How to Grow Ice Plants USA

At a Glance

Quick Facts

Factor	Value
Drainage	Prefers well-drained soil (PFAF); tolerates light/sandy, medium/loamy or heavy/clay soils, mildly acid to mildly alkaline, and genuinely saline conditions -- PMC: irrigation up to 35 dS/m (roughly seawater salinity) showed no adverse effect on biomass.
Edible parts	leaves, stems

Growth Stages

Stage	BBCH	Notes
Sowing under glass	0	PFAF: sow in spring under glass, only just covering the seed. Seedlings are prone to damping off, so avoid overwatering and keep them in a very sunny, well-ventilated position.
Pricking out and transplanting	2	PFAF: prick out seedlings into individual pots once large enough to handle, and do not plant out until all risk of frost has passed -- the plant "will be killed even by a light frost."
Establishment and growth	3	PFAF: grow on in full sun -- "cannot grow in the shade" -- in well-drained soil; genuinely tolerant of poor and even saline ground once established. PMC: independently confirms strong salt tolerance, with irrigation up to 35 dS/m (roughly seawater strength) showing no adverse effect on biomass.
Harvest	8	PFAF: pick the thick, succulent leaves and stems through summer as needed, eaten raw or cooked as a spinach substitute. First frost ends the season for this half-hardy annual.

Harvest & Storage

When to pick: PFAF: pick leaves and stems as needed once plants are established and growing strongly through summer -- they are thick and succulent with a slightly salty tang, best used while young and crisp.

Storage

Best eaten fresh, as for other tender succulent salad leaves; PFAF also notes the leaves can be pickled.

Diseases

Damping-off (seedling collapse)

Rhizoctonia solani

Damping-off (seedling collapse at soil line); Wilting with chlorotic, dropping leaves

PFAF: young ice plant seedlings are prone to damping off -- avoid overwatering and keep seedlings in a sunny, well-ventilated position.

Root rot (unspecified)

PFAF: young plants are also prone to root rot; the pathogen is not specified, so kept as a generic entry rather than a fabricated species.

Sources

1. PMC (peer-reviewed journal, hosted by NCBI/National Library of Medicine) - Growth parameters, phytochemicals, and antitumor activity of wild and cultivated ice plants (Mesembryanthemum crystallinum L.)

   Controlled cultivation trial (soilless system, LED lighting, growth chambers) comparing wild (Almeria, Spain, coastal) and cultivated ice plant. Salinity: three nutrient-solution electrical conductivity levels tested (3.0, 4.0, 6.0 dS/m); separately reports that irrigation solutions of up to 35 dS/m had no adverse effect on biomass production, demonstrating strong halophyte tolerance. Temperature: plants grown at a constant 68-72°F (20-22°C). Light: LED lamp type affected biomass, with horticultural-spectrum lamps (NS1, AP67 Valoya) outperforming standard white LED. Yield: fresh plant mass 124-138g per plant depending on treatment, higher under higher salinity. Growing window: cultivation ran between May and July 2022 (about 2-3 months). Edible use: leaves described as having a "crispy, salty, and slightly sour flavor," eaten raw in salads, used to season seafood, or cooked. No pest or disease information given (a controlled-environment study, not an open-field/garden account).

These source is specific to this region. The full list of 2 sources behind this guide (Plants For A Future (PFAF), PMC (peer-reviewed journal, hosted by NCBI/National Library of Medicine)) is in the references of our UK guide to ice plants; they describe the plant itself, which is the same wherever it grows.