The wonder of nature, which attracts our attention in the windows of flower shops, is the Lady's Slipper Orchid. She is beautiful, graceful, exotic, has the structure of an orchid flower in the form of a lady's shoe. But her beauty is not only in this. Velvety color and leaf spot give it even more exotic.
Suitable conditions of maintenance - the key to successful growth "slipper"
To properly maintain the plant on your windowsill, you need to study where such orchids grow in the wild, and create conditions under which the ancestor of this hybrid would feel good. The genus pafiopedilum refers to tropical orchids. If all the Phalaenopsis conditions of detention are the same, then with the "Venus shoe" is not so simple. First, the "shoes" do not all grow epiphytic. Each species has its own habitat. Some belong to lithophytes that grow on stones and rocks, others live in the ground. Therefore, the soil for each species is different. Secondly, each species has its own temperature regime, lighting, and air humidity. Consider the main genus of orchid "slipper" papiopedilum (Paphiopedilum).
Did you know? According to legend, the beautiful Venus stumbled, and a golden slipper with red satin ribbons flew off her legs and turned into a wonderful flower. During a thunderstorm, a peasant found a goddess shoe in the mud.
Location and lighting
Orchids of this genus prefer diffuse lighting and do not tolerate direct sunlight. Placed them on the north, east or west windows. On the south window "slipper" you need to pritenyat. On the other hand, keeping orchids outside the window is also not recommended. In this case, it is necessary to illuminate them artificially 10-12 hours a day.
Important! If the leaves of the veneer slipper become reddish, the lighting is too intense and the plant needs shading.
Content temperature
Orchids papiopedilum can be thermophilic and cold-loving. They differ in flower coloring. If the "slipper" is variegated, it refers to heat-loving, if the elongated leaves are green, to cold-loving. Sometimes for flowering plants it is necessary to create temperature fluctuations at night up to 10-15 degrees during the rest period. If such fluctuations do not provide, the plant may not bloom for a long period. Basically, for the normal growth of pafiopedilums, it is necessary to adhere to such a temperature regime: the main period is 18-25 degrees, in the winter it is short not lower than 10 degrees, and in the summer not higher than 33 degrees.
Proper care is the key to regular orchid flowering.
Home care for pafiopedilum is different, since this genus covers three categories: epiphytes, terrestrial and lithophytes.
Proper watering papiopedilum
Watering the "veneer slipper" is significantly different from phalaenopsis watering. This is due to the structure of the roots and leaves of the plant. Papiopedilum does not have thick leaves and pseudobulbs, so there is no place to store moisture for it. Its roots are thick and easily injured. The plant is afraid of both drying roots and excess moisture.
Important! The roots of the Venus Shoe should never be completely dry, that is, the substrate must be kept constantly wet.
The frequency of irrigation depends on the type of substrate and air temperature. Carefully follow the substrate from the bark, as it dries quickly. In the summer, the plant is watered more than twice a week, in the winter - once a week or less. Watering is necessary with settled water at room temperature, that is, water that does not contain salt. If necessary, water for irrigation should be boiled. It should be watered in the morning, so that in the evening all the water droplets are completely dried up, especially in the axils of the plant. If the water got into the center of the outlet, it is definitely worth getting wet with a napkin. This will help avoid problems with fungal and bacterial diseases.
Air humidity
Pafiopedilum orchids must be maintained at high humidity (45-70%), but it is not recommended to spray the plant. When water drops fall on the flowers, they quickly fall off, and spots are formed on the leaves. therefore high humidity must be maintained with expanded clay placed in the pan. Make sure that the bottom of the pot does not touch the surface of the water. To do this, place the pot on an inverted saucer in the pan. You can also increase the humidity with a humidifier.
Fertilizer and flower feeding
Fertilizer plants are often carried out: every third to fifth watering, with the concentration of fertilizer should be two times lower than that proposed in the instructions. For feeding use complex fertilizer for orchids. In winter, feeding is carried out once a month. Also, once a month, the plant needs abundant washing of the substrate. This will prevent excess salt buildup.
Papriopedilum pruning
Flowering plant after a period of rest. From the middle of the outlet spike appears. Depending on the type of pafiopedilum on the peduncle, there may be only one flower, which blooms for 2-4 months or flowers may appear in turns on one peduncle for 6-7 months. You should know that one outlet blooms only once. After flowering in an orchid with one flower, the peduncle is removed, in orchids with the next flowering, the peduncle is not cut until the end of flowering. 
Features care in a dormant period
Especially it is necessary to observe the rest period for orchids with spotty leaves. Otherwise, flowering may not begin. This period begins in mid-November. Care at this time is to maintain the plant at a temperature of not more than 15 degrees with spraying the substrate with water without any additional feeding. After the appearance of the peduncle, this period ends.
Transplant and substrate
It is necessary to replant papiopedilum every year or in a year. It is better to carry out this process in the spring. For transplantation, use the substrate for orchids, while adding sphagnum, perlite, charcoal, lump peat. Soil for calcific types of papiopedilums consists of leaf humus, peat, sand, crushed seashells or dolomite crumb, charcoal in a ratio of 1: 1: 1: 0.5: 0.5.
An important role is played by drainage at the bottom of the pot. The pot is chosen opaque. In the plastic soil dries slower than in the ceramic, so it is better. The size of the pot should not be large, otherwise the plant will spend power on the growth of foliage, and not on flowering. The roots should be placed right next to the pot.
The transplant process transports the plant normally. Having taken the plant, it is necessary to inspect and remove the rotten roots. Slices must be processed with crushed coal. When transplanting must take into account the height of planting. If a flower is planted too high, the roots will hang and stop growing; a plant that is too low will cause the rosette to rot. The substrate should be at the level of the outlet base: approximately 1-2 cm covering the red and white part. And tamping the substrate is not necessary. The audit of the roots and substrate should be carried out every six months. For this, the roots are carefully removed from the pot together with the substrate and their condition is assessed.
Reproduction of papiopedilum at home
This type of orchid at home is propagated only by dividing the bush. Plant a plant is necessary when a lot of outlets. At the same time, remember that in one pot there should be at least three sockets, otherwise the plant will not take root. After separation, the orchid is placed in the shade, and the substrate is moderately sprayed until it begins to grow. Further, the usual care.
Did you know? "ATYenerin slipper "is listed in the Red Book of many countries.
The plant "lady's slipper" can be called one of the most beautiful and tender. Leaving it for more than a week without supervision is not recommended.
