Professionals & Cons — Empress of Dust
It appears like a gimmick—dropping ice cubes into your houseplant pots as a substitute of utilizing a watering can. However this quirky technique has been round for over 50 years, and for some folks, it’s a go-to approach—particularly for watering orchids.
So, is it a good suggestion? Is it protected for all of your crops? Let’s have a look at the historical past, what the consultants say, and what science has to supply. You can even discover further houseplant watering suggestions right here.
Watering With Ice Cubes
The earliest mainstream mentions of watering houseplants with ice cubes date again to the Nineteen Sixties. One title that stands out within the origin story is Thalassa Cruso—a British-American gardening professional, tv character, and bestselling writer. She had a preferred gardening present within the U.S. and was a frequent visitor on The Tonight Present with Johnny Carson.
In her gardening e-book, Making Issues Develop: A Sensible Information for the Indoor Gardener (1969), Cruso wrote:
“To keep away from a day by day cascade of water down your sleeve from holding a watering can overhead, attempt utilizing ice cubes straight from the ice bucket. Put them like a diamond necklace across the rim of the pot. They are going to dissolve slowly and the soil will soak up the moisture evenly, and people maddening drips will likely be averted. Additionally, it doesn’t matter what you concern, the ice cubes won’t harm the crops.”
Again then, houseplants usually hung from the ceiling in macramé hangers. Ornamental, sure, however difficult to water with out making a multitude. Cruso’s tip to easily drop in a couple of ice cubes on the soil floor made the job simpler and much much less susceptible to spills. Nonetheless, not everybody was satisfied it was finest for the crops.
Early Skepticism
By the Seventies, ice dice watering was being dismissed by some gardening writers as a fad and even harmful.
Frances Tenenbaum, in 1974, identified the restrictions, joking that utilizing ice cubes till you get the moisture good would solely go well with somebody having fun with a really lengthy cocktail hour—one thing we’ll circle again to in a second. One other author bluntly known as it a “horticulturally harmful fad.”
Enter the Orchids
Quick-forward to the 2000s, and ice dice watering acquired a second life—this time within the orchid aisle.
A U.S. firm launched “Simply Add Ice” orchids—particularly Phalaenopsis orchids—with a easy pitch: simply add three ice cubes per week. That’s it.
This eliminated the guesswork and nervousness for orchid newbies. No want to fret about over- or under-watering. You can even join weekly electronic mail reminders: It’s ice dice time!
It labored. The product took off—and reignited the controversy.
The Ice Dice Backlash
Tropical plant lovers had been horrified. How might freezing chilly ice cubes probably be good for warm-loving orchids?
Chilly injury in crops is an actual concern, particularly for tropical species. Chilling accidents can happen even at temperatures above freezing. So the thought of dropping literal ice right into a pot sounds counterintuitive—if not downright dangerous.
However Wait—Is There Any Science?
Sure. In 2017, a group from Ohio State College and the College of Georgia revealed a research in HortScience trying into this actual situation.
They examined Phalaenopsis orchids watered with ice cubes and in contrast them to ones watered with room temperature water.
The findings:
- Flowers lasted simply as lengthy in each teams.
- Soil temperatures by no means dropped low sufficient to hurt roots.
- Even roots touching the ice weren’t broken.
- Photosynthetic effectivity stayed the identical.
Briefly: no hurt executed.
They did observe that checking soil moisture (I take advantage of a moisture meter or my finger) and adjusting the variety of ice cubes could be perfect. However as a basic technique, it was high-quality.
Not Everybody’s Satisfied
After all, one research can’t reply every part.
Critics identified that:
- The research lasted simply 5 months (what about long-term results?).
- It solely examined Phalaenopsis orchids—presumably all a sure (small) dimension and no different orchid species or houseplants.
- The orchids got here from Inexperienced Circle Growers, the corporate behind Simply Add Ice, which raises questions on neutrality.
That doesn’t imply the outcomes are invalid, nevertheless it’s truthful to say we nonetheless don’t know every part.
Is It a Good Concept for Different Houseplants?
Probably—however we don’t have any analysis on that.
Completely different crops have completely different root techniques and rising media. What works for bark-based orchid combine could not translate to your pothos, monstera, or lemon tree in potting soil.
Considerations about chilly publicity apart, when you’ve got houseplants now you realize their water wants differ.
Utilizing the identical “three ice cubes per week” rule for all houseplants is wishful considering. Simply consider how a lot water you employ now to totally water your crops and what the equal could be in ice cubes. That’s numerous ice cubes! And would the melted ice even penetrate deeper roots?
So… Ought to You Use Ice Cubes?
Right here’s the brief model—for one thing like a small potted orchid? Possibly. All the things else? No.
Professionals:
- Handy and simple for freshmen.
- Reduces threat of overwatering.
- Helps keep away from spills—nice for hanging baskets.
- Confirmed protected (to this point) for small Phalaenopsis orchids.
Cons:
- Not studied for different crops or potting mixes.
- Could not ship water evenly.
- Might doubtlessly hurt roots in delicate species.
- Excessive threat of underwatering—many houseplants profit from a deep, thorough watering.
- Impractical for bigger pots: it will take many trays of ice cubes!
It appears ice cubes don’t hurt Phalaenopsis orchids the way in which some as soon as feared, however that doesn’t imply we are able to merely toss a couple of cubes on each houseplant and name it a day. Houseplant care is extra nuanced and wishes change with the seasons—even indoors.
Our Verdict
If watering with ice cubes simplifies look after small orchids—nice—nevertheless it shortly will get impractical for different houseplants.
For instance, I take advantage of 2 cups (500 ml) for my little lemon tree (8 inch pot) every time I water. That will be 16 ice cubes for only one plant! I additionally checked how lengthy it takes for one ice dice to soften and it’s about 3 hours—and with the necessity so many ice cubes I’d have so as to add them in shifts. So no time financial savings there both. Appears simpler to only water them as traditional.
If hanging pots are exhausting to succeed in, an excellent watering can with a extremely lengthy, slender neck is my prime choose. And, as inconvenient as it may be, an excellent sturdy mini step ladder with sturdy hand helps could also be required to entry hanging crops.
Long run, it actually helps to know what your crops want. The following pointers present methods to create a customized houseplant care plan to streamline every part.
Assets
- Cruso, Thalassa. Making Issues Develop: A Sensible Information for the Indoor Gardener (1969)
- Tenenbaum, Frances. Nothing Grows for You?: A Brown-Thumb Information to Home Crops (1974)
- HortScience journal: “Ice Dice Irrigation of Potted Phalaenopsis Orchids” (2017)
- Simply Add Ice orchids (justaddiceorchids.com)
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