The birthplace of one of the most beautiful plants - the Paphiopedilum orchid (photo below), or the lady's slipper - is considered to be New Guinea, China, India, Asia, the Himalayas and the Solomon Islands.
Back in 1869, the first and very successful artificial hybrid of Paphiopedilum was bred, which laid the foundation for the creation of new plant varieties. Nowadays, there are approximately 100 plant species and more than 1 thousand hybrids.
Paphiopedilum Orchid description
Paphiopedilum translates as "a slipper from Paphos" - the city where the goddess Venus was born. A feature and main decoration of the plant is an unusual flower, similar to a woman's shoe. In America, this flower is called "moccasin flowers", and in England - "slipper".
Paphiopedilum is a terrestrial orchid, orchid family, sympodial. The presence of a displaced apical kidney is its feature. A pseudobulb with a dormant bud comes out of it and the plant develops. In Paphiopedilum, instead of a pseudobulb, a leaf rosette forms on the roots. Leafletsoblong, belt-like. They can be leathery, soft and juicy, depending on the conditions of detention and the type of plant.
Flowers of different colors, but mainly white, green, brown and yellow shades prevail. The petals are dense with a wax coating or covered with fluff.
Paphiopedilum, whose flowering depends on the species and variety, pleases with flowers for several months.
The flower has six petals, one of them differs from the others in size and shape, it is the "slipper of Venus". An erect peduncle rises from the rosette of leaves of the plant, on which there are many-flowered and single-flowered inflorescences.
The Paphiopedilum orchid is demanding on the high humidity of the earth and air in the apartment, it tolerates slight shading and high temperatures quite calmly. Copes with short-term drought with ease thanks to juicy and leathery leaves that can store moisture.
Root system
Roots Paphiopedilum has those that differ from other plants in an unusual structure. Orchids can exist on other plants and trees, feeding on them through their roots. They serve as the main indicator of flower he alth. Paphiopedilum is always sold in transparent pots so that it is easy to determine the condition of the root system and the need for watering the plant.
If the roots have become light gray, then the plant must be watered. A container with a flower is lowered into a container of water at room temperature. He althy roots are green.
A plant in the process of growthaerial roots appear. And their excess number (more than two) is due to high humidity as a result of errors in irrigation. The roots rot and the plant can die when there is too much water.
Location in the apartment
The ideal place is the window sill at the window facing the east side. On the south side, the plant should be shaded from direct sunlight, especially on summer days from 10 am to 5 pm. Bright light harms the orchid: spots form on the leaves from burns, the edges of the petals become pale, the orchid stops blooming. It is undesirable to put Paphiopedilum near heating appliances. Windows on cold autumn and winter days, on which there are pots of orchids, do not close the curtains.
Light mode
Paphiopedilum (orchid family), which has leathery leaves, needs more light than a plant with soft leaves. Before the formation of buds, the flower pot is turned from time to time so that the stem and leaves do not bend.
For lush flowering orchids need daylight hours for 16 hours. With its deficiency, photosynthesis is reduced. In such cases, artificial lighting comes to the rescue. Fluorescent lamps are placed 15 cm from the plant. You can increase the amount of light in the following way:
- wash windows;
- wipe the dust off the leaves;
- place the plant in a room with light walls and ceiling.
Temperature
Paphiopedilum is not as whimsical to heat as some orchids. For its growth, a winter temperature of +13-160С is needed, the maximum summer temperature can reach +240С. The plant will die if the thermometer reading drops below +80C or rises above +320C.
Paphiopedilum (photo below), which has spotty leaves, grows well in moderate heat and dim sun, and with green foliage loves cool content. In inclement weather and in winter, both plants prefer low air temperatures. To control the temperature near the plants, you should install a thermometer.
One of the conditions for the abundant flowering of Paphiopedilum is the obligatory observance of the difference between night and day temperatures by 5 degrees. You can lower the temperature by airing, watering or spraying (without falling on the flowers) of the plant. When performing water procedures, it is necessary to ensure that the water is boiled, filtered or rain at room temperature. The moisture that remains in the rosettes of the leaves is removed with a napkin to protect them from decay.
Optimal humidity for this variety of orchids - from 40% to 60% - can be maintained if the plant pot is placed on a tray of moistened pebbles.
For the successful cultivation of Paphiopedilum, fresh air is needed, so the room should be periodically ventilated without drafts. It is recommended to put a fan near the orchid, turning it on in slow mode.
Irrigation
One of the reasons for the death of orchids is waterlogged soil. Watering Paphiopedilum andspraying is carried out in the summer in the morning once or twice a week, and in winter - no more than twice a month. Before watering Paphiopedilum, check the soil moisture with your hand and decide if it's time to water or if you can wait.
How to water?
A watering can is used to water orchids. The substrate is moistened with water until it appears in the pan. You can also use another method. The pot with the plant is immersed in a container of water to the level of the soil and kept there until the surface of the soil becomes wet. After completing the procedure, Paphiopedilum is taken out, allowed to drain and put in a permanent place.
Paphiopedilum: home care. Feeding
Feed only perfectly he althy plants. Orchid fertilizers are purchased in a flower shop and watered with them according to the attached instructions.
In spring, plants require nitrogen fertilizers to grow, in autumn, potassium is needed for flowering, and in winter, indoor flowers are dormant and do not feed them. The composition of complex fertilizers, in addition to those listed, includes other components:
- phosphorus strengthens the root system;
- potassium promotes flower formation;
- micronutrients improve leaf color.
Transplantation and planting, reproduction
For successful development, young Paphiopedilums require an annual transplant. When replacing the substrate, a little old is left on the roots. Care for adult Paphiopedilum orchid plantsat home requires a transplant once every three years:
- the pot has become small;
- rotted substrate;
- the plant was flooded with water;
- found a pest or disease.
The best time to change the soil is spring. Plants that are he althy and well developed are transplanted during flowering as well.
There are two ways to propagate the Paphiopedilum orchid. Home care allows you to cultivate them by dividing the bush and planting seeds. In the first method, the plant should be so divided into parts that each of them has an escape with roots. The more shoots left, the more abundant the Paphiopedilum will bloom. For breeding "shoes" it is preferable to use the first method.
The day before transplanting, the plant should be watered abundantly. The next day, carefully remove it from the pot, laying it on its side and running a knife near the walls. The substrate that has decomposed is shaken off, poor-quality and long roots are cut off, the cuts are powdered with charcoal.
The new pot should be about 5 cm larger than the old one in diameter. In order to plant Paphiopedilum (Venus slipper), a flowerpot with a diameter of 9 cm is suitable. A quarter is filled with drainage (crushed stone, pebbles, expanded clay), the substrate is poured slowly, compacting it. The roots of the plant are straightened, the soil layer above the base of the shoot should not exceed one and a half centimeters, the top of the earth is mulched with moss with a layer of 2 cm.
The pot with the plant is placed in a bright place, protected from direct rays of the sun, monitor the soil moisture, periodicallysprayed. Three weeks later, when the plant gets stronger and new roots appear, Paphiopedilum is placed in a stationary place and cared for in the usual way.
Flower pot
Clay or plastic pots are used to grow the Paphiopedilum orchid (which is easy to care for at home). The walls of pottery have pores and let air through to the roots of the plant, but the substrate dries quickly in it. In transparent plastic, it is good to control the root system, but the walls of the pot can become covered with greenery, so it should be placed in a planter. The plastic container is convenient for transplanting, it is easy to take the plant out of it.
For ease of transplanting, the neck of the pot is always wider than the base. At the bottom of any flowerpot there should be a hole for draining excess water, and if it is high, then holes are made from below in the walls.
Various hybrids of Venus slippers can be purchased in flower shops. Their appearance is very unusual, they really look like real little shoes. The long flowering of this plant decorates the home and pleases the eye almost all year round.
