How to Grow Lady Slipper Orchids Inside

The lady slipper flower (Paphiopedilum) has a structure at its base that looks like a small sac -- or a delicate slipper. On each side of this form, as well as above it, there is a petal, for a total of three. I prefer outdoor plants, but my growing season is four months long. So, I make an exception for this orchid, which thrives outdoors only in year-round above-freezing temperatures. I grow one indoors because its flower design looks playful to me -- as if I had fairies in the house and those little pouches were their shoes.

Bark or moss-based soil
Plant tray
Pebbles
Fan, as needed
Balanced orchid fertilizer
Shears

Instructions

- 1
  Grow lady slipper orchids in bark or in a potting-soil mix that contains sphagnum peat moss. Either medium provides the airy environment that the roots require to thrive.
- 2
  Place the potted orchid by a window that receives indirect sunlight. The American Orchid Society recommends a windowsill that faces east. If your home only has light coming from the west or the south, fit the window with a sheer curtain to filter the sun. The foliage on the lady slipper turns red around the edges if the light is too intense. On the other hand, the plant fails to bloom if the room has been dim.
- 3
  Irrigate your slipper orchid as often as it takes to keep the soil consistently moist. The frequency depends on whether the orchid is in bark, which dries quickly, or moss, a medium that holds on to moisture longer. Pour water into the pot until excess begins to flow out of the drainage holes. Use lukewarm water from the tap. Do not irrigate the plant with distilled or softened water.
- 4
  Provide the slipper orchid a room that stays at 75 to 85 degrees F during the day. At night, the temperature should range from 60 to 65 degrees F.
- 5
  Place the pot in a plant tray filled with pebbles and water. The drainage holes need to be above the water to prevent root rot. As the liquid evaporates, it moisturizes the slipper orchid. Keep a window open or a fan running on low for air to circulate, minimizing the risk of diseases caused by the humidity.
- 6
  Fertilize the plant with an orchid formula that contains equal percentages of nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium. Dilute it to one quarter strength and feed the slipper orchid weekly. Drench the potting soil with plain water once a month to leach accumulated fertilizer salts.
- 7
  Cut flower stalks with spent blooms back to the base. The slipper orchid produces a new flush of flowers within one year.
- 8
  Repot slipper orchids every one to two years in any season. With time, the potting-mix matter breaks down, creating a denser mass that makes the medium less airy. The compact soil is inhospitable to the roots that require a lot of air flowing around them. Discard that old decomposed mix and start with a fresh batch.

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