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.

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.

The cardinal sin of fall houseplant care is maintaining a summer watering schedule. As temperatures drop, potting compost stays wet for far longer.

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