Question
This plant is very young with pretty mottled green leaves. It does not seem to be growing new leaves while the old ones turn yellow, then brown and drop off. It does not get direct light and is watered with distilled water (as recommended by grower)when growing medium is dry. Do you know what could be wrong? Thanks

Answer
Hello Jan,

Mottle leafed paphiopedilums do not require direct sunlight but indirect light or placed where there will be no shadow visible when you place a hand 12 inches above.  Also, while they should be allowed to become fairly dry between waterings, they should not become totally dry, more like barely moist.  

It also sounds like it may be potted in sphagnum moss.  With moss, it can be difficult to tell how wet or dry it may be just by looking at it, the top might be dry but inside the pot may still be fairly wet.  For this and other reasons I usually repot paphs. in a bark based media as soon as I can.  I use a fine grade orchid bark for this purpose, adding a little perlite or sponge rock to help keep it a bit more open.  

If it is potted in sphagnum moss, I would suggest repotting it in a fine grade orchid media which can be found at most nurseries that sell orchids.  Once you have your supplies ready, unpot it and remove as much of the moss as you can without damaging the roots.  Remove any soft mushy roots as they are dead.  Place a little potting media in the pot, place the paph. roots in and add more media.  Position the base of the paph. just below the pot rim while doing this.  When the pot is full, gently compress the media and add more until full.  The plant should be able to stand upright on its own.  

Place the pot in a warm shady place for 2 to 3 weeks, keep it slightly on the dry side to help encourage new root growth.  Once the time is up, move it to where you grow it.  If there is low humidity, try placing it on top of a saucer filled with small pebbles or marbles, fill the saucer with water.  Make sure the bottom of the pot is not sitting in water.  

Hope this helps save it.  Good luck.

Jim Kawasaki
San Jose, Ca.