When and How to Prune Peace Lilies

When and How to Prune Peace Lilies

If you were to do a quick search for low-maintenance houseplants, peace lilies (Spathiphyllum spp.) would be right at the top of the list because they require very little maintenance to thrive.

But now and then, leaves might die or look less-than-ideal. And what to do about those spent flowers or those brown leaf tips?

Peace lilies will sometimes lose their older leaves as they age or the smaller, new leaves at the base might die off. These need to be removed because they’re a drain on the plant.

Apart from trimming off foliage that is past its best, a light pruning can also help shape your plant.

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Our guide to growing peace lilies discusses how to take care of these easygoing houseplants.

In this guide, we’ll help you figure out how and when to prune your peace lily to deal with any brown tips, dead flowers, and ugly leaves. Here’s what we’re going to discuss:

You can remove dead, damaged, discolored, or diseased leaves at any time.

If you want to provide a little shape, do that in the spring. Try to avoid pruning when the plant is flowering because all its energy is focused on blooming.

Deadheading should, obviously, be done after the flowers have faded.

First things first, you’ll need to gather your tools.

To make your cuts, you’ll need a clean pair of clippers and a pair of scissors.

Both should be rinsed in soapy water and then wiped with isopropyl alcohol to remove any dirt and harmful pathogens hanging out on the metal that could spread nasty diseases.

By doing some trimming, we’re trying to make our plant healthier, not sick.