When To Divide A Peace Lily?-An Effective Way To Multiply Plants

Peace lilies are traditional houseplants. They have lush green foliage and pure white flowers.  As they are easy to care for, you can divide them to gift them to someone or to create new plants for yourself. 

Sometimes, it becomes necessary to divide your peace lily to keep healthy and compact. Keep reading the article to know when can you split a peace lily.

What Does Divide Peace Lily Mean?

Dividing is a method of separating a mature plant into two or more smaller plants. Actually, this is one kind of way of propagating new plants from existing ones. But this is not applicable for those plants which have only one stalk or trunk. 

But what does dividing a peace lily mean? There are two main methods of propagating peace lily plants. Such as: 

• Division 
• Seed

Division of peace lily is the most common and easiest way of propagation. It means separating your single peace lily into two or more smaller plants. By this method, you can make multiple peace lilies from the existing one. It also helps to prevent your original plant from becoming overcrowded roots and unhealthy. Dividing can also help to rejuvenate your old or leggy plant or to share a plant with your friends and family.

Purpose Of Dividing A Peace Lily

Dividing a peace lily is a simple and rewarding process. It can help you to multiply your plants and keep them healthy and happy. 

You can divide your peace lilies for various purposes which has various benefits too for you and your plant. Now I will explore some of the main reasons why you need to divide your peace lily:

• To propagate new plants: The main purpose of dividing your peace lily is propagating new plants. This is an easy and effective way to create more plants from one parent plant. You can use the new plants to expand your indoor garden or to give them as gifts to your friends and family.
• To prevent overcrowding: If your peace lily can get proper growing conditions then it can grow quite large over time. Also, they can outgrow their pots and become too crowded with other plants.  This can affect their health and appearance. So you can divide your peace lily to reduce the size of your plant and give it more room to grow. 
• To rejuvenate old or leggy plants: Your peace lilies can become old or leggy after several years of growth, especially if you don’t prune them regularly.  If you divide your old peace lily, it will help your plant to revive by removing the old or weak parts and leaving the healthy and vigorous ones.
• Encouraging Bloom Production: If you divide your peace lily, then it will stimulate the production of new growth. As a result, your peace lily will produce more flowers. This is especially beneficial if your primary goal is to enjoy the attractive white flowers.
• To remove pests or diseases: Your Peace lilies can be affected by pests or diseases, such as mealybugs, spider mites, root rot, or fungal infections. These issues can damage your peace lilies and spread to other plants. By dividing your peace lily, you can remove the infected parts and isolate the healthy ones. 
• Improving Soil and Nutrient Conditions: If you don’t repot your peace lily for a long time, then the soil in the container may become depleted of nutrients. Considering dividing provides an opportunity to refresh the soil and ensure that your plant has access to the necessary nutrients.

In a nutshell, dividing a peace lily is a practical and beneficial practice for managing its size, revitalizing older plants, propagating new ones, addressing issues of disease or pests, enhancing aesthetics, encouraging bloom production, and improving soil conditions.

When To Divide A Peace Lily?

Well, so, when do you divide a peace lily? There is no specific restricted time for dividing your peace lily. Technically, you can divide your peace lily any time of the year. But it would be better if you divide your peace lily during the spring or early summer when the plant is actively growing and the temperature is warm.

At this time, your plant can easily recover from the stress of division. And it also can produce new growth more likely during this time. 

If you divide your peace lily in fall or winter, then the chance of survival for the new plants will be reduced. Fall and winter are the dormant or slow-growing times of your peace lily, which can cause more damage to the roots and leaves. 

You also can consider dividing your peace lilies when they show signs of overcrowding or rootbound. But you should think about when is the best time to divide a peace lily. Therefore, try to divide in the spring or early summer to avoid transplant shock. 

How Can You Tell If A Peace Lily Needs To Be Divided?

While you can divide your peace lilies for various purposes such as propagating new plants, sometimes it becomes a necessity to to divide your peace lily. But the query is how can you know your peace lily needs to be divided? You can tell if your peace lily needs to be divided by looking at some signs, such as:

• Check the soil when you water your plant. If the soil dries out quickly after watering, it indicates that the roots are spreading in too much space in the pot. 
• If you find multiple foliage crowns appearing in the pot, it indicates that your plant has grown into separate sections that can be divided.
• Check the roots. If the roots of your plants are visibly growing out of the bottom of the pot, it implies that your plant has bound. So they can’t grow properly. Now, they need more room to grow. 
• If your peace lilies suffer from stress or lack of nutrients due to overcrowding, they will stop flowering. And they need division at this time to solve these issues. 

If you notice any of these signs, you can be sure that your peace lily needs to be divided. 

What Environmental Conditions Should Be Considered Before Dividing A Peace Lily?

When should I split my peace lily? You should consider some environmental conditions before dividing your peace lily. Because proper environmental conditions can reduce stress and promote a successful transition during the division process. 

When you divide your peace lilies, it disrupts their root system. As a result, your peace lily experienced a stressful condition. So you have to maintain the following environmental conditions before dividing your peace lily: 

1. Light: Peace lilies prefer bright, indirect sunlight but can also tolerate low light levels. You should avoid direct sunlight during dividing your peace lily, which can scorch their leaves. And learn how much light a peace lily needs.
2. Temperature: Peace lilies are sensitive to cold and frost, so don’t divide your peace lilies in the winter. Aim for a temperature range between 65-80°F (18-27°C) before dividing your peace lily. 
3. Humidity: Peace lilies are adapted to tropical rainforests. They need high humidity levels, ideally around 60%. So check the humidity level before dividing your peace lily. 
4. Soil: You have to use a moist but well-drained potting mix that is rich in organic matter. You can add some perlite or vermiculite to improve the drainage and aeration of the fresh soil.

These environmental conditions will help your peace lily plants to thrive and recover from the stress of division. 

How To Divide Peace Lily?

Dividing a peace lily is a relatively straightforward process. It can help rejuvenate your plant by providing more space for growth. Now I will tell you how you can properly divide your peace lily in the easiest methods. By following the steps, you will know how to divide a large peace lily: 

Supplies Needed: 

1. Pruners
2. Hand towel
3. Gloves
4. Scoop
5. Planting medium
6. New pot

Process To Divide Peace Lily:

• Step 1: Thoroughly Water your peace lily a day or two before dividing it to ensure it is adequately hydrated.
• Step 2: You may need to use a hand towel to loosen the roots from the side of the pots. Then, lay the pot on its side grasp the side of your plant, and gently put it out of the pot. 
• Step 3:  Shake off the excess soil from the roots. Then, identify the sections of your plant that have their own foliage and roots. You can either pull them apart by hand or use a sharp sharp knife to cut through the root ball.
• Step 4: Now fill your new pot half full with fresh potting soil. Then, hold your plants upright in the center of the pot and surround it with soi. Leave a little space (one inch gap) between the top of the potting mix and the top of the container for watering and plant growth. 
• Step 5: Firm up the soil mix to give good contact with the roots to prevent too many settings. Now, water your plants and place them in an intended location.

Tips: Wear hand gloves and keep them away from your four-legged friend and babies. And properly care for peace lilies.

Dos And Don’ts While Dividing Peace Lily

 There are some dos and don’ts that you should follow when dividing a peace lily: 

Dos	Don’ts
Water your plant a few hours before dividing it to hydrate the roots	Divide your plant when it is in bloom, as this can stress the plant and cause the flowers to wilt
Clean your plant and remove any dead or yellow leaves	Use dull or dirty tools, as this can damage your plant and transmit diseases
Identify the sections of your plant that have their own foliage and roots	Cut or pull the roots too roughly, as this can harm your plant’s health
Repot each new plant in a suitable container with fresh potting mix	Overwater or underwater your new plants, as this can cause root rot or dehydration
Place your new plants in a bright, indirect light	Expose your new plants to direct sunlight, cold, or frost, as this can scorch or freeze their leaves

Safety Considerations To Keep In Mind While Dividing Peace Lily

Peace lilies are toxic. By ingesting or touching their leaves, you can suffer from skin irritation, vomiting, nausea, and other physical problems. So it’s necessary to consider proper safety while dividing your peace lily. Here are some safety considerations that you can follow: 

• You have to wear gloves and wash your hands after handling the plant. Because peace lilies can cause skin irritation or allergic reactions for you. 
• You should use clean and sharp tools, such as scissors or a knife, to cut through the roots and avoid spreading diseases or damaging your plant. 
• Don’t roughly handle your plant when removing from the pot and separating the roots. 
• Ensure each division has enough roots and leaves to sustain its growth, and avoid dividing too small or too often, as this can weaken your plant. 
• Use a high-quality potting mix suitable for tropical plants, and avoid excess water or underwatering your new plants. 
• Place your beautiful plants in a bright, indirect light, and avoid exposing them to direct sunlight, cold, or frost. 

You should maintain this safety consideration while dividing your peace lily. It will keep you free from their toxicity and also help to enjoy its beauty and benefits. 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s)

Final Thoughts

Peace lilies are popular indoor plants for their dark green leaves and white flowers. You can give this incredible houseplant as a gift to your friends and family. But how will you get many plants? Division can be the solution.

You can propagate new plants by dividing them from the oldest ones. Also, it helps your peace lily to grow well and bloom more frequently.  It has some other benefits like it can stop spreading the infestation of pests and diseases. 

Though peace lilies are slightly toxic, you should maintain proper safety while dividing them. 
You can follow the steps of dividing your peace lily from the article to divide your peace lily properly. If you don’t follow the steps, your plants can get damaged.  If you want any further info then stay with Plant Trick.