Paphiopedilum

Light needs are easy to fulfill for a Paphiopedilum. Most will thrive with 2 to 3 hours shaded sunlight a day.

• In a greenhouse, shadecloth is required to reach about 10,750-21,500 lumens (1,000-2,000 foot-candles), depending on the plants.
• In the home, east, north or west windows where they will get about 1-4 hours of direct sun are ideal.
• Many types of Paphiopedilum will grow well under artificial light. Use lightbulbs/LEDs of your choice that are about 1-2 feet above the plant and emit >10,000 lumens per square yard/square meter. The lowest amount of lumens for growth is about 2000 lumens, though flowering may be poor.

Temperature depends on the hybrid/species, but in general, Paphiopedilum are happy with 55F-72F (12.7C-22.2C) nights and 70F-85F (21.1C-29.4C) days. There are three types of Paphiopedilum:

• Mottled-leaf type – prefer warmer conditions.
• Green leaf type – prefer cooler conditions.
• Multifloral/strap-leaf types – prefer warmer conditions.

Care must be taken to protect the plants from cold which can cause rot; keep humidity low and avoid moisture on leaves or in crown of the plant. Care must also be taken when hot, you should shade more heavily and increase humidity and air movement.

• If growing in a greenhouse, grow them in the coolest, shadiest part of the greenhouse.
• If growing indoors, no need to worry about temperature; room temperature all the time is fine.

Water consistently enough to keep the medium moist, but not sopping wet. As terrestrials, many varieties can tolerate sitting in a bit of water. However, they still need to dry out enough to prevent root rot.

• In greenhouses, water daily.
• Indoors, water as soon as the media hits dry.

Humidity should be moderate (between 40 to 50 percent). Air movement is essential when humidity is high.

• In the home you can maintain this by setting plants on a tray of gravel that is partially filled with water. Never sit them in water directly.
• In the greenhouse average humidity is sufficient. Using an evaporative cooling system in warm climates can increase the humidity.

Fertilize on a regular schedule year-round. In general, terrestrial plants, like Paphiopedilum, can tolerate more fertilizer than epiphytes can. However, Paphiopedilum are generally from environments that are so rainy, that any nutrients that would be in the soil are washed away. Old-school growers use ¼ strength doses of strong fertilizer (such as a 30-30-30 or 20-20-20), but it is recommended to use the full-strength of a weaker fertilizer (anything between a 5-5-5 and 10-10-10), to eliminate the possibility of mixing too strong of a dose. If you notice salt buildup on the plant or medium, flush the plant out with distilled or rainwater. In general, many Paphiopedilum growers flush out their plants on a monthly or quarterly basis as a good practice.

Potting should be done about every two years, or as the medium decomposes. Seedlings and smaller plants (non-blooming size) are often repotted annually. Mixes vary tremendously. Most contain fine or medium-grade fir bark and additives such as perlite (sponge rock), coarse sand and sphagnum moss. Other growers use an entire mix of New Zealand tree fern fiber. Moisture retention with excellent drainage is needed.

Large plants can be divided by pulling or cutting the fan-like clumps of the leaves apart into clumps of three to five growths. Smaller divisions of single fans will grow but may not flower at first. Spread the roots over a small amount of medium in the bottom of the pot and fill with medium, so that the junction of roots and stem is buried ½ inch deep in the center of the pot.

Be advised that there are many species within this genus that are affectionately referred to as “limeys”, because they require calcareous, alkaline media to grow in. If you have one of those plants, or hybrids with ancestors that require calcareous or limey conditions, you can add unpolished marble chunks, calcite chunks, and/or horticultural-grade oyster shells. If you choose to use unpolished marble or calcite, the more finely-ground they are, the better.

Further information can be found on the Paphiopedilum genus page.

Best orchid care practices are also provided for watering, repotting, and fertilizer types. There are also detailed discussions of growing orchids indoors, outdoors, or in greenhouses.

For more information on genus name changes, see Taxonomy.