Found a weird trick for waking up dormant orchid roots

I had this phalaenopsis orchid that just wouldn't grow new roots for like 4 months after I repotted it. The leaves were still firm but the old roots were all mushy and dead. Spent $12 on a rooting hormone powder and some fancy orchid bark mix but nothing worked. Then my neighbor who grows prize winning orchids told me to try putting a single ice cube on the top of the bark every morning instead of watering normally. Felt like total BS because everyone says ice kills orchids but I was desperate so I tried it for 2 weeks straight. To my shock tiny green root nubs started popping out of the stem near the base. Think the gradual meltwater tricked the roots into thinking it was rainy season or something. Has anyone else tried weird watering methods that turned out to work for stubborn plants?

2 comments

2 Comments

tyler6141mo ago

Bro so ice cube magic is your fix, wild.

webb.jordan1mo agoTop Commenter

Dude I literally froze a whole water bottle last night and dropped it in my coffee this morning haha.