What to Do With Your Peace Lily in August

August can be a challenging month for houseplants. Temperatures are high, air conditioning is running, and intense summer sunlight can quickly change conditions indoors. For peace lilies, that can mean drooping leaves, brown tips, and faded flowers.

Fortunately, Spathiphyllum is a forgiving houseplant, and August is a good time to give it a seasonal check. With the right peace lily care, a few simple adjustments can keep your plant healthy through the final weeks of summer.

Whether your peace lily is growing in a bright apartment in New York or dealing with the heat of a Texas summer, paying attention to light, watering, humidity, and temperature can make all the difference.

1. Keep Your Peace Lily Out of Direct Sun

Peace lilies prefer bright, indirect light, which is particularly important in August when afternoon sunshine can be intense. If you’re wondering where to place a peace lily, an east-facing window is often a good choice because it provides gentler morning light, while a north-facing window can provide consistent indirect light.

Check your plant’s position, especially if it’s near a south- or west-facing window. Strong direct sunlight can scorch the foliage, leaving brown, crispy, or bleached patches on the leaves. You don’t need to move it into a dark corner. Instead, try positioning it a few feet away from a sunny window or filtering the light with a sheer curtain.

If your home doesn’t get enough natural light, an LED Grow Light from Amazon can provide supplemental illumination for your peace lily. A compact full-spectrum LED grow light with adjustable brightness and a timer can be particularly convenient for adding consistent light without moving the plant closer to a harsh window.

If your peace lily is producing plenty of healthy foliage but isn’t flowering, insufficient light could also be a factor. Aim for a bright room without prolonged exposure to direct sunlight.

2. Check the Soil Before Watering

Your peace lily may need water more frequently in August than it did earlier in the summer. Warm indoor temperatures and bright light can cause the potting mix to dry out faster. But don’t water according to a rigid schedule. Check the soil first. Push your finger about an inch into the potting mix. If it feels dry, water thoroughly until excess water drains from the bottom of the container. If the soil still feels moist, give it more time.

Choosing the right peace lily potting mix can also make watering easier. Look for a loose, moisture-retentive mix that still allows excess water to drain away. A ready-made option such as Soil Sunrise Peace Lily Potting Soil Mix is formulated specifically for peace lilies and combines moisture retention with drainage. For a more general indoor option, Back to the Roots Organic Indoor Potting Mix contains perlite for aeration and drainage as well as coconut coir for moisture retention.

Peace lilies like evenly moist soil, but they don’t like sitting in water. Always empty water that collects in a saucer or decorative cachepot. Poor drainage combined with frequent watering can leave roots waterlogged and contribute to root problems. Using a well-draining mix and a container with drainage holes helps excess water escape rather than remaining around the roots.

3. Don’t Panic When the Leaves Droop

The peace lily has a reputation for being wonderfully dramatic when it needs water. A thirsty plant can go from upright and perky to spectacularly wilted surprisingly quickly. If you’re trying to revive a drooping peace lily, start by checking the potting mix rather than watering immediately. If the soil is dry, water the plant thoroughly and give it time to recover.

A simple moisture meter can make this check easier, particularly if you’re unsure whether the soil is actually dry below the surface. The XLUX Soil Moisture Meter from Amazon is an affordable, battery-free option that can help you check moisture levels before watering a peace lily.

However, drooping doesn’t always mean thirst. If the potting mix is already wet, resist the urge to water again. Overwatering, poor drainage, root damage or sudden temperature changes can also cause wilting. This is why checking the soil is more useful than treating drooping leaves as an automatic signal to water.

4. Protect It From Summer Heat and Air Conditioning

For many U.S. homes, air conditioning is just as relevant to August plant care as outdoor heat. Avoid placing your peace lily directly beneath an AC vent or where cold air blows continuously across its foliage. Prolonged exposure to dry airflow can contribute to brown leaf tips and stressed-looking leaves. At the same time, don’t position the plant beside a hot window or in a room that becomes excessively warm.

If your home is particularly dry, a small humidifier can help add moisture to the air around your peace lily. The LEVOIT Classic 160 humidifier on Amazon is a compact option for bedrooms, offices, and other smaller spaces, with adjustable mist settings that make it easier to maintain a comfortable level of humidity.

In particularly hot parts of the South and Southwest, indoor temperatures can rise considerably near sunny glass. Grouping several houseplants together can also help create a more humid microclimate. A bathroom can be a good location for a peace lily if it has adequate natural light, but keep it away from direct blasts of air conditioning.

5. Give It a Summer Clean and Prune

Peace lily leaves are large, glossy, and quick to collect dust. In August, gently wipe the foliage with a clean, damp cloth, supporting each leaf as you work. Skip leaf-shine products; plain water is enough. A microfiber plant-cleaning glove, such as the CATPAN Plant Cleaning Set from Walmart, can make the job easier.

While cleaning, check the undersides of leaves and where stems meet the soil for pests. August is also a good time to tidy the plant. To prune a peace lily, remove completely yellow, brown or badly damaged leaves with clean, sharp pruners, cutting the stalk close to the base. The Fiskars 6-inch Plant Snips from Amazon are a useful option for precise cuts.

Remove faded flowers too. Once a white spathe turns green or brown, cut the flower stalk back near the base. Don’t worry if your peace lily isn’t flowering in August; blooming varies with age, light, and growing conditions.

6. Resist the Urge to Repot and Prepare for Fall

There’s no need to repot a healthy peace lily simply because August has arrived. Instead, look for signs that the plant has outgrown its container, such as roots emerging from drainage holes, tightly circling roots or potting mix that dries out unusually quickly.

If you need to repot a peace lily, move up by only one pot size. Choose a container with drainage holes and use a well-draining houseplant mix. The Bloem Self-Watering Planter is a practical option because it has drainage holes and a removable saucer for indoor use.

Avoid choosing a pot that’s much too large, as excess soil can retain moisture around the roots. As August draws to a close, watch changing light levels too. Your peace lily may eventually need to move closer to a bright window, but keep it protected from intense direct sun.

August care doesn’t need to be complicated. Check the soil before watering, protect your peace lily from harsh sun and temperature changes, and keep its leaves clean. With bright, indirect light, consistent moisture, and enough humidity, your plant can stay healthy and lush through summer and into fall.