Last Updated on March 3, 2022 by Griselda M.
What is the proper ice plant care in winter? Is it easy to grow ice plants in the winter? the ice plant (Delosperma) changes infertile sandy soils in the stone nursery, on the rooftop garden, or along the dry-stone divider into mid-year heaven.
The little lasting doesn’t have any desire to be spoiled for this botanical magnum opus. The accompanying responses to often posed inquiries pass exactly how on to focus on the colder time of year solid ice plant.
The ice plant is a good ground cover. Ice plants come in a variety of colors such as red, white, pink, or purple. By the time it has grown maturely, your growth will look like it is being covered with colorful snow.
Although this plant sounds cool, it doesn’t necessarily mean that it grows only during winter. The main reason why it is named an “ice plant” is because it looks like colored snow covering the ground.
Does The Ice Plant Survive Winter?
For the graceful ice plant, spring is the best season for growing time for ice plant. By the time winter comes, your plant is fully established. In this case, your plant can survive winter.
In any case, select the sunniest location in the garden. Choose sandy, lean, and well-drained soil. If you are in a doubt, you can add sand, grit, or gravel to enhance the coarseness of the soil. Water regularly after planting and over the next few days to encourage the growth of new root growth.
Note that not all ice plants are frost-tolerant. If you have this type of ice plant, you should keep them in pots so you can move them to a bright, frost-free winter area in good time. Cover cold-resistant materials with leaves, straw, or brushwood before winter.
When Should I Cut Back My Ice Plant?
Its lively, vivid blooms on thick and rich foliage make this succulent a ground cover in Sunset Climate Zones 14 to 26. Salt-lenient, an ice plant is even reasonable for beachfront regions. What’s more, to top everything off, it needs little consideration to flourish. In any case, it benefits from a smidgen of pruning to upgrade green development.
1. Prune is an ice plant in the wake of blooming. It regularly blossoms from pre-spring until spring or summer, contingent upon the cultivar.
2. Cut back the plant with a couple of pruning shears, slicing it to a stature that wipes out the spent blossoms. This empowers fuller development and prevents the ice plant from delivering seeds, which is an interaction that utilizations up important energy.
3. Prune dead foliage as it is important to keep an ice plant clean in case it dies back. An ice plant can endure light ice. During winter, the ice plant can die back to the ground, which is why you need to clip the old foliage away. This helps encourage new growth later on when the sun comes back again.
How Cold Can Ice Plants Tolerate?
Ice plants don’t usually live in the winter. Contrary to its name, this plan is succulent and would better thrive in sunny locations. However, in one research a new kind of ice plant in New Mexico was able to survive -25 degrees Fahrenheit. This is by far the hardiest of the succulent plants.
Generally, ice plants can still survive in 0 degrees temperature as long as they have already been established during the summer. Note that ice plants usually bloom from July to September. It is a perennial plant so they come back annually.
If you can’t wait for the star blossoms to appear in your garden. Choose a delosperma congested. This species blooms as early as April but stops flowering in July.
The yellow ice plant or the Sutherland hardy ice plant will also be there. Depending on your region, you should choose the proper type of ice plant so you can see them bloom.
Ice Plant Succulent Care
The degree of winter hardiness of your ice plant depends on the type you are having. Among the common favorites are the Golden Nugget or Peach Star, which are completely frost-proof. Species such as Delosperma cooperi only get through the cold season with good health.
If you have frost-sensitive ice plants we don’t recommend them to be planted on the ground because it would not give you a chance to transfer them during the cold season.
- Delosperma that is cold-sensitive must be planted in pots and relocated indoors during the first frost. You should also give them the following carefully to thrive.
- Cover them with a 20-30 cm layer of leaves and brushwood when winter comes.
- Alternatively, cover your ice plant with garden fleece to keep them warm. Don’t use any foil.
- Remember to remove all winter protection as soon as the winter is over. Otherwise, the condensation under the layer can go way more than the zero-degree mark.
Learn more about How to Care for Ice Plant Succulent?
How Do You Propagate Ice plant?
Now you know the proper ice plant care in winter, you should be able to grow them successfully. Soon, your ice plant will grow wildly and you may not be able to control its growth. In this case, you can start pruning and replanting them.
To propagate, you can cut 10cm of ice plant to allow them to root in a tiny pot. Use poor substrate to encourage root growth. Or you can divide the root ball in spring, which is their growing season. In another case, you can sow the seeds behind glass from February.
It is very easy to propagate ice plants just like any other succulent. If you want to grow ice plants in your home, you can start with the following varieties.
- Golden Nugget
- White nugget
- Purple Ice plant
- Dyer’s Ice plant
