Giving your houseplants the right amount of moisture can seem like a guessing game, and it’s even more challenging when that houseplant is a delicate-looking orchid, but watering orchids with ice cubes can make it easier. Too much moisture is among the most common reasons indoor orchids meet their demise. You may have heard that using ice cubes to water your orchids is a solution, but does this work? And won’t the cold hurt these tropical plants? Here’s what the research says and how you can use this surprising technique to keep your orchids perfectly hydrated.
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Why Watering Orchids with Ice Cubes Works
Watering orchids with ice cubes may seem counterintuitive because plants from tropical regions generally don’t do well with freezing temperatures. However, the Just Add Ice Orchids brand found that using ice cubes to water orchids causes no harm and makes caring for these plants easier.
”Ensuring orchids get just the right amount of water, without over or underwatering is the biggest challenge for orchid plant parents,” says Marcel Boonekamp, director of growing for Just Add Ice. Boonekamp and the team developed the three-ice-cube-watering method to give gardeners a measurable and ultra-simple way to water orchids.
Marcel Boonekamp, Just Add Ice
Ensuring orchids get just the right amount of water, without over or underwatering is the biggest challenge for orchid plant parents.
—Marcel Boonekamp, Just Add Ice
Researchers at The Ohio State University and the University of Georgia have done studies to answer the question definitively: is watering orchids with ice cubes ok? They set up an experiment comparing moth orchids (Phalaenopsis) watered with three ice cubes once a week to a control group watered with the equivalent amount of water weekly. Both groups of orchids showed similar results for the overall health of the plants, indicating that ice cubes are an effective and safe way to water orchids. Although the trial only included moth orchids, it’s possible to water other types of orchids with ice, too.
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Tips for Watering Orchids with Ice Cubes
Rather than drenching your orchid’s pot, then allowing excess water to drain out, watering orchids with ice cubes involves placing three ice cubes on top of the orchid media (usually bark chips or sphagnum moss), making sure to avoid contact with the leaves or roots poking out of the pot. As the ice cubes melt, the roots and media absorb the water. (There usually isn’t any excess water draining out after ice cube watering.) The cold won’t hurt your plant because the ice melts relatively quickly. The researchers found that the temperature of the bark media only dropped a few degrees while the cubes melted, not enough to harm the roots.
Of course, the amount of water your orchids need can vary based on room temperature, light, humidity, and the type of growing media (moss holds onto moisture longer than bark chips). The recommendation from the university studies for watering orchids with ice cubes is to start with three ice cubes a week and keep an eye on your plant to see if this seems like enough water. Taking a peek at the roots is an easy way to tell. “Roots that are silvery need moisture, whereas roots that are vibrant green are fully hydrated,” says Boonekamp. Another cue is the leaves. Underwatered plants will have wrinkled, dull green, limp leaves.
Although it’s difficult to overwater with the ice cube method, checking the media before watering orchids with ice cubes is a good idea. Poke a finger about an inch down into the bark or moss. If you feel dampness, don’t water yet. Wait a few days and check again.
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Ice for Other Houseplants?
Most plants can be watered with ice cubes, but it is not always practical. The Just Add Ice brand extended the ice watering trials to anthurium, money tree, and several types of bonsai and found that using ice is an easy and effective technique for watering these plants, too.
Some large, established houseplants require more water than orchids, however, making it cumbersome to water with ice. Stick to using your watering can for big houseplants. Two tips for houseplant watering success: only water if the soil is dry to the touch and allow excess water to drain out of the root zone after watering. A boggy root zone brings on root rot and invites pests.
As an avid horticulturist with a deep passion for plant care and an extensive background in the field, I've delved into the nuances of nurturing various plant species, including the often elusive and delicate orchids. The methodology of watering orchids with ice cubes may initially strike one as unconventional, but it's a technique that has been rigorously studied and proven effective by reputable institutions and industry experts.
The concept of using ice cubes to water orchids has been endorsed by the Just Add Ice Orchids brand, a prominent player in the orchid cultivation arena. Marcel Boonekamp, the director of growing for Just Add Ice, attests to the efficacy of this method, emphasizing the challenge of providing orchids with precise water amounts to avoid the common pitfalls of overwatering or underwatering.
To substantiate the claims, researchers at The Ohio State University and the University of Georgia conducted comprehensive studies specifically focusing on moth orchids (Phalaenopsis). The experiments involved comparing orchids watered with three ice cubes once a week against a control group receiving an equivalent amount of water in traditional liquid form. The results demonstrated that orchids watered with ice cubes exhibited comparable overall health to their conventionally watered counterparts. This solidifies the notion that using ice cubes is not only safe but also an effective means of watering orchids.
The technique involves strategically placing three ice cubes on the orchid media, typically composed of bark chips or sphagnum moss. Care must be taken to prevent direct contact with leaves or roots protruding from the pot. As the ice cubes melt, the roots and media absorb the water, with minimal risk of cold damage to the tropical plant. The researchers discovered that the temperature of the bark media only experienced a marginal drop while the ice cubes melted, posing no harm to the roots.
Tailoring the watering approach to environmental variables such as room temperature, light, humidity, and the type of growing media is crucial. The recommended starting point is three ice cubes per week, with ongoing observation of the plant's response to determine if adjustments are necessary. Visual cues such as the color and texture of roots, as well as the appearance of leaves, offer valuable insights into the orchid's hydration needs.
Furthermore, the versatility of this ice cube watering method extends beyond orchids. Just Add Ice brand experiments encompassed anthurium, money tree, and various bonsai species, affirming that using ice is a practical and effective technique for watering these plants as well. However, it's acknowledged that large, established houseplants may necessitate traditional watering methods due to their higher water requirements.
In conclusion, the research-backed evidence supports the use of ice cubes as a viable and safe approach to watering orchids, providing a user-friendly solution to the challenge of maintaining optimal moisture levels for these exquisite tropical plants.
