How to Repot a Peace Lily for Healthy, Beautiful Blooms, Experts Say

Peace lilies are beautiful, beloved tropical plants that can thrive even in low light. While they're generally considered low maintenance, they still need to be repotted from time to time. These plants often become rootbound, which can lead to negative side effects if not properly remedied.

Fortunately, repotting a peace lily is straightforward, provided you get the timing right and provide proper aftercare. Here, we spoke with experts about exactly how to do it.

Benefits

Why is repotting so important? For starters, proper repotting prevents your peace lily from becoming rootbound, which can lead to a slew of negative side effects. You may start to notice yellowing leaves, brown tips on the leaves, and a general decline of the plant, says houseplant expert Lisa Eldred Steinkopf.

It's also an opportunity to refresh your potting mix. Over time, potting mix will become depleted or compacted, causing it to break down.

"It holds water unevenly, which can lead to root stress or rot," says Ankit Singh, assistant professor at the University of Maine Extension. "Repotting refreshes the growing medium, supports healthy root function, stabilizes moisture levels, and helps the plant resume strong growth and flowering."

When to Repot

As a rule of thumb, you should repot your peace lily every 1 to 2 years. However, regardless of the amount of time that's passed, you should always repot when you see signs that your plant is rootbound or that the potting mix has broken down.

For example, "roots growing out of drainage holes or circling on the soil surface" indicate that your plant is rootbound, says Singh. "Plants drying out very quickly after watering, water rushing straight through the pot without soaking in, or soil that stays wet too long and smells sour," meanwhile, is a sign of a compacted mix.

If you notice brown tips on the leaves, this could also be a sign of degraded soil, says Steinkopf.

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How to Repot

Repotting is fairly simple. If your plant is rootbound, it will need a slightly larger container; if it's not, you can place it back in the same pot with fresh soil.

1. Choose a pot. Select a new container that's 1 to 2 inches wider than the current one. Make sure it has drainage holes!
2. Select a potting mix. Fresh potting mix is essential. Singh recommends an airy, well-draining indoor mix.
3. Carefully remove the plant from its old container. "Tip the pot and slide the plant out while supporting the base of the stems," says Singh. "If stuck, squeeze the pot sides or loosen the edges."
4. Trim any mushy or foul-smelling roots with scissors.
5. Add soil to the new pot. "The plant should sit at the same depth as it was before," says Singh.
6. Fill around the rootball with mix. "Press gently to remove large air pockets," says Singh.

Care Instructions

Immediately after repotting, both experts recommend watering your peace lily to settle the soil. Do so until you see water drain out of the bottom of the pot. Always empty any standing water in the saucer beneath.

Afterward, keep your peace lily in bright, indirect light for two to three weeks. Make sure to avoid harsh sunlight. "Don't fertilize for four to six weeks to avoid burning recovering roots," says Singh. "Mild drooping for a few days can be normal."