Peace lilies have long been loved by houseplant parents for their showy foliage and statement blooms. 

These are amongst the best houseplants for adding floral interest to a home, preventing condensation and mould as well as purifying the air.

The good news for owners of these classic houseplants is that they can fertilise them to keep them blooming for longer and even encourage more flowers.

Before you even pick up fertiliser, you need to know when to fertilise your peace lily to ensure it's done correctly.

As a general rule, you should only fertilise plants when they are actively growing. 

Fertilising a peace lily when its growth is slower or halted could risk oversaturated soil and houseplant root rot, drooping or even turning your peace lily yellow.

When fertilising peace lilies, if you don’t have any specialised peace lily feed to hand make a homemade alternative with banana peels.

A gardening expert behind the Facebook page HousePlant Lovers Addict has shared how they’ve boosted bloom from their peace lily.

Posting a picture of a peace lily in full bloom, they said: “I have been watering my peace lily with banana peel water. It has been flowering like crazy and growing faster. 

“I have also been watering my other plants with banana water. All are going great.”

Detailing how to make this concoction, the expert said: “You put banana peel in a jar of water with a lid and leave it in the water overnight or a couple of days.

“I also save the water in a jug. We eat a lot of bananas a day so I have a lot. I water once a week or more often if needed.”

So how does it work? Well, banana peel fertiliser works by increasing the potassium in the soil which can be beneficial as they are strengthening the plant cells.

Banana peels contain essential nutrients for plant growth, like magnesium, phosphorus, and calcium. 

The amount of nutrients infused into water is very unlikely to cause fertiliser overdose. However, be aware that it won’t be a total replacement for fertiliser across the board. 

Since banana water is a relatively new trend, there aren’t many scientific studies on its benefits, though many gardeners swear by this trick.