How to Transition a Peace Lily from Soil to Water Only

Well. I did it. I’ve wanted to grow a Peace Lily in water only for a long time. I think this plant looks so elegant when grown in a vase.

I bought a Peace Lily for this project, and just finished removing the soil and placing the plant in water. If you’re interested in doing this project, here are the steps – as well as some tips.

The links in this post may contain affiliate links. I’ll receive a small commission (at no expense to you) if you make a purchase after clicking on my link. 

What You Will Need:

What You Do:

  1. Carefully remove the Peace Lily from the pot of soil
  2. Gently work the soil out of the roots using your hands – it helps to shake the plant slightly to remove the soil
    TIP: Work over a cardboard box cut down to a tray to help contain spilled soil – it makes clean up much easier.

  3. Once you have the majority of soil worked out of the roots, rinse the roots in running water to remove any additional soil – rub the roots with your hands to help remove the soil
    TIP: If you’re working over a kitchen sink, you’ll want to make sure to have a drain strainer in place to keep large particles of soil out of your drain.
  4. When the soil has all been removed (or as much as you can remove), set the plant aside
  5. Use an X-Acto knife to cut out the center of a 6″ clear plastic plant saucer – this saucer should fit the opening of your vase and will help keep the Peace Lily crown out of the water while it sits in the vase
    TIP: Cut the opening on a piece of cardboard from a box. Just place the clear plastic saucer on the box, puncture with the X-Acto knife so the knife blade is into the cardboard, then turn the saucer to cut a circle. Make sure the circle opening is large enough for the roots to fit through, but not so large that the plant will fall through.
  6. Gently feed the roots of the Peace Lily through the opening in the plastic saucer, then place the plant into the vase – the saucer will sit on the lip of the vase, holding the plant crown above the waterline (which will prevent the plant from rotting)
  7. Fill the vase with water to the bottom of the plastic saucer
  8. Top off the water as needed to keep the water level at the plastic saucer level

Additional Tips:

  • Prevent Rot – Make sure to keep the crown of the plant out of the water in order to prevent the plant from rotting. The plastic saucer will help keep the plant just above the waterline.
  • Add Decorative Rocks or Accents – If you prefer, you could add decorative rocks, marbles, or other accents to the bottom of the vase before filling with water. Make sure these extra accents have been thoroughly rinsed before placing in the vase – this will prevent the water from getting cloudy.
  • Use Distilled Water, Rain Water, or Well Water – The type of water you use will make a big difference to the health of your plant, and to the water clarity. The chemicals in city tap water can harm the plant, so it’s best to use distilled water, rain water, or other purified water when growing a Peace Lily hydroponically.
  • Fertilize Your Plant – Since plants typically get their nutrients from the soil, you’ll need to feed your Peace Lily once a month using liquid fertilizer. There are a lot of liquid fertilizers on the market for hydroponics, so feel free to use your favorites. The Advanced Nutrients Bloom, Micro, Grow fertilizer is a good choice, as it helps maintain the pH balance of the water in addition to feeding the plant.

 

 

18 Comments on “How to Transition a Peace Lily from Soil to Water Only”

  1. Do you need to replace the water periodically? From experience from rooting plants the water tends to turn brown & slimy

    1. Hi Susanne – Great question!

      I just recently (about 3 weeks ago) changed the water in this Peace Lily – after 5 months of being in the SAME water. The water was still perfectly clear, and no algae growth on the roots – but rather than just topping-off the water, I decided to give the plant all fresh water so I could add a bit of fertilizer as well.

      The water you use for hydroponic plants makes a big difference in how often the water needs to be changed. For example, I use our untreated well water for my plants. We’re lucky that our water is in such good condition (no heavy metals, etc.) – it really works very well for plants of all kinds. City tap water, on the other hand, doesn’t stay as clear for as long as well water. A better option would be to use spring water or distilled water, or rain water. Or, if these options aren’t available, letting city water sit in a pitcher for a couple of days helps temper the water. City tap water can also be boiled to reduce the chemicals in the water (though boiling won’t remove the fluoride).

      Another thing that helps the water to stay clear longer, is to keep the plant out of direct sunlight or very bright indirect sunlight. Too much sunlight encourages algae growth.

      I hope this information helps. Please let me know if you have additional questions.

      1. This give me such a peace of mind! Thank you so much! Will definitely try the cling film wrap method! Thanks a ton. Will keep you updated once I come back. Hope you keep on writing excellent articles like these ti help us newbies.

  2. Hi, Thank you so much for this I had been looking to transfer my sad-looking peace lily to water only and I have just done that. It’s been a week and it’s thriving but I am going on vacation for 3 weeks. Is it going to survive without getting the water topped up? I am so anxious I don’t want to come back to a dead plant. Will the water be enough for 3 weeks or will it all evaporate?

    1. Hi there! I’m so happy to hear about your Peace Lily – glad it’s thriving!

      I understand your concern about vacation and watering, and hope I can help.

      I have my plant in a large vase with a lid on it. This lid helps prevent water from evaporating too quickly. For example, I have only had to top off my vase three times in a year. And even then, there was still plenty of water in the vase for the roots. I mainly topped it off for the aesthetics. I keep my vase in a room with normal household humidity – not too dry and not too humid. The water evaporates very slowly.

      If your vase doesn’t have a lid of any kind, I recommend you use Sarah Wrap or cling wrap to create a lid around the plant during your vacation. This will help prevent evaporation a lot, and I am sure your plant will be fine for three weeks with this kind of seal.

      I hope this information helps. If you still have questions, let me know.

      I also hope you have a fabulous vacation! Enjoy your time, and stay safe!

  3. This give me such a peace of mind! Thank you so much! Will definitely try the cling film wrap method! Thanks a ton. Will keep you updated once I come back. Hope you keep on writing excellent articles like these ti help us newbies.

    1. I really look forward to hearing about your return from vacation – thanks for keeping me posted. Have a great time!!!

  4. I would like to know why my Peace lily always droop when I put them in water, they just wilt? Should I cut the soil roots off or just leave them and see what happens?

    1. I have the same problem. I transported my peace lily from soil to water because it had root rot AND because I wanted to skip the hassle of having that issue again, but now the big beautiful leaves are drooping. Should I have cut the roots?

      1. Hi Twyla and Donald – I’m sorry to hear about your drooping leaves.

        I personally don’t recommend cutting healthy roots from a plant, but definitely cut out any roots that are rotting or are not healthy.

        Peace Lily plants can be somewhat picky plants. The leaves usually start drooping with inconsistent watering. When they first start drooping, giving them water usually helps. But if they dry out too much over and over again, eventually they stop responding and don’t perk back up.

        Another cause of drooping leaves can be changes in temperature and lighting conditions. Peace Lilys don’t like to be in a draft of any kind, and when they are, their leaves droop. They also don’t like a lot of direct sunlight – which also causes drooping leaves. Bright, indirect light is best.

        And, as you know, root rot can also cause the leaves to droop and eventually die off. Using a well-draining soil provides enough oxygen to the roots and helps prevent them from rotting.

        When you move a plant from soil to water only, there’s a transition period for the plant. The leaves may droop and some may die, but once the plant is acclimated to water, it should start growing new leaves. The roots in soil are slightly different than the roots in water, so during this transition period, the leaves might respond poorly – not always, but it can happen.

        One last thing to check is to look for pests, as they can cause the leaves to droop and die as well.

        I hope these tips help. Post back and let me know how your plants are doing.

      1. I appreciate your question very much. A lot of people ask about this, and I think there are a lot of personal opinions regarding the correct answer.

        For me, the quick answer is – I think the bowl I am using is too small for a fish. But… I will say, the plant is SAFE for a fish if you decide to do that.

        I keep Sea Monkeys, and they would have more than enough space in a large bowl like I have for my lily to co-exist. So I would recommend sea monkeys versus fish, if that’s the look you want.

        If you have a typical fish aquarium (say, 10 gallons or more), the lily will grow just fine there, and your fish will be happy with that size tank, too.

        I hope this helps. Please let me know if you have additional questions.

  5. Thanks just trying to get one going in watet

  6. Wow, this worked so great. Genius method. Thank you so much.

  7. I keep my peace lily in a vase that is about 3 1/2” cylinder type with only about a cup of water to cover the roots. It is a baby plant with only 2 leaves or 3 leaves at a time and it is not growing very much.

    How much fertilizer solution should I add to this one cup of water?

    1. Hi Jeanette – The amount of fertilizer you would need depends on the type of fertilizer you are using.

      For example, if you were using the Advanced Nutrients Grow Fertilizer, I would add 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon of this liquid to your 1 cup of water about once every other month to start. You could adjust this to once a month if you are replenishing the water in your vase more often.

      If you were using something like Miracle-Gro Indoor Plant Food (liquid form), I would add one drop of this liquid to your 1 cup of water again about once a month. You could instead add 4 pumps of this liquid to a 32-ounce container of water and then seal the container. Use this water when replenishing the water in your vase for a continuous supply of nutrients.

      I hope this helps! Let me know how your plant is doing! I bet it looks really nice in that type of container. 😉

  8. I’ve loved this plant and care is so easy to do🎈. Can I add sm fish I or any sm fish with this plant?

    1. Hi Betty –
      Yes, some people do add very small fish to their Peace Lily plants in water and the fish typically do survive. Here are a couple things to think about before you decide if you want to add fish to your water plant:
      – Fertilizer – If you’re using a hydroponic fertilizer for your plant (which I recommend), make sure it is safe for fish. If it’s not, skip the fish.
      – Bowl Size – There are LOTS of opinions on the size of the fish tank and the size of the fish placed in it. Some people think a fish, like a Beta, should be in a larger bowl than they typically are kept in. If you feel that way, I would encourage you to use a very large bowl or at least a 1-gallon fish tank for your plant and your fish. But of course, this also depends on the fish you keep. The bottom line is – just make sure your tank is large enough to support the fish you want to put in it.
      – Salt Water versus Fresh Water – Some fish only survive in salt water, others in fresh water. Obviously, you’d want to only use fresh water fish with a Peace Lily.

      The Peace Lily plant roots are safe for fish from all the research I have done. So as far as the health of your fish, they will not be harmed by the Peace Lily.

      I hope this information helps! Let me know if you have further question.

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