Search icon

Style

23rd May 2021

Plants forever dying? Here’s how an ice cube might just keep them alive for longer

Trine Jensen-Burke

keeping plants alive

Houseplants are pretty much the trendiest things you can have in your home right now.

The problem? Well, quite a lot of us lack the famous green thumb when it comes to keeping all those plants alive once we bring them from the garden centre and into our living rooms.

The biggest problem? Over-watering. Yup, that’s right. It would seem that in a bid to keep our greenery alive, the majority of us are too keen when it comes to watering, resulting in total and utter houseplant demise.

But chillax, ladies, the solution resides in your freezer.

Instead of using a watering can, which can easily result in your plant getting too much water, try placing a large ice cube (or a few small ones) on the soil once a week.

It might not sound like it will work, but green-thumbed bloggers like Jillian at I Am a Homemaker and Elise of Enjoy It both say the slow-melting ice gives roots and dirt enough time to absorb the water properly, without risking drowning your precious plants.

Apparently, this method is especially great for hard-to-reach specimens (like hanging plants) and orchids, because their roots need to be well-drained, without any water pooling at the bottom.