When is the best time to plant ice plant?

Ice vegetable is a new type of vegetable that has appeared in recent years. Many people who love to eat salads to lose weight will eat it cold. The health value of ice vegetable has also been recognized by more and more consumers, and its market prospects are still good. Let’s take a look at when is the best time to plant ice plant?

When is the best time to plant ice plant?

Ice plant is best grown in spring and autumn. Spring planting is usually sown in late March to early April, while autumn planting is in late August to early September. These two time periods can avoid the high temperatures in summer and the severe cold in winter, which is conducive to the growth and development of ice plants.

How to grow ice plant

1. Soil management

Ice plant has high requirements for soil, and needs loose, breathable and moisturizing soil. The soil should be disinfected before planting to avoid heavy metal pollution to ensure the growth environment of ice vegetable.

2. Planting method

Ice plant can be grown in a variety of ways, such as open field cultivation or hydroponics. Hydroponic cultivation can solve the problems of soil continuous cropping obstacles and the inability to plant on land in summer, and realize the year-round production and supply of ice plants.

3. Sowing and seedling raising

Before sowing, soak the seeds in warm water at about 30 degrees for 2-4 hours, and then sow them in the seedling tray or seedling bed. After sowing, cover with a layer of 3-5 mm fine soil and keep the temperature at around 20 degrees to promote germination.

4. Transplanting and planting

When the seedlings grow 4-5 true leaves, they can be transplanted and planted. Avoid damaging the root system when transplanting, and water the plants once after transplanting to help them grow, keeping the temperature at around 25 degrees.

5. Field management

Ice plant likes light and should be grown in a place with sufficient light. The growth temperature should be controlled between 20-30 degrees. In summer, pay attention to shade and avoid the sun to avoid burns from strong sunlight. Ice plant is drought-resistant, so do not water it too much, just keep the soil moist.

6. Harvesting method

Ice plant is generally harvested about two months after sowing, when the side branches reach 15-20cm in length. When harvesting, you should use scissors to harvest from the side branches, and pay attention to low-temperature storage or harvesting in the early morning when the temperature is low to maintain the freshness of the ice plant.

In short, ice plant is cold-resistant but not heat-resistant, and is suitable for planting in spring and autumn. Spring cultivation usually involves sowing and raising seedlings in mid-to-late January, transplanting in late February to early March, and harvesting from April to June. For autumn cultivation, sowing and seedling raising are carried out in mid-to-late August, transplanting is carried out in late September to early October, and harvesting is carried out from November to February of the following year.