higher is favored. But what I am here to say is stop using that distilled water. You must understand that purified water has an incredibly strong need to attach its oxygen bits to everything. It is also acidic. Tap water is treated to be PH neutral, distilled would dissolve their pipes. It will eat away and crumble copper water lines. If you must use it, premix it with your nutrients and let it stand for a while so that it is not going to suck the life out of your plant. The PH needs to be lower than 6.5 but probably not as low as 5.5.

 

[P A U L]

well i'll be damned. i placed the pots in my bathtub and doused them with water. i used distilled water before learning that i should use tap water. anyway, within 2 hours they started standing up!!! there was 1 pot, however, that wanted to be a baby and didn't start standing till the next morning. they're all full of life now!

thanks!!!!!

Also, you say it's in a window, but didn't mention how much sun it gets; Peace Lilies like bright areas, but do not tolerate direct sunlight.

they get nearly zero direct sunlight. there is about a 20-inch area at one side of the window (east facing) where there is direct sunlight from the south for a little under 1-hour as it passes through 2 tall buildings (this is somewhere around noon time). i can fit 2 or 3 pots in that corner.

there is a tall office building to the east (where the pots are) that is completely covered in dark'ish reflective windows. at around 4pm, when the sun is 1 or 2 hours away from setting, it reflects a lot of orangey light.

i have another window that faces north (i keep no plants there right now). i live on the 10th floor and i have zero obstructions from the north. all indirect light from that window is reflected off the roofs of shorter apartments, the ground, etc.

i'm planning on getting a 6500K led strip for my venus flytraps/sundews. the lilies sit next to the flytraps. are these lights for the lilies?

They also hate the cold, but 50 deg won't kill them, but what's worse is dry air, they like it humid -- that's why it's good to spray water on the leaves. If your place is heated, that usually creates a very dry area, probably be best to keep outside in the shade, at least during the day, if weather permits.

in my part of Los Angeles...nothing freezes.

during summer, the ambient air becomes 90 to 105 degrees. it's a very dry heat. for humidity, can i keep them in a (let me finish) tray of water, but elevated so that the pot never touches the water? just for evaporation...


THANKS EVERYONE!

 

[roadrunner]

I think that would be good to keep it over a pail of water and if you can cover it so the evaporated water is somewhat trapped, you'd be creating a micro-climate. Also keep it away from vents, so the air is as still as possible.

 

[P A U L]

OK this is about my peace lilies, but not about the drooping. The flowers have brown spots and I can't seem to figure out why.

They aren't in direct sunlight. I jet sprayed the crap out of the plants, neemed them several times before that. I don't see any signs of pests...but the white leaf around the seed has brown spots on them and I have no idea why...

Any ideas???

 

[roadrunner]

I would ease up on the use of neem oil; I'm thinking it can't be good for the soil/plant as it drips into the soil -- especially being an indoor plant.

However, the brown spots you took a pic of doesn't seem worthy of any further action.

 

[P A U L]

it seems spraying/misting it blast spores from the seed onto the white leaf and 'stained' it.... this whooole time i thought it was spider mites. all sources on google pointed to brown spots being pest damage...