Plant Parent

Please help! My peace lily plant leaves are folding in half. Any ideas why? I’ve had the plant for two years. It sits on the top shelf of my bookcase.

I have a large (floor to ceiling, 8’ wide) east facing window that is open most of the day. The plant sits about 14’ in front of an air vent near the ceiling – it’s about equal distance to the window. It’s watered 16-24 oz (non-filtered) whenever the leaves get droopy – about 1-2 x per week. There is a lot of new growth however most of the older leaf tips are brown so perhaps it needs more water? Any guidance on why the leaves are folding would be greatly appreciated.

Plant Parent

Attached is a picture of the room. You will see the air vent on the left, window in the middle, and the plant in its home on the right. This picture was taken at 10:45 am ET. If I look outside, the sun is positioned at about 2:30 in the sky.

Plant Parent

Older leaf tips WILL turn brown – it should not be interpreted as a problem with watering; from a practical standpoint, it is inevitable. Your folded leaves may a sign that the soil has not been EVENLY moistened but what’s more concerning is the distance your plant lives from the window. “Bright indirect light” should not be interpreted as “avoid direct sun at all costs” – the better way to understand it is “put your plant where it will have the widest possible view of the sky and, if the sun will shine on it for LONGER than 2-3 hours, then block it with a white sheer curtain”.

Once you move the plant closer to the window, it will use up water faster. You should try to water it before it becomes wilted as wilting too often isn’t the best experience for the plant. When you water, your aim is to evenly moisten the soil – there’s no need to be specific about the amount – the goal is even distribution.