In a video on the YouTube channel Plant Tips, a houseplant specialist wrote: “Amazing result, grow peace lily with one cup of rice flour, so many flowers explode.” The video first shows a peace lily with more than nine healthy white blooms. It then shows how the plant looked before treatment: wilted, with dead leaves and no flowers.
The expert took the plant out of its pot, propagated it to create new plants and repotted it in a mix of perlite, coir, soil, rice husks and fertiliser.
They then mixed one cup of rice flour with water until it was very runny. They used the mixture to wipe the leaves before pouring it over the potting mix.
After two months, two flowers had started to appear and the leaves looked much greener.
The expert kept watering the plant with the rice flour mixture and also used a spray bottle to mist it.
At three months, the peace lily had plenty of flowers and looked healthier.
However, the plant had also been repotted and given fertiliser, so the video does not show that rice flour alone caused the improvement.
The expert did not say how often they used the mixture. To limit starch build-up, the advice is to use it no more than once a month. Use your usual tap water or rainwater between applications.
Rice flour is sold in most supermarkets, with Sainsbury’s listing it at £1.95.
While the expert did not specify how frequently the peace lily should be watered with rice flour, moderation is strongly advised. Given the risk of starch accumulation, it is recommended to apply rice water to your plants no more than once a month.