Peace Lily Rescue: Fixing Root Rot, Fungus Gnats, and Black Leaf Tips

Fertilizer Caused the Crash

The nursery's "organic fertilizer" recommendation was sales, not science. Peace lilies (Spathiphyllum) are hybrids bred to bloom once at sale; they rarely rebloom well. Fertilizer on a stressed plant burns roots.

Root Rot = Fungus Gnats + Black Tips

Both are classic signs of soil staying too wet. Repotting into a larger pot made it worse—the extra soil acts like a sponge.

Step-by-Step Recovery

1. Scrape off and discard the top ½ inch of loose soil (gnat nursery). Do not replace it.
2. Water only when the leaves just begin to wilt. Then add just enough to reach that point again in ~1 week.
3. Keep the plant warm, bright (no direct sun), and wait. The soil must dry naturally.
4. Do NOT repot into dry soil—removing wet soil tears the remaining live roots.

Bloom Reality

Peace lilies need to be extremely potbound with perfect roots to rebloom. Yours may never flower heavily again, but it can be a lovely foliage plant.

The Holes

Leaf holes are from root damage, not insects. They won't appear on new leaves if roots recover.