How to Care for Orchids: Ice Cube Watering Specifics
Posted by Just Add Ice Orchids... It's Just That Simple. on Wed, Aug 25, 2010
We aim to make watering your beautiful Phalaenopsis orchid plant simple by helping you remember to Just Add Ice once a week. And we even recommend how much -- 3 ice cubes per week. But as with just about anything, it sounds simple until you get down to actually doing it, and then the questions come up. But once you get the hang of it, you’ll realize how easy it is.
One thing you may find yourself wondering is “what size should the ice cubes be?” since there seems to be no standard size or shape anymore. It should melt down to about a ¼ cup of water. As long as that’s the case, the size of the cube is only an issue if it’s crushed ice. The point of using ice cubes is that they melt slowly – releasing the water in a slow drip. So you don’t want to use anything that will melt quickly.
Some people have very responsibly done research before watering their plant and are confused by recommendations they’ve found elsewhere that say to use only water at room temperature. Here at Just Add Ice Orchids, we love orchids and have tested our theory before offering it to others. We’ve found that those who follow our recommendation meet with orchid success!
Another place where there has been some confusion is if three ice cubes are enough if there is more than one plant in a pot. If you see multiple stems coming from the same plant, three ice cubes is enough. But if you have more than one plant in a pot, you’ll want to give each plant its very own serving of three cubes each.
If you have any questions, be sure to check our Orchid Care Forum!