no green thumb

[toscana56]

I was given a <<Spathiphyllum sp>> for Christmas. I bought a potting mix and then re potted it. It looks very nice on the corner of the outside porch. It doesn't get direct sun light. Sort of shade- light. I really like it.However, when i went to the Internet and search for the care I begin to see that maybe I didn't start very well.

It all seemed so simple. Potting mix- a big pot and then water. Well, when I re potted it I put the potting mix directly in the pot. The pot does not have a way for the water to drain. Will it be okay?

Please, help!!!

Manuela

[Chuck White]

toscana56: No, no, no! You must truly be more conscientious than most of us are to keep from killing that poor guy under those circumstances. You need to have drainage in that pot to keep the roots from rotting due to overwatering. With no drainage, you can have no knowledge of the true 'dampness' circumstances at the pot bottom without dumping the thing out of the pot every other day or so to check for 'wet feet' before you water it again. Do it a favor, 'can' the pot it is in and start over with a pot that has copious drainage.

[terrestrial_man]

Well, Spathiphyllum is an aroid and aroids can tolerate some very mucky situations. If you are careful in watering it you can leave it in the pot you have planted it in. I would check the condition of the soil by poking your finger into it and see just how wet it feels. Then wait a few days and poke again and see just how drier it has become. Then if there has been alot of drying and it feels more drier, you can also tell by lifting the pot up and getting a feel for how heavy it is-the lighter it becomes the less water it has in it. Once the soil feels dryish to near the bottom of the pot or as far as you can poke your finger then take a measuring cup and pour on one cup of water, no more. Give it a week and see if the plant starts to droop over. If it droops over it needs water and so add one cup of water. If it does not droop over then you are ok and just add one cup of water every 7-10 days. This should be ok. You can check the soil by poking it every so often just to see how dry it is.
I have seen Spathiphyllums grown in semi-aquatic situations and doing well.

[Nandan Kalbag]

Drainage holes in a pot are like a safety valve. If excess water is put, then it can drain through the holes. In a terrarium there are no drainage holes; still plants grow well in it. It is only because the plants are watered very carefully. However, in a garden it is difficult to water each & every plant that carefully. Hence the drainage holes are very important.

[terrestrial_man]

Originally Posted by Nandan Kalbag

Drainage holes in a pot are like a safety valve. If excess water is put, then it can drain through the holes. In a terrarium there are no drainage holes; still plants grow well in it. It is only because the plants are watered very carefully. However, in a garden it is difficult to water each & every plant that carefully. Hence the drainage holes are very important.

I agree with you Nandan for garden plants as a matter of ease but I think that this is a house plant and so other options besides what I have indicated are possible and perhaps depending upon the situation more preferable??

Cheers.

[photopro]

Spathiphyllum species are indeed aroids. But this aroid is a bit different than most which are commonly rain forest plants. As a general rule spaths don't like excess water, especially if you want to keep them blooming. I grow several hundred species of aroids but only a few spath species since they don't do well in my artificial rain forest environment. The few planted in the atrium almost never bloom while the ones in my office bloom all the time. Here's why. Spaths prefer low light, the corner of a living room or other room that receives just a little light will keep the plant happy. In my atrium I water ever other day most of the year, daily in summer. The spaths hate that! In the office I water them once a week. The trick is very well draining soil which is what they get in nature. This plant won't survive in mucky soil. You might want to consider mixing your own soil using an equal mixture of potting soil, peat, Perlite, and orchid potting media. All are fairly cheap and can be bought in small quantities. The peat and Perlite will soak up the excess water and give it back to the plant as it needs it while the orchid potting media will increase drainage and keep the soil loose. As a general rule, off the shelf potting mixes don't allow this species to grow well.