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7 Orchid Care Tips to Keep Your Just Add Ice Orchid Healthy

November 28, 2011

Phalaenopsis orchids are easy to grow and require only minimal care. Even if you’ve never owned a houseplant or tried your hand at gardening, you can successfully grow Just Add Ice Orchids by following these 7 simple orchid care tips:

  1. Water. To water Just Add Ice Orchids, place 3 ice cubes in the orchid’s pot once a week. Phalaenopsis orchids require well-drained soil. Too much water is the primary cause of orchid failure. Overwatering can cause deadly root rot, fungus and other diseases. Stick to your weekly ice cube watering schedule and your Just Add Ice Orchid will thrive.
  2. Light. Never expose your Just Add Ice Orchid to direct sunlight. An overdose of harsh light can burn the plant’s leaves; however, Just Add Ice Orchids do need plenty of indirect light to flourish. Orchids that receive too little light will not flower.
  3. Temperature. Just Add Ice Orchids enjoy the same temperature range as their human owners. Phalaenopsis orchids like nighttime temperatures to be slightly lower than daytime temperatures. Daytime temperatures between 65 and 80 degrees F. and nighttime temperatures of 60 to 70 degrees are ideal.
  4. Humidity. Phalaenopsis orchids are tropical plants that do best in humidity between 55 and 75%. You may need to increase room humidity during the winter.
  5. Fertilize. Fertilize your orchid once or twice a month with a half-strength solution of 20-20-20 plant fertilizer. Don’t water your orchid on the weeks it is fertilized.
  6. Maintenance. Remove spent blooms and dried stems with clean, sharp scissors. Inspect your orchid weekly for pests and orchid diseases.
  7. Repotting. After it has finished blooming, your Just Add Ice Orchid should be repotted once a year to replace degraded growing medium.

You’ll find more orchid care tips and helpful orchid care videos on the Just Add Ice Orchids website.

Photo credit: Galileo55