paphiopedilum potting mix
 

Hi.
:scratchhead: I'm very new to orchids and i just bought an paphiopedilum on ebay, when i received the plant was bare rooted , so i went to our local shop and i bought an orchid mix of the shelf. Can anybody tell me what's the correct mix for potting a paphiopedilum .

I'd like straight sphagnum for a drier area, perfect stuff if you pot them loosely and repot them once a year.

paphs are considered "semi-terrestrial", rather than epiphytic, so seem to do best in a medium that is airy, but holds moisture. In the wild, they grow on the forest floor with their roots running wild through the leaf litter. I theorize the hairs on some of their roots is to help provide air space around them.

That said, I think they can be grown in anything if your environment and watering habits conform. I, for example, have all of mine in semi-hydro culture.

The web site repotme.com has a good paphiopedilum mix. I have had success with it.

Paph potting mix
 

There is no right potting mix for Paphs or any other orchids. I find you have to try different ones to find out what works best for you. Start out with a good commerical mix and try it. Watch you watering. I use a mix I make myself fron coir, charcoal and shredded Styrofoam I find this works for me. It drains well but holds the moisture in. You have to make sure that you rinse the coir very well.

Thank you for all your advise ... so for now i'll keep my commercial mix and take it from there...

this article might be good for you
Use of Coconut Husk Chips

I'll second the repotme.com recommendation. My Paphs took off when I put them in their Paph mix, new growths and bloom spikes all over the place. Plus, their customer service is unbeatable. But again, your mileage may differ, based on your own growing conditions.