Please, please -
There is a huge nursery in Oberlin growing Phalaenopsis and selling them everywhere with exactly those instructions. It started out as a sales - gimmick, and we have been trying hard to erase the misconception that this might be a good thing. And now I see it has expanded to other plants as well.
Please forgive me for not responding positive, but I felt I had to speak up.
Ursula

When I accidently drop ice cubes on the floor, I throw it into my houseplants.

I sure do agree with Ursula, watering with ice cubes isn't going to benefit a tropical plant (which most indoor plants are) let alone an orchid.

The shock of ice cold water will certainly slow down the plant's growth, and may actually induce dormancy in some really sensitive plants. Inside your house where your plants are happily growing at 65 to 75 degrees, why would you water them with 32deg. water?

I've used ice cubes to keep some plants cooler in my Florida garden, when the weather warms up too fast in spring. Cool season veggies don't mind the cold water. Hardy perennial plants in containers outdoors might be ok with ice cubes, too, if you wanted to keep them dormant. Aside from that I can't think of another plant I'd ever use them on.

I have used ice cubes before on Phalaenopsis and there has been now harm done. In the process of thawing atop the insulating shredded bark the orchids are potted in the temp does note go down enough to harm the roots. Once the melting point is reached , heat of fusion also raises the ices ambient temperature as it melts and trickles into the media. Orchids have a worldwide distribution and are found in various forms on all continents save Antarctica. To do that some of them have to be a lot more resilient than people give them credit.

Sure, but the orchids that grow in cool climates are not the ones people buy to grow in their houses.

Phalaenopsis, for example, never ever would be exposed to water that cold in their native environment. If you want to grow one for years, and have it stay healthy and bloom you will not use the ice cube method to water it.

I was going to let it go, but:

Malcolmmann - just for clarity's sake, is it
"there has been NOW harm done" ? As you wrote? Or is that a typo?

Heat of fusion? sigh…

Btw we are not discussing the resilience of plants, but we wish to see them thrive, no? Or the distribution of plants/Orchids in tropical or intermediate climates.

And now I truly bow out here, honestly……

I always use tepid water...........