Need help with my lady slipper

[sii]

Hello all,

I bought this lady slipper last summer. It was in bloom for a short while. Can someone tell me how to encourage it to grow?

I live in Ontario and all my orchids sit by an east window. I water once a week and alternate with an organic fertilizer that contains 2 percent nitrogen, 2percent phosphoric acid 7 percent potash and 55 percent organic matter. I also have the Schultz orchid food (19-31-17)
What am I missing? What size pot should I use? I have bark, moss and hydro ton beads.
Thanks

[aliceinwl]

That looks like a Phalaenopsis. It’s roots seem to be mostly if not entirely dead. Perusing the sticky thread “The Phal Abuse Stops Here” would be helpful. The first few pages have a lot of tips for growing.

There are many different ways of growing these and no one method works for everyone. This is what works for me:

Get or make something similar to a 3 inch diameter clear plastic slotted orchid pot: 3" Slotted Clear Orchid Pot

– rePotme

Do not cut anything off your plant. Do not treat it with hydrogen peroxide (a lot of people do this after viewing YouTube videos and it does a lot of damage).

I use a 5 parts small grade orchiata, 1 part medium perlite, 1 part charcoal mix. Something like Phalaenopsis Monterey Dark Imperial Orchid Mix

– rePotme is pretty similar if you want ready made.

Pot up your plant so that the green leaf bases are above the level of the mix. If it wobbles secure it to a stake.

Note the color of the dry bark through the pot. Thoroughly water it while keeping water out of the crown of the plant. Allow the water to drain out. Put the plant somewhere bright and warm that doesn’t get hit with direct sun. Water whenever the bark starts looking dry. This may be 1-3 times a week depending on environmental conditions.

Be patient. You should start to seen new root growth in a month or two.

If you search Phalaenopsis care on this forum you can turn up a lot of information and alternative approaches. The aforementioned works for me but you may see other options that you may deem better suited so don’t be afraid to pick and choose.

Good luck!

[SouthPark]

sii ---- the leaves look good, and there's even a new leaf starting to grow. What made you take it out of the pot? It appears to be growing already.

And how was it being grown before?

[monivik]

Well, yeah it's hard to see from the picture what type of orchid it is. It does indeed not have many roots left.

But are the roots hairy? If they're hairy then it's a Paphiopedilum (Lady Slipper).

Well, I also consider myself a beginner even though I have had a Paph for many years. Recently I went to an orchid nursery and asked their advice on how to repot it. They just said bark chips and a little bit of spaghnum moss, not too much of that. They said it's too cool for their roots and I live in a colder climate.

I hardly ever fertilize mine, I just give it tap water (I live in the Netherlands and we have soft water here), and mine has grown and grown and was so huge I could divide it into 4 pots. But I also hear some people mention that they add crushed sea-shells or egg shells in to the mix.

[Ray]

Looks like a Paph to me - one that needs a better root system.

What is the mixing ratios you’re using the those two fertilizers? For weekly feeding, the Schultz formula should be used at about 0.4-0.5 ml/L. Much more than that will stifle root growth. That other one (I’d really like to see a photo of the label) can be used up to about 9-10x that amount.

Does the plant dry out between waterings? In,y experience, paphs do better if the don’t, but the medium should be moist, not soppy.

I’d recommend applying KelpMax, but it costs too much to ship into Canada, and C&C Orchids in Hamilton is back-ordered over 50 bottles (our governments foolishly think it’s “non-essential”, so they cannot pick it up in Niagara Falls like they normally do).

[sii]

Originally Posted by SouthPark

sii ---- the leaves look good, and there's even a new leaf starting to grow. What made you take it out of the pot? It appears to be growing already.

And how was it being grown before?

I took it out of the original pot it was in because the stem and a leaf dried out. I’ve been watering for a while and didn’t see any movement. I bought that plant last summer, so I thought something was wrong. Yes, I did see the little leaf growing. It is definitely a lady slipper as I have tons of phals and can recognize them (received as gifts).
Just wondering if I should put it in a smaller pot, which of my 2 fertilizers works best and light conditions.
Right now it's sitting in an east window, behind the other larger orchids.

[JScott]

I think Paph. It threw me off a little because in that last picture, you can see what looks like a spent flower spike by your thumbnail, and it seems to be coming from the base of the plant rather than the apex, as flower spikes on Paphs come, however I thought about it, and decided it could be a spent flower spike from an older growth that has lost all its leaves, making the spike appear to be coming from the base of the plant. Also, the spike appears to be hollow the way Paph spikes are, while Phal spikes are not.

So yeah, I agree that it's a Paph. The remaining roots look more Paph like that Phal like, also. And it seems like you know orchids, and I trust the person holding the plant in his or her hand looking at it in person more than I trust my eyes looking at a picture, so if you say it's a Paph, then I'm sure it's a Paph.

[sii]

Hey Ray,
Yes definitely lady slipper. I bought this because I’ve never had one. I have lots of phals! 🤣. I’ve sent a pic of the natural fertilizer (seaweed) and how I’ve potted it. Should my pot be smaller? Now that you mention watering, I water all my orchids once a week, sometimes more because it’s summer and warm in this room. My phals are ok. Maybe this one needs more?
Please let me know if I should switch to the Shultz. I can look into Kelpmax. Maybe amazon? I also have KLN and Revive at home. To be honest, I’m not great when it comes to fertilizers. 🙄🙄
Sorry, don't know why those pics are sideways?
Thanks

[JScott]

Originally Posted by sii

Hey Ray,
Yes definitely lady slipper. I bought this because I’ve never had one. I have lots of phals! 🤣. I’ve sent a pic of the natural fertilizer and how I’ve potted it. Should my pot be smaller? Now that you mention watering, I water all my orchids once a week, sometimes more because it’s summer and warm in this room. My phals are ok. Maybe this one needs more?
Please let me know if I should switch to the Shultz. I can look into Kelpmax. Maybe amazon? I also have KLN and Revive at home. To be honest, I’m not great when it comes to fertilizers. 🙄🙄
Sorry, don't know why those pics are sideways?
Thanks

You can only get KelpMax at Ray's store:
KelpMax Superior Plant Growth Stimulant – First Rays LLC

But definitely get it. It's worth it. It's great for helping sick plants, but it is also great for applying to healthy plants once a month. It will make your plants more robust. I love that stuff. It's like magic, and I don't even believe in magic. KelpMax is not a fertilizer, so use it in addition to your regular fertilizer.

[sii]

Originally Posted by JScott

You can only get KelpMax at Ray's store:
KelpMax Superior Plant Growth Stimulant – First Rays LLC

But definitely get it. It's worth it. It's great for helping sick plants, but it is also great for applying to healthy plants once a month. It will make your plants more robust. I love that stuff. It's like magic, and I don't even believe in magic. KelpMax is not a fertilizer, so use it in addition to your regular fertilizer.

That's good to know! I'm open to that. Will wait for Ray's response. I would need a 'prescription' on how and when to use any additives. I've purchased different bottles in the past because someone recommended it, used it for that specific plant and then never again.

---------- Post added at 01:55 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:45 PM ----------

Originally Posted by monivik

Well, yeah it's hard to see from the picture what type of orchid it is. It does indeed not have many roots left.

But are the roots hairy? If they're hairy then it's a Paphiopedilum (Lady Slipper).

Well, I also consider myself a beginner even though I have had a Paph for many years. Recently I went to an orchid nursery and asked their advice on how to repot it. They just said bark chips and a little bit of spaghnum moss, not too much of that. They said it's too cool for their roots and I live in a colder climate.

I hardly ever fertilize mine, I just give it tap water (I live in the Netherlands and we have soft water here), and mine has grown and grown and was so huge I could divide it into 4 pots. But I also hear some people mention that they add crushed sea-shells or egg shells in to the mix.

No, the roots don't appear hairy, but definately a lady slipper. Fell in love with it when I saw it!

Even though I've had orchids for 10 years, I still consider myself a beginner. Fertilizing is where I run into trouble. But lucky you if you don't have to. :-)