3 simple ways to coax one last bloom from your peace lily before winter sets in

Few indoor plants are as forgiving as the peace lily, but coaxing one to put out its sculptural, creamy white spathes once October slips away is a different challenge entirely. As fall sets in, the window to encourage fresh flowers is closing fast. Temperatures are dipping, natural daylight is fading by the afternoon, and central heating systems are beginning to strip indoor air of its ambient moisture. Left to fend for itself in a dim corner, a peace lily will naturally wind down its metabolic engine and head straight into winter dormancy.Triggering one final, dramatic flush of fall blooms before the cold locks in requires working with the plant's seasonal biology, rather than fighting it. 1. Shift to bright, indirect morning light (Image: © Shutterstock) In the height of midsummer, direct sunlight is the fastest way to scorch peace lily foliage. But as fall sets in, daylight becomes far weaker, and a lack of adequate light intensity is the number one reason these plants stall out into pure foliage producers.To give it the energy needed to produce flower stalks, move your pot out of deep shade and place it roughly three feet away from an east or south-facing window. You want plenty of soft, filtered light throughout the morning without baking the leaves against cold window glass. If the plant remains marooned in a dim hallway, it will conserve its carbohydrates strictly for root and leaf maintenance, abandoning flower production until next spring. 2. Dial back water to protect against root chill (Image: © Shutterstock) The cardinal sin of fall houseplant care is maintaining a summer watering schedule. As temperatures drop, potting compost stays wet for far longer. Saturation combined with cool room air is an open invitation for root rot, the primary culprit behind sad, droopy leaves that kill off developing flower buds before they can emerge.Ditch a rigid calendar schedule and inspect the soil directly: push your finger two inches into the potting mix, and only water when the top half feels distinctly dry to the touch. When you do water, use tepid room-temperature water rather than freezing cold tap water, which shocks the roots and makes the plant kill off any new buds before they have a chance to bloom. 3. Cut the fertilizer and boost humidity (Image: © Tom's Guide / Camilla Sharman) Dumping fertilizer into the pot right now will backfire. Plant foods push out soft, leggy green leaves at the expense of flowers, and excess fertilizer salts can easily burn roots that are naturally slowing down for the season.If you feed at all during this final fall window, switch to a potassium-rich, diluted tomato feed or high-phosphorus bloom booster at quarter strength, applied just once before mid-November.At the same time, keep the plant far away from blasting heat vents, radiators, or drafty exterior doors. Central heating parches indoor air, turning leaf tips brown and drying out fragile buds before they unfurl. To boost humidity, set the pot on a wide tray filled with pebbles and water. As the water evaporates. it creates a pocket of moisture that mimics the tropical environment peace lilies need to push out their signature white blooms. (Image credit: Future)More from Tom's Guide Why are my peace lily leaves turning yellow? 3 steps to bring back the greenWhere to put a peace lily so it actually flowers — 5 ideal spots in your homeYour peace lily needs dividing if you see these signs — here's how to do it