Ice Cubes??

I was watching Home Matters tonight, and they said that you can put ice cubes in plants. It is supposed to be a less messy way to water, and it keeps the soil most longer.

Now this will not be the way I always water my plants, but I'm going on vacation next week, and I was wondering if this ice cube trick would be easier than getting someone to water while I'm gone. Has anyone ever tried this?

Well, I told my husband about the icecube tip, and he told me that, here in Tx, the ice would be completely melted too fast, and if I put too much, it might be too cold for the plant. So, as planned in the first place, my niece will be watering my plants while I'm gone.

Jdee,
If you want to water your houseplants while away you can set most of the pots down in the bath tub and water them throughly. Then close the shower curtain or door, they should stay moist enough depending on the type of plant,until you return. You can also put a bucket, bowl or bottle of water close to the plants and then take lengths of yarn and tuck down into the potting soil and put the other end down into the container of water. It's like wick watering African Violets.

You can aslo water your plants throughly and place a clear or white plastic bag over them that helps cut down on their water needs, too.If they are out side be sure to leave some ventilation and don't place them in the sun.

That should keep them from being too dry.
Have a great vacation!

MsC

I thought the ice-cube thing was just for plants that needed a "cold snap" to flower--such as X-Mas cactuses........

I may be wrong....Gitagal

You could also get a 5-gallon bucket and an old cotton sheet and do some 'wicking' ie fill the bucket with water, tear the old sheet into 1" strips long enough to reach from the plant to the bucket. Poke the strips of sheeting into the plant, place the 'tail/strip' in the bucket of water, and forget it. The water should last a couple of weeks, depending upon how many plants you have and how dry your home is.

The ice cubes work good on hanging baskets that are too full of dirt. I just throw a half dozen large cubes in and they slowly melt and the baskets don't owerflow. I will have to try adding some miricle grow to the water before freezing. LOL!

Great idea....a Miracle Gro popsicle! lolol

Good to know, about the hanging baskets. They need the most water it seems, and hold the least without spilling over (hmm....could those two facts be connected...)

Yes, and every year I say I will not put to much dirt in them!!!

They do seem to dry out fast, don't they? I've started getting the self watering pots, which confuses me. If most plants don't like to have wet feet, they how come they make pots that have a little resevoir at the bottem that needs to be filled with water? So far, they work, but I still don't understand why. I guess I'm just rambling now. lol

LoL Jdee I ask the DH the same question and he just looked at me like I was a idiot...which means he didn't know the answer either! :*G*

lol!

My guess would be that the water is drawn up fm the reservoir into the soil as the soil needs it, rather than sitting in a pool of mud in the bottom of the soil even if the soil is already saturated.... ?

A couple of weeks ago I picked up some misters for hanging baskets, from Lee Valley Tools - along with various other hoses and mysterious-looking attachments, for keeping my front beds & hanging baskets watered. Haven't hooked the system up yet though - it was a brief flurry of motivation and enthusiasm that has now been temporarily overtaken by everyday life. Maybe next weekend. :-)

Shannon