Can You Grow Lady Slipper Orchids Indoors?

Lady Slipper Orchid

• Lady slipper orchids belong to the Paphiopedilium group and bear large, elegant blooms on tall flower stalks. They hail from Asia, India, the Solomon Islands and New Guinea. Their blooms look like slippers, with large pouches at the base, and grow in white, purple, yellow, red, pink, green and deep burgundy variations.

Pot and Foundation

• Lady slipper orchids are terrestrial, meaning that they grow in ground locations rather than in trees, as do some orchids. They still require soil-less foundations such as humus, peat moss, fern matter or pebbles. Use 2- to 3-gallon pots with drainage holes and loose, airy and soil-less potting foundations for indoor growing.

Light and Temperature

• Landscape-and-Garden's website calls lady slipper orchids the best orchids for indoor growing and notes that these orchids thrive in artificial light. Put the orchids in the center of the house under all-day artificial lights or in sunny windows where they get morning sun and afternoon shade. The orchids do best with temperatures from 50 to 80 degrees F and humidity levels of 40 to 60 percent.

Care

• Lady slipper orchids thrive in people-friendly temperatures and humidity levels and don't require any special care in those regards. They do require regular waterings though, and thrive with 1 to 2 inches of fresh water every three to four days. Feed lady slipper orchids with 20-20-20 fertilizer once or twice a month to encourage growth and blooming. Switch to high-phosphorous fertilizer in the blooming season for best blooms. Mix the fertilizer at one-quarter strength to avoid burning the orchids, and water only the roots; water on the crown or foliage causes rot in the lady slipper orchid.