HELP MY ORCHID NOT BLOOMING

[booman5@sympatico.ca]

Hi need help this is my 2nd orchid why am I having problems with them last time my other orchid I was told to give 3 ice cubes once a week and I killed it because too w
Much water now this one i have not growing giving one ice cube a day sooo frustrated why can I not grow these beautiful orchids I can send pic if I am able on this site

[PaphMadMan]

Watering with ice cubes is not a good method for long term orchid health. In warm temperatures it is a short term method to keep people from over-watering, which is the fastest way to kill most orchids, but any instruction that says always do anything can only be correct part of the time.

We need to know what kind of orchid you have to give meaningful advice, and some description of your growing conditions, light, potting media, plant size, how long you've had the plant, etc.

Short general answer on watering that works better than ice cubes in most cases - water heavily enough to moisten all of the potting mix, then do not water again until it is nearly dry in the center of the pot. Some need more or less water than that, but that should be an improvement over the ice cubes until we can figure out specifics for the kind of orchid you have and your conditions.

[camille1585]

I have nothing to add to what's said above (until you give you more information). I just wanted to say that I strongly recommend that you contact one of the forum administrators to change your username. It's not a good idea to use your email address as a username, as it then becomes very public info and you run the risk of getting spammed.

As to photos, you can attach one via the attachment button when creating a new post, but usually new members need 5 posts before being able to post photos. For some people it seems to work immediately though.

[Optimist]

I look at Phalaenopsis orchids as a kind of cactus. Not that it is, of course, but too much water will kill cacti, and it will also kill Phalaenopsis. If a person has difficulty by overwatering, repotting in stones (lecca, or lava) will allow you to water as often as you would like without killing the plant.

Also-- when was the last time it bloomed? How long ago did it last have flowers? They are very slow growers, putting on only one leaf, or one set of leaves per year, and also mostly have only one flower stalk per year (some have more). Mine generally bloom in the spring some time-- several months from now.

So-- it will be a green (no flower) plant until it gives a stalk. The flowers usually stay a good 4 months or so.

[jkofferdahl]

Anyone who tells you to water your orchid with ice is essentially telling you to kill your plant. Think about it - this is a tropical plant which prefers to never be under 65 degrees F, yet you're being told to put ice on it. Frankly, to those for whom that makes sense it's possibly best to try another plant family. Ignore that advice and save the ice for soft drinks. If you search here you'll find several methods which will allow you to actually keep it alive.

Most likely your plant is a Phalaenopsis, since most JUST ADD ICE attrocities are. To really determine what's going on we need to know how much light it gets, at what temperature it grows, the humidity level where it grows, etc. If you could fill us in then I'm sure we can help!

[dounoharm]

I have to use reverse osmosis water on mine, as our tap water here in north texas is like acid....it kills orchids! you might want to consider using bottled water instead of ice cubes....also, get rid of the cache pot so you can see the roots...DO NOT LET YOUR ORCHID SIT IN WATER! put a saucer of small pebbles under the pot.....good luck!

[booman5@sympatico.ca]

Phalaenopsis the potting material looks like wood chips shavings, leaves are green one starting to turn brown no new growth coming wish I could add a photo, the plant gets sun in afternoon not direct sunlight

[camille1585]

Until you have the post count necessary to post photos, you can try adding a photo via this site that someone on OB recently started using to share photos: ImgBB — Upload Image — Free Image Hosting

Upload a photo(s), select bbcode, then copy the link below that into your post.

[Ray]

The thing to focus on is that they roots need more-or-less constant moisture, BUT, they must also have free air circulation around them.