Venus slipper or Paphiopedilum is a perennial of the Orchidaceae family. Distribution area - tropics of Asia, in particular, the Philippines, Thailand and India.
Paphiopedilum Description
Outwardly, the orchid resembles a small slipper of a fabulous creation, which attracts many gardeners. The stem is fluffy, 15-60 cm long. 3-4 pointed leaves in the form of an ellipse are located in the center of the stem. Lip color is yellow with red dots.
Popular types of papiopedilum
At room conditions, you can grow several varieties of Paphiopedilums:
| View | Description | Bloom |
| Acaulescent | Has a ground stem with two oval, lanceolate or oblong leaves. It grows in length to 20 cm. Color - greenish-purple. Peduncle reaches 35 cm, has a large fragrant bud. | The end of spring is the beginning of summer. |
| Ram-headed | A refined stem reaching a height of 30 cm. The length of the foliage is up to 10 cm. The shape of an ellipse. The flowers are small, grow solitary. | The end of spring. |
| California | A strong trunk with a height of 80 cm. There are 3-4 oval leaves, about 10 cm long. Flowers are up to 40 mm in diameter, the bract is round and leaf-shaped. The color of the petals is yellowish green. | May. |
| Snow white | Up to 30 cm high, has a short rhizome. From the bottom of the stem, several scaly pharynxes are visible. Leaves are elliptical or lanceolate, the ends are pointed. Sepals are green and purple. | The end of spring or the beginning of summer. |
| Bunchy | The stalk is down. In the center there are two wide oval leaves, up to 10 cm long. Inflorescences of a direct type, there are from one to four flowers. | The end of spring. |
| The slipper is real | Perennial 40 cm high. Short and thickened root system. The flowers are large, have a faint smell. Sepals are red-brown. The color of the lips is yellow-green or deep yellow. | May - June, the first fruits appear in August. |
| Large flowered | Perennial herbaceous plant, up to 45 cm high. Oval foliage with slightly pointed ends. Color - from pale pink to cherry. The lip is swollen, covered with spots and dots. It has healing properties due to the presence of useful substances such as vitamin C and oxalic acid. Tinctures from this flower are prescribed for frequent headaches, diseases of the genitourinary system, and mental illnesses. | May. |
| Spotted | Herbaceous perennial, up to 30 cm high. Creeping rhizome, sessile foliage, about 10 cm long. One flower, white with purple dots. | The end of spring or the beginning of summer. |
| Queen's slipper | Grassy flower, height - up to 60 cm. Has a short rhizome. The foliage is oval in shape, about 25 cm long, color - light green. The buds are white or pink. The lip is slightly convex, white with purple stripes. Resistant to frost. | July. |
| Fluffy | Height to half a meter. The stalk is strong with 4 consecutive leaves. Flowers of a single type, occasionally you can find 2-3 pieces. Foliage and sepals are green. The lip is bright yellow with red veins. | May June. |
| Small flowered | Height up to 7 cm, has four oval or ellipse leaflets and two flowers with a rich aroma. The lip is bright yellow with purple stripes. | The end of spring or the beginning of summer. |
| Mountain | Height is about 70 cm. The stalk is fluffy, the leaves are ovoid in shape. Up to 3 fragrant flowers may appear at a time. Oblong purple lip. | The end of spring is the beginning of summer. |
Paphiopedilum care at home
Paphiopedilums are wild-growing plants, therefore, when grown in the home, they do not require special care. Although there are still a number of nuances that should be considered.
Pot selection, soil
It is recommended to select wide and low tanks, this will simplify watering in the future.
The soil mixture should include such elements in the ratio: 10: 1: 2: 1: 2:
- crushed pine bark;
- shell powder;
- charcoal;
- perlite;
- peat .
Location, temperature
This plant is recommended to be located on the eastern or western window sills, although certain types of orchids also feel great on the northern window. The room with the flower should be regularly ventilated, and in the summer season papiopedilum moves to the garden.
The plant prefers scattered light, but feels good with a slight dimming.
Venus slipper is divided into species that prefer moderate temperature (+ 18 ... +22 ° C) and heat-loving plants (+ 25 ... +30 ° C). The optimal for all varieties is considered to be + 18 ... +25 ° С.
Watering, top dressing
The flower has no storage organs, so it needs regular and plentiful watering. The substrate should always be in a slightly moistened state. For watering, water is used at room temperature and during its application it is impossible that the spray falls on the stem, otherwise it may rot.
In the summer season, a slipper should be fed once every 15-20 days. For these purposes, mineral fertilizer is used, it is applied together with water during irrigation. To adjust the amount of salts in the soil once a month, it is recommended to water the plant with distilled liquid.
During flowering and after
In most indoor species of the venereal shoe, buds form in November - December. During this period, the plant is strictly forbidden to disturb, rearrange, turn the container. No changes in care are taken.
After flowering, the orchid needs a rest. During this period, the temperature drops to + 15 ... +20 ° C, the frequency of irrigation decreases to once every 14 days, top dressing is minimized. The old care is resumed only after the appearance of a new sprout on the old outlet.
Transfer
To understand whether an orchid is needed, gardeners recommend paying attention to the appearance of the flower. Signs of need are:
- very dense soil;
- unhealthy appearance of a flower;
- the presence of mold;
- the smell of rot from an orchid.
For healthy shoe growth, gardeners recommend transplanting them every 2 years. Spend it after flowering, during this period, the plant quickly takes root in the new earth. In this case, the orchid is carefully removed from the pot and transferred to a new container. The first watering is carried out after three days.
Growing a venus shoe in open ground
Orchids placed in open ground bloom no earlier than after 15-20 years and can live for about 30. But caring for shoes growing in the garden includes several nuances:
- in early spring, you need to get rid of the insulation and loosen the earth;
- watering should be regular and moderate (performed immediately after drying of the top soil layer);
- the land must be as clean as possible, all weed grass is removed using a secateurs, this is necessary so as not to damage the root system of the orchid;
- spring dressing can be abandoned, because the plant eats the remains of mulch;
- the second fertilizer should be carried out in early May (it must be mineral complexes diluted in water);
- carry out the next dressing at the end of June, but only in cases of lack of flowering;
- in late summer or early spring, the flower should be cut off near the base;
- before the winter season, mulch the plant.
Mr. Dachnik informs: Paphiopedilum - medicinal properties, use and contraindications
In the industry of alternative treatment, venereal slipper is widely used to get rid of various diseases. Most often, drugs with the addition of Paphiopedilum are used to get rid of insomnia and migraines. In addition, decoctions from this flower can cure epileptic seizures and improve appetite.
Preparations based on orchids guarantee this action:
- laxative;
- exciting;
- painkiller;
- sedative.
Decoctions from the flower are used for uterine bleeding, diseases of the heart and blood vessels, hepatitis. Particularly noteworthy are the products from the large-flowered type of shoe:
- Infusion for the treatment of gynecological diseases. One fresh plant is poured with 300 ml of boiling water and infused for several hours. The resulting product is used during the day. It is allowed to drink it after labor, because the medicine has a blood-purifying effect.
- Depressant. A teaspoon of a dried plant is poured into a thermos and poured into a glass of boiling water. The tool is infused, filtered, after which it is ready for use. It is recommended to take in the presence of neurological diseases.
- Diuretic infusion. In 200 ml of boiling water, a teaspoon of crushed plant is added. The tool is infused, filtered, and then used in the amount of 1 tbsp. spoons after eating.
- Decoction of colds. 5 g of dried flowers are poured with 200 ml of boiling water. The product is boiled for 5-10 minutes on low heat, cools and filtered. It is consumed in a volume of 5 ml before meals.
But, despite such a number of positive properties in the venus shoe, preparations with the addition of this plant are strictly forbidden to use during the period of gestation and lactation. In addition, it should be remembered that Paphiopedilum contains many alkaloids that have a toxic effect and, if the dosages are not observed, can cause serious poisoning.
