I finally got my African violets to bloom again with an ice cube trick

Last month I started watering my violets with an ice cube once a week instead of pouring water in, and three of them popped up new flowers after like two years of nothing. Has anyone else tried this with other finicky houseplants or am I just getting lucky?

2 comments

2 Comments

umasullivan28d ago

Wait, you put an ICE CUBE directly on the soil? That is CRAZY. I always thought African violets hated cold water and would get all shocked and drop their leaves. How is that even possible without the plant curling up and dying on you? I've got a couple of stubborn ones that haven't bloomed in forever, but I'm way too scared to try this. Maybe you just got super lucky, OR your violets are just tougher than mine.

wyattbennett28d ago

Huh, I actually have to push back a little on the cold water thing. In my experience, it's more about shocking the roots with a big temperature swing than the cold itself, and an ice cube melts slowly enough that the water warms up as it soaks in. I've been trying it with a couple of my own violets for a few months now, and they haven't dropped a single leaf or curled up. Your mileage may vary, but I think the "hates cold water" rule might be a bit overstated for this specific method.