Ice cubes?

Just heard about people watering their orchids with ice cubes. Quick Google says good idea, bad idea (of course.) Anyone here doing this? Gene

Lots of people do this but I never had. The premise is that it prevents overwatering, nothing else. For smaller orchids in smaller pots, this would work just fine. However, when the plant gets large and/or the pot is greater than 6" diameter, this becomes somewhag impractical. Also, because of the way phal roots may grow over the top of the planting media and even over their own leaves, the ice cube watering would not work. After all, the roots are what needs the moisture and I don't think any orchid would like an ice cube sitting directly on its roots and/or leaves.

Why haven't I ever used ice cubes for watering? I have approximately 500 orchids. I don't have enough ice cubes! LOL

Ken in Mississippi

Sorry to say that I have no orchids. I'm afraid that once I got started, I might wind up with 500. LOL. Have about 1300 house plants under lights right now as it is. I'll bet the ice cube thing is for newbies who got a small orchid and have no idea about watering. This time of the year I am putting out bowls of water for my outdoor cats. They don't drink it all, rest freezes. I wind up with a large ice cube. Can't imagine using it for myself but thought it was a waste just to let it go down the drain. Been putting them into pots of larger plants. Which does not alter my regular watering schedule. Gene

Everyone needs at least ONE nice orchid, Gene! Do you have staghorn ferns and fiddle leaf ficus?

In the spring, do you put a bunch of your plants outside and then bring them back in in the fall?

Ken, way down south, where it is freezing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yes, they all get a nice summer vacation outdoors. No ferns. Lots of Sansevierias. Cold is a very relative term. We are having a colder than normal winter so far. Gene

When it gets down in the teens in the deep south, with wind chills in the single digits or less, it is cold. We have had far more days of temperatures in the 20's, teens, and single digits than I can ever remember, and I have lived in the deep south for 70 years. Global warming, I guess.

All my plants, other than landscape plants, are tropical. Thus, they all have to be brought inside, either into my two greenhouses or enclosed back porch, in November. Generally the vast majority of them will go back outside in March/April, depending on predicted low temperatures. The only plants that stay "inside" are my "baby" orchids, newly potted-up seedlings started from plugs, or vegetable seedlings started from seeds. Ultimately everything is outside, either large oak trees or in the ground (vegetables), other than the baby orchids.

Check out my website to see what I grow.

Ken

OK, what is your web site address?

I will D-Mail you. The admin. gets on me if I post it here on open forums.

I watched a video on youtube that showed soaking the orchid pot in water for a short time as the watering method. That made a lot more sense to me than ice cubes ever did. My 1 Phal and 2 Oncidium seem to be liking it. The Dendrobium, on the other hand, promptly turned another leaf (of its two leaves) yellow. I think it's probably due for 'death by compost'. I think i could kill it, if not for a tiny new sprout near the base of one of the stems.

Dendrobiums, especially those small, young ones, will often lose their leaves and dtps. will too. Not only that but they may not show a single "viable" root while dormant. During dormancy they need less watering and no fertilizer. When you see new growth, whether top growth or roots, gradually begin to water it a little more frequently and fertilize with 1/4 strength 20-20-20 fertilizer.

I like the "dunking" watering method but really only do that for my orchids that are blooming and are brought inside. I have way too many orchids to do it otherwise. I also do the dunking watering for my larger staghorn ferns during the winter months, when it is too cold to water them outside.

Ken