- When should I repot my lady's slipper?
- How often does my lady's slipper need to be repotted?
- Which substrate is suitable for the lady's slipper?
If you have chosen the location for your lady's slipper carefully, then caring for it is not too complicated. However, regular watering and fertilizing is not enough. From time to time the lady's slipper should be repotted.
A lady's slipper should never be repotted while it is in bloom
When should I repot my lady's slipper?
If the pot of your lady's slipper becomes too small or the substrate begins to rot, then it's high time to repot. You can tell if the pot is too small because the substrate is no longer visible in the mostly transparent pot, only the roots cannot be seen or the roots even grow out of the drainage hole on the bottom.
How often does my lady's slipper need to be repotted?
Ideally, don't wait for your lady's slipper to burst its plant pot, instead repot it regularly. The time after flowering, i.e. spring, is usually particularly good for this. In this way you ensure optimal ventilation of the roots, because the substrate remains nice and loose and permeable.
Which substrate is suitable for the lady's slipper?
Orchids usually do not thrive in normal potting soil, this also applies to the lady's slipper. Nevertheless, you do not necessarily have to buy orchid soil, you can also mix the substrate yourself. In addition to wood and bark, moss and coconut fibers are also suitable as basic substances.
Mix in small styrofoam balls to aerate the roots and improve water permeability. A little charcoal is used for disinfection. The pH of the finished substrate should be in the slightly acidic range of 5 to 6.5. To keep it that way, you should water your lady's slipper with low-lime water (rainwater or stagnant tap water).
The essentials in brief:
- Use ready-made orchid substrate (€8.00) or your own mixture
- possibly add wood ash for disinfection
- slightly acidic soil, pH between 5 and 6.5
- pay attention to good permeability and root aeration
- repot before the roots grow out of the bottom of the pot or the substrate rots
tips
If you water your lady's slipper with calcareous tap water, then more frequent repotting may be required. The plant does not like limescale deposits on the substrate.