Posted by Just Add Ice Orchids... It's Just That Simple. on Fri, May 18, 2012
Phalenopsis orchids are a favorite of many plant lovers. Their beautiful long stem with vibrant blooms is a symbol of elegance and style. For many decades, the delicate orchid was reserved for those owning a greenhouse. Thankfully times and growing habits have changed and the Phalenopsis orchid can be grown by anyone in any climate.
Here are some tips that can keep your orchid growing beautifully year round:
- Water and humidity is an orchid's best friend. However, the soil should be allowed to dry between each watering. To achieve this, you will need to water your orchid well (thoroughly soaking the growing medium) once a week. We recommend arranging three ice cubes on the growing medium once a week. You may also want to mist the orchid with a spray bottle daily. Misting gives the orchid more humidity but does not create a soggy root environment.
- It is best to put your orchid where it will receive medium indirect sunlight. It will grow best in a window that is facing the west but even a lightly shaded southern window will work. A fact many beginners do not know is that orchids need a period of dark each night.
- To ensure bright blooms and a healthy plant, use a potting mixture and a fertilizer that is specifically designed for orchids. As your experience grows, you can begin to experiment with blending various brands and types of fertilizer and try new growing mediums.
The Phalenopsis Orchid, or "Moth Orchid,” is a beautiful addition that will enhance any home. If you follow these three tips, your orchids can bloom and re-bloom for years to come. For 10 more tips for keeping your orchid healthy, get our free download here.
Posted by Just Add Ice Orchids... It's Just That Simple. on Wed, May 16, 2012
Considered the prima donnas of the flower world, orchids have a reputation for being difficult to grow and tricky to care for. While that may be true of some orchid species and hybrids, Just Add Ice Orchids are a happy exception to the rule. Big, beautiful Phalaenopsis orchids are bred for hardiness and simple care. Just Add Ice Orchids get their name from their uniquely simple watering system—the secret weapon that makes our orchids so simple to grow.
Simple as 1-2-3
As the name implies, watering our orchids is a simple matter of adding 3 ice cubes to your orchid’s pot once a week. As the ice cubes slowly melt, your Phalaenopsis orchid receives the ideal amount of water to grow strong and healthy. Our ice cube watering method prevents over-watering, which is the No. 1 cause of orchid failure.
The Perfect Amount of Water
When orchid roots are immersed in a soggy soup of water and potting mix, they quickly turn mushy and begin to die unless rescued. In nature, Phalaenopsis orchids attach themselves to high tree branches and receive most of their moisture requirements from the humid air of South American and Pacific island jungles. Small amounts of water are easily absorbed by the orchid, but roots “drown” when too much water is present.
Free Watering Reminders
The only problem with a weekly watering schedule is that it’s hard to remember when to add the ice cubes. Free watering reminders are offered on the Just Add Ice website and are recommended, especially for new owners. Choose from email, text or desktop wallpaper reminders. Click here to sign up for your free orchid watering reminder today!
Posted by Just Add Ice Orchids... It's Just That Simple. on Mon, May 14, 2012
When you purchase a Just Add Ice Orchid, you receive an instruction card directing you to water your new Phalaenopsis orchid by adding just three ice cubes to its pot once a week. Most new Just Add Ice Orchid owners are surprised. They can’t believe that their new orchid plant will thrive on such a small amount of water. Seasoned gardeners and experienced houseplant owners are used to watering plants more frequently. Many gardeners tend to think that if a little water is good for a plant then a lot of water will be even better. When applied to Phalaenopsis orchids, this commonly-held philosophy can be disastrous.
The No. 1 cause of Phalaenopsis orchid failure is over-watering.
An Orchid’s Natural Habitat
Phalaenopsis orchids are tropical plants that might make you think they require copious amounts of water to survive, but these orchids are also epiphytes. Phalaenopsis orchids do not grow in the rain-soaked ground; they are actually tree-dwellers. In their native habitat, Phalaenopsis orchids stretch toward the light, clinging to tree branches high above the dark, crowded jungle floor. Their thick, green leaves and fleshy roots absorb the water the plant needs from the humidity in the air.
Orchid Medium
If you examine your Just Add Ice Orchid, you’ll notice that it is not planted in typical potting soil. Soil retains too much water to be used with Phalaenopsis orchids. If planted in a standard potting mix, the roots of the orchid would constantly be surrounded by wet soil and would eventually rot. Just Add Ice Orchids require a potting medium that drains quickly, allowing the plant to absorb moisture gradually without drowning the roots. Phalaenopsis orchids are potted in tree bark, sphagnum moss, peat moss, osmunda fiber and other loose and airy materials that provide proper drainage. Using the Just Add Ice method to water your orchid plant allows the roots to absorb the moisture they need gradually.
Posted by Just Add Ice Orchids... It's Just That Simple. on Thu, May 10, 2012
If you are looking for a special Mother’s Day gift that will show your mother how much you love and admire her, choose a Just Add Ice Orchid. Moms love getting flowers, but most floral gifts last only a few days or perhaps a week. A Phalaenopsis orchid, on the other hand, can continue blooming for up to three months, providing your mom with a daily reminder of your love.
Minimal Care, Maximum Bloom
Big, showy blooms and a wide variety of color choices have made Phalaenopsis orchids America’s favorite orchid. Our hybrids are bred to be especially hardy and are so simple to care for that even first-time orchid owners can grow them successfully. With minimal care, Just Add Ice Orchids will continue to bloom year-after-year. Just like your mother’s love, orchids are a gift that keeps on giving!
Expertise at Your Fingertips
One of the reasons why care is so simple for our orchids, is the support we provide for orchid owners. Orchid lovers will find a helpful library of orchid care articles on our blog, as well as simple-to-follow orchid care videos that show you step-by-step how to keep your orchid healthy. We also offer free watering reminders via email or text to help owners remember when to add ice to their orchid. For Mother’s Day, we’ve developed a Special Orchid Care Kit for Mom that contains everything your mom needs to enjoy her beautiful Just Add Ice Orchid for years to come.
Posted by Just Add Ice Orchids... It's Just That Simple. on Wed, May 09, 2012
Vertical orchid gardens were the hot new trend at this Spring’s major orchid shows. From coast to coast, stunning orchid walls wowed visitors to America’s most prominent botanical gardens. Their incredible variety of color, shape and form makes orchids a natural choice for mass plantings, but displays have traditionally followed the horizontal orientation of outdoor garden beds. This year’s vertical displays took the beauty of orchids to new heights—literally!
Where Did Vertical Gardens Originate?
Vertical gardens, or living walls, are a relatively new phenomenon. Pioneered by French botanist Patrick Blanc who began experimenting with garden walls in 1988, vertical gardens are gaining fans. Exterior building walls planted with a variety of green and flowering plants in intricate patterns are being used to attract attention and create green space in cities around the world. The 5-story Blanc vertical garden that graces a wall of the CaixaForum in Madrid, Spain, is considered as much a work of art as the masterpieces housed inside the museum.
Vertical Gardens for Orchid Lovers
Until recently, creating a living wall inside a home was too labor-intensive and expensive to be within the reach of most orchid lovers. Interior walls had to be protected with multiple layers of special materials to prevent damage from water, humidity and the plants themselves. Complex structures with specially designed irrigation systems had to be installed to hold and water the plants. Building a vertical garden was not for the faint of heart. Today, however, several companies offer green wall supplies that make it easy and affordable to build an orchid wall in your own home. Visit justaddice.com to find Just Add Ice Orchids at a store near you.
Photo: SJ Rozan
Posted by Just Add Ice Orchids... It's Just That Simple. on Mon, May 07, 2012
Phalaenopsis orchids obtain moisture and nutrients from their potting medium through plant roots. Orchids are typically potted in loose, coarse fir bark mixed with other organic materials such as sphagnum peat and moss. Light, coarse and airy, such materials provide the rapid drainage and beneficial root aeration that Phalaenopsis orchids require.
Why Repot Your Orchid?
Over time, organic materials break down. As particles become small, finer and more tightly packed, the growing medium is unable to supply the orchid with sufficient nutrition. Air is no longer able to circulate around the orchid’s roots properly. Worst of all, fine, silty soils retain more water; enveloping orchid roots in perpetual moisture, which can quickly lead to root rot and/or the development of fungal disease.
As a general rule of thumb, Phalaenopsis orchids should be repotted every one to two years. Inspect your orchid plant periodically. Look carefully at the texture of the potting medium. If it appears to be breaking down or compacting, it’s time to repot. To check for excess moisture accumulation, remove the clear plastic grower pot from the decorative pot and inspect the plant’s roots. Healthy Phalaenopsis orchid roots should be a healthy green color. If roots look brown or soft, they are drowning in too much water. Roots that have turned a grayish-white are not receiving enough water.
Healthy Orchid Roots
New Phalaenopsis orchid owners often mistake the plants natural, tangled growing pattern as a sign that their orchid is pot-bound and in need of repotting. As long as roots are loosely twisting and overlapping – the normal growth pattern for moth orchids – you can wait to repot. Tightly tangled roots indicate that your orchid needs repotting. Repotting every year or two will provide your orchid with the nutrients it needs to flourish and bloom.
Posted by Just Add Ice Orchids... It's Just That Simple. on Fri, May 04, 2012
Mother’s Day is the perfect opportunity to show your mom how thankful you are for her love and devotion. Give her something beautiful and personal: a one-of-a-kind orchid!
Supplies:
- Just Add Ice Orchid
- 1 can of chalk board spray paint
- 1 5” terra cotta pot
- chalk
Directions:
- Use spray paint directions, lightly coat terra cotta pot with one layer of paint
- Repeat until desired darkness
- Let dry overnight
- Write a Mother’s Day message with the chalk
Posted by Just Add Ice Orchids... It's Just That Simple. on Wed, May 02, 2012
When you bring an orchid home from the store, it is planted in a specially mixed orchid growing medium created specifically for the grower. However, orchids will thrive in any of the commercial orchid potting media sold at retailers and garden centers. As long as the product states that it is specifically formulated for orchids, you can use it to repot your orchid.
Creating Your Own Media
Orchid-growing media can be created by blending any number of different organic materials. Phalaenopsis orchids can be planted in quite a wide variety of materials, including fir bark, sphagnum peat, tree fern, charcoal, sphagnum moss, perlite, coconut husk chips, diatomite or any mixture of these materials. Coarse-cut materials are generally used to promote proper root aeration, water and nutrient retention, and root drainage. Stability, weight, consistency and cost are other considerations when mixing orchid potting media.
Other Media Options
Some orchid hobbyists enjoy experimenting with different potting materials and mixing their own orchid media. Every orchid grower seems to have his own ideas about what makes the perfect orchid potting mix. For example, horticulturalists at the University of Tennessee recommend a Phalaenopsis potting mix that is 3 parts fir bark, 1 part perlite and 1 part chopped sphagnum moss. Texas A&M University botanists, however, say their Phalaenopsis orchids thrive best in a potting mix that is 80% fir bark and 20% coarse sphagnum peat.
Because bark and other organic potting materials break down over time and become less proficient at providing the water and nutrients Phalaenopsis orchids need to survive, Just Add Ice Orchids should be repotted in fresh orchid growing medium every one to two years. For instructions on how to repot your Just Add Ice Orchid, watch the orchid care video on our website.
Posted by Just Add Ice Orchids... It's Just That Simple. on Mon, Apr 30, 2012
When we asked Just Add Ice Orchid owners to rate their satisfaction with their orchid purchase, we were pleased to receive an overwhelmingly positive response. But we were blown away by just how much our orchid owners love the beautiful Phalaenopsis orchids. Our recent 2012 Consumer Survey found that not only did 86% of Just Add Ice Orchid owners rate their experience as “excellent” or “good,” but the majority of people who had purchased Just Add Ice Orchids or who had received them as a gift said they would be likely to purchase more.
Fan Mail
We frequently get letters from people who received their first Just Add Ice Orchid as a gift and have become fans of our easy-care orchids like Shelley G. who wrote:
“I've been into gardening for a long time—indoor plants; have always loved orchids but was afraid I'd kill them with kindness. Since JAI has come, it's like a light-bulb moment for me. I'm having fun and being successful with my orchids. I can never imagine my life or home without greenery in my life.”
Gloria B. echoed the view of many first time owners when she wrote, “I thought it was complicated growing orchids. Just Add Ice Orchids makes it simple and easy. Thank you!"
You’re welcome, Gloria. Just Add Ice Orchids are bred to be hardy and thrive with little care. Just water your orchid with 3 ice cubes once a week, give your orchid plenty of indirect light, keep it out of drafts and fertilize it once a month during its dormant stage and you could share the experience of CSF who sent us this message:
“Just a note -- my JAIO plant is 2 years old and is blooming for the 3rd time -- 9 blossoms!!! I LOVE IT!!!!!!!!!"
Let us know what you think about your orchids in the comments below.
Posted by Just Add Ice Orchids... It's Just That Simple. on Fri, Apr 27, 2012
Time Magazine just published its annual list of “The 100 Most Influential People in the World” and Phalaenopsis orchids appear to have made the cut! Tucked amongst thoughtful profiles of world leaders, business moguls and cultural icons, Phalaenopsis orchids make their splendid debut on page 134 of Time’s April 30, 2012 special issue on the world’s most notable movers and shakers.
Featured in an arresting photo of Portia Simpson Miller, the Prime Minister of Jamaica, the stunningly beautiful orchids command immediate attention. Spilling out of an oriental ceramic pot, more than half a dozen arcing sprays of fuchsia-colored orchids stand out against a wall of white draperies. The deep red of the prime minister’s Chanel-inspired suit is reflected in the flowers’ reddish throats, creating an effect that is both classy and classic. With petals ranging in hue from a delicate, soft pink to an intensely saturated, nearly purple hue, the arrangement of orchids displays the delightful color variety that has helped make Phalaenopsis orchids America’s most popular orchid.
While we, of course, realize that Time’s inclusion of Phalaenopsis orchids in the photo is most likely a product of the prime minister’s good taste and the photographer’s eye for arresting composition, this photo of Phalaenopsis orchids is the only photo in the entire issue that features plants or flowers. Draw your own conclusions, but we’re comfortable thinking that, even if inadvertently, Time recognized Phalaenopsis orchids as worthy of being included among the best of the best!
For complete information about Phalaenopsis orchids and their care, visit the Just Add Ice Orchids website.
Photo: Time Magazine