Please plant your new lady's slipper orchid as soon as possible.
Planting site
Semi-shade, no direct sun at midday. A very suitable place would also be on the north side of a building.
Most Cypripediums are woodland plants and therefore prefer cool sites, which do not become too dry and
hot during summer. Places where ferns thrive are also suitable for lady’s slippper orchids. Don’t plant your
Cypripediums close to trees or big shrubs because their roots are effective competition for water and
nutrients!
Lady’s slipper orchids are completely hardy - no separate protection during winter is required. However,
once they have started growing, the leaves are sensitive to frost. Therefore, protect the plants by covering
with buckets if there are late frosts or snowfall once growth has started.
Soil
Basically, Cypripedium hybrids grow well in most garden soils. Lady’s slipper orchids prefer a well-aerated,
crumbly soil structure (4 inches deep) and medium moisture conditions. Dense and loamy soils have to
be improved with mineral materials such as crushed clay pebbles or crushed lava. If the planting site is
too wet, a drainage layer with crushed clay pebbles or crushed lava should be added.
In regions with constant winter dampness, a well-ventilated rain cover or a pure mineral soil mix is
recommended. Otherwise, there may be losses due to rot.
In sandy soils, which dry out rapidly, it is recommended to increase water retention by mixing in perlite,
Seramis
®
or Isolite
®
.
Covering the soil with a layer of conifer needles (e.g. spruce or pine) has a favourable effect on structure
and moisture.
Planting
Spread out the roots in the upper 4 inches of the soil, the rhizome one inch below the surface, shoot buds
upwards. Fill in the remaining substrate without compressing it, and water thoroughly.
Plant care
Fertilize your lady’s slipper orchids regularly in spring, necessary for strong growth. Use any granulated
commercial garden fertilizer, best are those with a long-term effect. After flowering the need for nutrients
is low, but at the beginning of the growth season the need is high. Leaf coloration is a good indicator;
leaves should always be bright green. A yellowish green indicates nutrient deficiency or too much sun.
The soil should never dry out completely, therefore in dry summers careful watering is recommended. The
shoots die back in autumn and should then be removed by diagonally pulling them out of the ground or
cutting the stems off.
continued on page 2
Planting Instructions for Lady’s Slipper Orchids
Combination with other plants
Lady’s slipper orchids look best in combination with slow-growing ferns, Barrenwort (Epimedium) and
small Hosta species. They cannot compete with vigorously-growing perennials, shrubs or trees. So always
look after these delicate plants!
Protecting your lady’s slipper orchids
Slugs can wreak havoc within one night. Particularly during springtime special protection is indispensable.
The safest methods for controlling slugs are a slug fence or a barrier consisting of a vertically mounted
copper plate (a few centimetres high), alternatively Etisso
®
Slug & Snail-Lentils.
On the website www.ladyslipper.de you will find photos, videos, garden examples and more.
