Ice Orchid

[vanda2020]

Ice Orchid- Masdevallia. Beth Cox watered with ice. Ice has little dissolved solids 5ppm, so pretty pure water. Indoor grower north east window, some morning sun in spring and bright light rest of time. Cool room 45 to 60 degrees in late fall and winter. 85 degrees in summer indoors, outside it can be 95 to over 100 degrees, a semi arid climate. Summer I fill hole at top with ice twice a day to keep orchid cool and once a day place a little ice on the moss to keep moss around plant moist.. Since growing this way I have more thicker leaves and less blemish on leaves. Going to try this on a Dracula next. Only cool cloud orchids do I water with ice never tropical warm growers.

You can see it on Facebook Orchid board. Sandy SA

Do not usually post, but someone asked me too so I did. Pretty proud of this one now if I can get it to bloom. Will post when it does that.

[MattWoelfsen]

Welcome Vanda! Yes, you are going to stir a lot of conversation about using ice to water an orchid! But when you get enough posts (I think you need five) I'd be interested in seeing your plant with bloom.

[katrina]

Just so we're all on the same page...your orchid is a Masdevallia, right? You typed "Masde".

I'm guessing yes on the Masdie because those 45 degree temps would be the death of a phal.

[vanda2020]

I have posted pictures on the orchid boards facebook site. It is growing like a weed. Picture shows two small new growths coming up, and where the leaves were once thinner they are now thicker and not blemished. I love it for real easy to grow ice and go. The only high maintenance is when I have to freshen up moss that is a pain I have to pull old moss and place in new. One thing I am going to try this next time is adding a little crushed packing peanuts to the moss to make it more airy.

The breeding is Masdevallia Avalon Pellegrini x Masdevallia Pixie Shadow. the flowers come out all different colors. It's a very new cross, first registered in 2009.