Why the “Just Add Ice” Method is Terrible for Your Orchid

Author: Celeste Booth1 Comment

Care and Culture, Frequently Asked Questions, Growing Indoors

You may have heard about watering your orchid by simply putting an ice cube in the pot. Advocates of this method claim it will save time, give the proper amount of water, and can be done just once a week.

While this might sound like a great, easy way to water your orchid (or heck, all your houseplants!), please reconsider. Most of the orchids we have in our homes naturally grow in warm-hot climates and receive water through rainfall and mist. When you instead water your orchid with a cube of ice, it can shock your orchid’s root system and cause more harm than good.

In the end, giving your orchid water probably takes just as long as grabbing ice out of the freezer. Therefore, if you can choose one method, choose to water your orchid (and the rest of your plants) with tepid water.

For further information on watering orchids, you can find general tips here. More specific care information can be found in our resources section. Simply select the corresponding care sheet for your orchid’s genus.

Note: if you are insistent on using ice for whatever reason, at the very least be sure to put the cubes on the potting substrate, and not on the roots themselves.