A Detailed Guide to the Planting Methods and Key Techniques for Crystal Ice Plant

Ice plant is a fairly common dish in hot pot nowadays, with a smooth texture and rich nutrition, and many friends choose it. So what are the planting methods for crystal ice plant? Let's take a look!

Planting methods for crystal ice plant

First soak the crystal ice plant seeds in warm water and then sow them by dibbling. During sowing, be careful to maintain a good temperature; in low temperatures you can use an insulated box to hold the temperature, and in high temperatures increase ventilation. Once the leaves have grown, you can begin planting out. Do not water too much, and keep the soil moist. The final harvesting work also needs care, and after completion, pre-cooling is carried out.

1. Seed soaking

African ice plant seeds need to be soaked in warm water at 20-30 degrees for 2-4 hours before sowing.

2. Dibbling

Sow one seed in each seedling tray cell, or sow 3 seeds per point at 9 cm intervals. If the covering soil is thick, it will affect germination, so just cover lightly with soil. The key to better germination is that the temperature management after sowing should target around 20 degrees; during low-temperature periods, use an insulated box and so on. If sowing and cultivating in autumn, it may sometimes be affected by high temperatures, and the germination rate will decrease.

3. Planting out

When the leaves have grown to the 4th--5th leaf, about 20—40 days after sowing (varying depending on the cultivation period), it is the suitable time for planting out. Because production areas differ, direct sowing can also be done; to increase the rate of premium-grade produce or for long-term harvesting, seedling cultivation is suitable.

4. Temperature management

Ice plant is suitable at a temperature of 20--30°C, and growth during summer cultivation is sensitive to high temperatures.

5. Watering

Ice plant is relatively drought-tolerant, but when carrying out irrigation, water when the soil surface is dry.

6. Harvesting

At harvest time, use scissors to spread radially and harvest from the side branches about two months after sowing. During transport, because of low-temperature storage or taking advantage of low early-morning temperatures, pre-cooling is carried out after harvesting.