"Chilling" Advice - with apologies to Martha Stewart.....
The past few months we have been asked the same question over and over: "Should I be watering my orchids with three ice cubes once a week?"
My reaction, at first, was to curse Martha Stewart under my breath, thinking that she was probably responsible for this mass dissemination of mis-information! Alas, we have since discovered that this brilliant piece of growing advice is, instead, the creation of a large producer and supplier of orchids to the big box stores. My apologies to Martha....
Let's say it's a hot and sunny day. You have been working outside and are feeling a bit lightheaded and dehydrated. What do you do...reach for some ice chips and put them on the tip of your tongue, or drink a big glass of water???
In the wild, most orchids grow on trees with their roots exposed. They require lots of air and lots of moisture. This is why, at Oak Hill, we pot them in a coarse, bark-based mix, which is the best for our climate. The mix holds some moisture while still allowing plenty of air to the root system.
In the home or greenhouse, generally once-a-week watering is required. Running "copious" (that means "a lot", remember?) amounts of water through the pot is necessary to sufficiently wet the media so that the roots can take up water. The plant should never sit in a pool of water, however.
Plants being sold at your local home improvement center or grocery store are often crammed into a small ceramic pot with little or no drainage. If watered thoroughly,as described above, the water would collect in the base of the pot and the roots would rot and die. These plants are usually planted in sphagnum moss, which is a great medium for some commercial greenhouses (with lots of air movement and drainage). However, in most home environments (and our greenhouse, too) this moss soaks up a great deal of moisture in a normal pot and stays wet for an extended length of time. The moss, especially when packed tight, also does not allow much air to the roots, which then become prone to suffocation.
These moss packed big box plants may look great for the first few weeks, and even a month or more. But the improper media and lack of water (three ice cubes? puhleeze!) will eventually manifest itself in the way of a stressed-out plant, and a slow, painful death!
My mother always told me, "If something sounds too good to be true, it probably is".....As Hermann says, "There are no ice cubes in the jungle....." Greg offers, "Save your ice cubes for your vodka and tonic - and if you insist on sharing your ice cubes with your plants, you must share some of your drink, as well....."
Go to your local orchid grower, get a proper bag of potting media, then melt a half a bag of ice cubes before dousing your plant (let the liquid warm up first, ideally).
Use common sense (although sense doesn't seem so common anymore, does it?) when caring for your orchids. When something feels dry, water it. If the hot mid-day sun is shining on it - shade it. If your mix feels heavy, soggy and wet, let it drain and dry out, or repot if necessary. And if you need additional help, ask a real orchid grower; it's what we do, day in, day out, seven days a week, all day long (while waiting for our ice cubes to harden.....)
Enjoy your hobby,
Liese
