How to Prune a Peace Lily: A Step By Step Guide

Peace lilies for the most part are easy to care for. It’s one of the reason they’re so popular.

But you still have to prune them to keep them doing well. And you need to do it right.

if you’re not confident about pruning your peace lily correctly then things can go wrong. And while a mistake might not seem like a big deal it can actually cause some damage that is permanent.

So this guide will give you everything you need to prune a peace lily. Follow it and you shouldn’t have any problems pruning and keeping your peace lily looking great and growing healthily.

Quick Answer: How to Prune a Peace Lily

Why Pruning is Essential for Peace Lilies

Pruning is more than simply making your plant look good. Its health is affected by how it’s pruned (or how it isn’t).

When you remove old, damaged or unnecessary parts of your peace lily what you’re doing is letting it stop wasting energy on growing or trying to revive those parts. Instead it can focus that energy into new growth and flowers.

If that isn’t enough to convince you these are the main reasons to prune your peace lily:

• Encourage new growth: Spent flowers and dead leaves use up resources and energy the plant needs. When you remove them it helps your plant to grow better and be healthier.
• Improve air circulation: When your peace lily is overcrowded it can result in more pests and diseases.
• Maintain a tidy appearance: Its less important but when you prune your peace lily it stays fresh and looks good.

What You’ll Need

The Basics

Before you get started you’ll need some tools:

• Sharp scissors or shears: if your tools are dull then they can tear the plant when you cut and cause damage.
• Disinfectant: Something like rubbing alcohol or bleach is important. All you have to do is wipe the plant and it will
  stop the spread of diseases to any of your other plants.
• Gloves: Peace lily sap can irritate the skin so use gloves.

Optional

• A spray bottle can be used to clean the plant before pruning.
• A cloth to wipe the leaves.
• A small brush or tweezers will help to remove any of the dirt or cuttings.

When Should You Prune a Peace Lily?

You can prune your peace lily at any time of the year. However there are some times when it’s better to do it:

• After the blooms have faded: Spent flowers are something you are obviously going to want to get rid of.
• As leaves yellow or brown: Yellow or brown leaves are a clear sign of either stress or aging and will want to be removed.
• During a regular care routine: when you water or dust your peace lily it’s a good time to check for any damaged leaves or flowers.

Step-by-Step Guide to Pruning a Peace Lily

1. Inspect the Plant

You should begin by looking at your peace lily closely and checking for:

• Wilted or brown flowers.
• Yellow or drooping leaves.
• Healthy leaves that have brown tips.
• Damaged stems or too overcrowded leaves.

Take your time. You don’t want to rush it and miss anything or get it wrong. Think of it like giving your plant a full health check up.

2. Clean Your Tools

Disinfect your scissors or shears before and after you use. You don’t have to do anything special, just quickly wipe them with rubbing alcohol. This is important to stop any bacteria or fungi from getting spread to your peace Lily.

3. Remove Spent Blooms

The flowers on your peace lily will fade and look green or brown (maybe a mix
If the two) as they get older. If you want to remove them:

1. Follow the flower stalk (not the leaf!) down to its base.
2. Use your scissors or shears to cut as close to the soil as possible.
3. Try not to disturb the leaves close to where you’re cutting.

4. Trim Damaged or Yellow Leaves

Yellow leaves should be expected on a peace lily. They are all part of its normal life cycle.

But people often want to remove them as they don’t look as good. So if you want to:

• Entire leaf yellow: Cut it off at the base near the soil.
• Only the tip has turned brown: Trim just the brown part. Follow the curve of e leaf.

5. Address Overcrowding

If your peace lily is starting to looking a bit too dense then you might want to thin it out. Do so by removing the smaller, weaker stems as it will help the air to flow properly around the plant and make pests less likely.

Pruning Checklist

Post-Pruning Care Tips

Clean Up Debris

When you’ve finished your pruning collect all the bits that you’ve cut off. If you leave it in the pot of your peace lily it can attract pests and make mold more likely to grow.

Water Carefully

Pruning can slightly stress your peace lily. To help it recover give it a small water after you’re finished pruning.

Don’t over water it though. For the most part peace lilies like to dry out a little in between each watering.

For more help see our peace lily watering guide.

Fertilize (Optional)

If it’s the growing season (spring or summer), you can help your plant out by giving it some houseplant fertilizer. Don’t forget to dilute it first though.

See our guide to the best fertilizers for peace lilies.

Common Pruning Mistakes (and How to Avoid Them)

1. Overpruning: Don’t remove more than 25% of your peace lilies leaves at once. If you do you risk shocking your plant.
2. Ignoring tool hygiene: Dirty tools may not seem like a big deal but they can easily lead to diseases spreading.
3. Trimming healthy leaves: Only remove leaves or stems that are definitely damaged or aging.

Extra Tips for Pruning

1. Shape Your Peace Lily

Want your plant to grow a certain way? If so then work on remove the stems that are getting in the way of the shape you’re aiming for.

For example:

• If your plant is lopsided trim the side where the growth is denser.
• If it’s too tall then remove the stems that are tallest and it will help your peace lily to grow bushier.

2. Propagation Potential

If you’re thinning your plant then you could propagate some of the cuttings. Peace lilies especially grow well from root divisions.

When you’re pruning a peace lily that is overcrowded separate a section that has roots and plant it in fresh soil.

How Often Should You Prune a Peace Lily?

There’s no definitive answer for this and you can do it whenever you want pruning regularly will keep your peace lily looking it best. A quick trim every month or two will also stop any smaller issues from turning into big issues.

Troubleshooting: Is My Peace Lily Healthy?

When you’ve finished your pruning keep an eye on how your plant reacts.

• New growth appears: then you’ve done it right and have nothing to worry about.
• Leaves droop slightly: Don’t worry just yet. Droopy leaves can be a normal reaction after pruning. But keep a close eye on the water levels.
• Brown tips increase: Look at how you’re watering. Too much or not enough can cause brown tips.

Final Thoughts

Pruning is about more than just how it looks. Pruning is actually part of your care routines.

When you remove spent flowers, trim away damaged leaves and keep its shape tidy you’re helping your peace lily to stay healthy. And when you treat it right and give it what it needs your peace lily will be happier and more likely to bloom and grow successfully.