Getting it to bloom

Why won't my Paphiopedilum malipoense bloom? (and how to make it flower)

Also called Maliopo Slipper Orchid, Jade Slipper Orchid (Paphiopedilum malipoense).

More about paphiopedilum malipoense

About Paphiopedilum malipoense

Paphiopedilum malipoense · also called Maliopo Slipper Orchid, Jade Slipper Orchid · flowering

Paphiopedilum malipoense is a striking Chinese slipper orchid famed for large jade-green flowers veined in maroon, carried singly on a tall slow-rising stem and faintly raspberry-scented. A terrestrial, terrestrial-loving cool grower with mottled foliage, it needs a winter chill to bloom and never tolerates drying out completely.

Plant type: flowering

Watch for — No flower stem: Often a missing winter cool-down. Provide a 6-10°C night drop in autumn and winter to trigger spiking in this cool-grower.

The reasons paphiopedilum malipoense isn't blooming

Almost every non-blooming paphiopedilum malipoense traces back to one of these, roughly in order of how common they are:

Too little sun — most of these need full sun (or very bright light) to flower well; shade gives leaves, not blooms.
Too much nitrogen feed, driving lush foliage at the expense of flowers (very common with general or lawn feeds).
The plant has not been deadheaded, so it stops flowering once it sets seed.
Irregular watering — drought or waterlogging at the budding stage makes buds abort.
It is still too young or was checked by a transplant and is rebuilding before flowering.

Feeding paphiopedilum malipoense a high-nitrogen general feed and growing it in too little sun — you get a big leafy plant and almost no flowers.

The fix — how to get paphiopedilum malipoense to flower

Maximise sun. Give paphiopedilum malipoense the sunniest spot you have — for most bedding and fruiting plants, more direct light directly means more flowers.
Switch the feed. Move off high-nitrogen feeds and use a higher-potassium "bloom" or tomato-type feed as it comes into flower.
Deadhead regularly. Remove spent flowers often to keep it producing more rather than stopping to set seed.
Water consistently. Keep moisture even through budding and flowering — drought-then-flood swings make buds drop.

Light and feeding do most of the heavy lifting here. Dial in the spot with the light guide for paphiopedilum malipoense and get the feeding right with the paphiopedilum malipoense fertilising schedule — the wrong feed (too much nitrogen) is one of the most common silent reasons a healthy plant makes leaves instead of flowers.

Bloom season and what to expect

Paphiopedilum malipoense flowers across its growing season (mostly summer) and, kept fed and deadheaded, can bloom for many weeks or right up to frost.

Post-bloom care so it flowers again

Deadhead, keep feeding lightly, and many will rebloom; collect seed from the best plants at the end of the season if you want to grow them again.

For everything else this plant needs day to day, see the full paphiopedilum malipoense care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.

Paphiopedilum malipoense blooming — frequently asked questions

Why won't my paphiopedilum malipoense flower?

Paphiopedilum malipoense blooms on the season's growth given enough sun, warmth and the right feed — there is no cold or photoperiod trick, just good growing conditions and a bloom-leaning feed. The most common reason it is not happening: Too little sun — most of these need full sun (or very bright light) to flower well; shade gives leaves, not blooms.

How do I make paphiopedilum malipoense bloom?

Give paphiopedilum malipoense the sunniest spot you have — for most bedding and fruiting plants, more direct light directly means more flowers. Move off high-nitrogen feeds and use a higher-potassium "bloom" or tomato-type feed as it comes into flower.

When does paphiopedilum malipoense normally bloom?