Savvy Secrets-Ice Watering

The question of whether or not you can reliably water your orchid plants with ice cubes is a good one. We did some research and here’s what we found out.

Anyone who owns even one orchid knows the challenge it can be to keep your plant heathy and happy, not giving it either too much water OR just as bad, too little. We have heard of the idea of using ice cubes to water your house plants, especially orchids, but did some research to see if this was a good idea particularly because orchids are tropical plants native to warm weather and probably warmer water. Here is what we found in Better Homes & Gardens:

Researchers at The Ohio State University and the University of Georgia have done studies to definitively answer the question: can I water my orchid with ice cubes? They set up an experiment comparing moth orchids (Phalaenopsis) watered with three ice cubes once a week to a controlled group and another group was 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. 

How to Water Orchids with Ice 

Rather than drenching your orchid’s pot, then allowing excess water to drain out, simply place 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 will 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.

Thank you Better Homes & Gardens for that very Savvy Secret!