Peace lilies are easy to care for but can be difficult to get to bloom – one plant expert has claimed that using rice water can make the plant ‘explode with so many flowers’
Peace lilies are known for being easy to care for, but getting them to bloom isn’t always a walk in the park if you don’t understand their needs.
Maintaining a peace lily doesn’t require much effort – they’re content with dry soil and can thrive in most light conditions. However, they won’t produce their signature white flowers unless you take the time to provide them with everything they need to flourish.
While dedicated houseplant food for peace lilies can be used to fertilise these houseplants, one plant expert claimed that using rice flour would cause your peace lily to “explode with so many flowers”. Rice is packed with several different nutrients, including nitrogen, phosphorous, potassium, magnesium, zinc, iron and sulphur, making it fantastic for peace lilies.
In a video posted on their YouTube account Plant Tips, a gardening and houseplant expert captioned it: “Amazing result, grow peace lily with one cup of rice flour, so many flowers explode.” In the video, the expert began by showing the end result of the fertilising tip which showcases the peace lily with over nine healthy and bright white blooms.
The expert then showed how the peace lily looked before the tip and the plant was wilted, had no blooms and was full of dead leaves. To rectify this, the expert removed the peace lily from the container, propagated it and re-potted the plant with a potting mix consisting of perlite, coir, soil, rice husks and fertiliser.
A plant specialist has shared a simple trick to help your peace lilies bloom and it involves using rice flour. The expert started by mixing water with a cup of rice flour to create a thin solution, which was then used to clean the leaves.
Next, the rice water mixture was poured over the plant’s potting mix. Two months later, two blooms had sprouted from the peace lily and the leaves were noticeably greener. The specialist continued to hydrate the peace lily with the rice flour solution, even using it in a spray bottle to mist the top of the plant.
Three months on, the peace lily was teeming with flowers and looked healthier than ever. Although the expert didn’t specify how often the peace lily was watered with the rice flour solution, it’s recommended to use it sparingly.
Due to the risk of starch accumulation, it’s best to apply rice water to your plants only once a month. When you are not using rice water, regular tap water or rainwater should be given to them.
