Expert: nick mccann - 11/10/2008

Question
I have 2 very large peace lily plants - each in large 18" pots (they started as small decorative plants & have been re-potted twice to larger pots).  I've had them for a little over 8 years & have always taken great care to keep the leaves clean & trimmed and have fertilized regularly with Miracle Gro.  Over the last few months the leaves have been getting large black spots which sometimes cover the entire leaf causing it to go limp & die.  Because of this problem one of the plants has had to be trimmed back so much it looks very skimpy and is hardly producing any new leaves or flowers.  Is there something I can do to save the plants or have they reached the end of their life span?  I can't re-pot them in larger pots again because they already take up a large part of each room that they're in.  Thank you for any suggestions you may have!

Answer
Hi Bev, it sounds like they contracted a fungal problem, try spraying them with a Copper Fungicide, this should stop the spread and hopefully turn it around for you. Fungal problems often develop from standing water on the leaves into the cooler nights. Nick