Unfortunately, even such an unpretentious plant as spathiphyllum sometimes gets sick and withers. The leaves turn black, dry along the edges, turn yellow or become small, flowers cease to appear - all this should alert the owner. The plant thus makes it clear that something is wrong with it. This can be the result of both improper care and a symptom of the disease. And if you do not take action, the flower may ultimately die.
How to care for spathiphyllum
Despite the fact that the plant is not fastidious, this does not mean that it can be put somewhere on the windowsill and forget about the existence for six months. Having brought home a pot with bright or dark green leaves (depending on the variety), you first need to learn how to properly care for spathiphyllum. In principle, this applies to any representative of the flora. Among the many plants that decorate houses, apartments and offices, there are photophilous and not very, those who prefer moist air and die from an excess of water. So, not knowing the preferences of the flower, it is very easy to destroy.
Spathiphyllums are heat-loving species, as they grow in the tropics in nature. For the same reason, it is recommended in the summer to maintain high humidity, and in the winter - to refrain from excessive watering.
It should also be remembered that spathiphyllum does not tolerate direct sunlight, preferring partial shade. Ignorance of this feature quite often leads to illness and even death of the flower.
How to water
In summer, you need to water the plant quite often, but the main thing is not to overdo it so that the soil has time to dry out. Typically, a plant signals a lack of water by drooping leaves. It is also recommended to spray it (daily or less frequently) or wipe it with a soft damp cloth, sponge, cotton pad. And you can bathe a flower right in the shower, only the water temperature should be about 20 degrees.
In winter, most plants require less intensive watering, including spathiphyllum: leaves turn black, get brown spots or dry out in the cold season, often due to excess moisture.
In winter, the flowers are at a dormant stage, so that rare watering and the absence of spraying for 2-3 weeks will benefit them.
Where better to put
In a room where there is little light throughout the day, the flower will be quite comfortable on the windowsill. Otherwise, it is better to put it away - on a cabinet, shelf or in a corner. Large specimens with large leaves look great on the floor.
This plant rarely suffers from a lack of light. Therefore, if the room has a distant corner, in which a flowerpot will fit well, it may be just spathiphyllum. Leaves turn black with him, as a rule, not because of problems with lighting, but from improper watering and a lack of minerals. From an overabundance of light, spathiphyllum ceases to grow. Existing leaves do not increase in size, and new ones do not appear.
Why does not bloom
Spathiphyllum, like any other plant, responds to environmental conditions. If the leaves become small, begin to turn yellow and dry, and the flowers cease to appear, then something is not suitable for him. In order to prevent his death, you need to try to understand what exactly is missing.
Most florists know why spathiphyllum leaves turn black. This is the first sign of problems with watering the plant. Moreover, in this way it reacts to an excess of moisture, and its lack. But if with leaves everything is more or less clear, then with flowers - not really. There are two main reasons for their absence. Firstly, the age of the plant. Too young spathiphyllum will not bloom, it is possible only after the roots fill all the space reserved for them.
The second reason is the opposite. If the plant is crowded in a pot, it ceases to bloom, and the leaves become small. So, depending on the situation, you need to either wait a bit or transplant a spathiphyllum.
Leaves turn black - what to do?
As described above, there are two main reasons for the appearance of dark spots on the plant. And they are opposite to each other. The first is insufficient watering, the second is excess moisture. So when black (or brown) spots appear, you must first determine which of the options takes place.
This is not difficult to do. You must try to pull the flower out of the pot and touch the roots. If they are wet, you should dry the plant and limit moisture. In the case of dry soil, you just need to water it more often.
It happens that the plant is not easy to remove from the pot. Then, in order not to injure him, it is possible to make a recess with a pencil or a stick for loosening and determine the soil moisture at a depth of several centimeters, making the appropriate conclusions. When everything is normal with watering, and the leaves continue to blacken, perhaps the problem lies in the lack of minerals in the soil. In this case, top dressing is necessary.
Dry tips indicate insufficient humidity. You can try to spray the plant more often, although in most cases it is not easy to deal with this problem. If the leaf turns yellow completely, more likely watering is necessary.
In general, the plant is quite hardy both to the temperature difference, and to the lack of light. It can look great in truly Spartan conditions. Therefore, those who do not know how to care for flowers are recommended just spathiphyllum. His leaves turn black from lack or excess of moisture, he stops growing from bright light - this knowledge, as a rule, is quite enough.