Well, first thing's first: Miracle gro makes a lot of great products, but I don't use any of their products for my orchids. I have also found that, in general, fertilizer stakes don't seem to work as well as using a liquid fertilizer. I used the miracle gro stakes for my african violets and switched to the liquid fertilizer when I realized that they weren't actually doing anything for the plants. I think the fertilizer stakes just don't dissolve the way they're supposed to, particularly if they've been on the shelf for a while.
Love that orchid pot! I cleared Lowe's out of those last week when I saw them go on clearance! I line them with a clear plastic slotted pot of some kind (usually a recycled venti starbucks cup that I cut holes in. Just don't do this with a box cutter, I ended up with stitches over that one.)
As far as watering goes, apply the skewer method. Insert a bamboo skewer into the center of the medium and leave it there. Check it when the exposed roots look silvery, instead of like a green bean (you do have some exposed roots, right?). If it's damp, put it back and check again in a couple of days. If it's dry, time to water.
The ice cube method isn't how I do things. It doesn't make sense to me to drip ice cold water on plants that grow in tropical climates. I think you should probably start with this thread right here:
http://www.orchidboard.com/community...ends-here.html
Also:
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