- Approximate light
- 800–1200 fc
- Day temperature
- 18–27 °C
- Relative humidity
- 50–70%
This is general guidance by genus. Species, hybrids, potting mix and your home conditions may call for different care. Check moisture and actual growth before following a schedule.
Light and position
Shade or soft indirect light. Mottled-leaved types want even less light than the plain green ones.
When and how to water
Keep the mix evenly moist: it stores no water. Water before it dries out, always at the base of the plant.
Potting mix and container
Fine bark with perlite and a little sphagnum, in a plastic pot that holds moisture.
Feeding during growth
Use well-diluted feed during growth and check the guidance for your species. Do not add lime or shell simply because it belongs to this genus: calcium and pH needs vary. Check the species, water and medium before using supplements.
When to repot
Yearly: the fine mix it needs breaks down fast and suffocates its hairy roots.
Dormancy and seasonal changes
No rest. Mottled-leaved types prefer warmth year round; green-leaved ones appreciate a cool winter.
Flowering and new growth
One flower — sometimes two — per mature fan, lasting eight to twelve weeks. Each fan blooms only once in its life. No trick: the new fan blooms once it reaches adult size. Your job is to grow one each year.
What to watch for
Avoid prolonged drought and waterlogging. Without pseudobulbs to serve as a large water reserve, the potting mix needs regular attention.
A FloraFlor care guide based on its app library, with editorial revisions for the web. Sources and further reading: American Orchid Society · Orchid care. No affiliation or endorsement is implied.
Let your plant set the pace
Save your Paphiopedilum in FloraFlor, note when you watered it and record photos of its changes. Adjust reminders to your season and hemisphere, and log care after you have actually done it.
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