The myth:
You can water your phal by placing 3 ice cubes on top of the mix once a week.
Like most myths, there is a tiny bit of truth lurking in the background. I usually hear the ice cube myth in reference to phals and cymbidiums. Most of the commonly grown cymbidiums do require a cool autumn in order to initiate flowering, and the general rule of thumb to get a phal to flower is to give it a dirunal (day/night) temp drop of 10-15F in the autumn. So someone thinks, "Geee, ice cools things down so if I put ice on my orchids it will make them flower."
The problems with this line of reasoning are many: 1) a few ice cubes can not a seasonal change make, 2) the ice cube method I've been hearing lately - things like what CharliesAngels heard, 3 ice cubes once a week - don't seem to relate at all to any of the bloom triggers of cymbids or phals - a once a week shock of icy water versus a seasonal change in temperatures, 3) ice cubes don't mimic any of the natural conditions a species phal or cymbid might encounter in the wild. Phals come mostly from trpoical areas where they'd rarely if ever get an icy rain, 4) The amount of water in 3 ice cubes isnt' nearly enough to adequately water a phal, especially a larger one, and doesn't take into consideration the environmental conditions that affect watering frequency.
Another problem arises with respect to water volume. Another orchidgeek member raised the question when they posted:
Quote:
Originally Posted by CulpableCaptive  Ice cubes come in different sizes and would therefore total up to a different amount (cc’s or ounces) of water. Pot size and plant size vary as well. ... Three ice cubes on a three inch pot is a lot more water than 3 ice cubes on a 6 or 8 inch pot, holding a plant three times as large. |
Three of your average size ice cubes is approximately 100ml or about 1/3 cup. This is simply not adequate for weekly watering for the vast majority of orchids commonly found in home hobby collections.
Conclusion:
Myth Busted
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If you'd like to comment on this myth or if you have an orchid myth you'd like me to examine, please PM me through the forum.