Oscularia deltoides, commonly known as Pink Ice Plant, is a succulent that’s easy to care for and propagate. It can be grown outdoors or in an indoor potted environment. Providing minimum care requirements will sustain your plant’s health, but adding a bit more attention will allow Oscularia deltoides to flourish.
Oscularia deltoides or Pink Ice Plant will flourish in primarily sunny areas. This plant is drought-tolerant and should be watered only when the soil is dry. Propagation can be accomplished using stem or leaf cuttings.
If you don’t live in the ideal climate for Pink Ice Plants, you can still grow these succulents in containers and add them to your plant collection. This article will discuss how to properly care for Oscularia deltoides and how to make new Pink Ice Plants by propagating their stem and leaf cuttings.
How To Care for Oscularia Deltoides
Oscularia deltoides is a low-growing, succulent ground cover that flowers throughout the summer. The flowers are small and white with purple centers.
It’s a part of the ice plant family and has thick, fleshy, triangular leaves. They are a light green color with a pink tinge on the tips, and they can be up to 5 inches (12 centimeters) across.
Pink Ice Plants are native to South Africa and prefer a similar climate.
Oscularia deltoides is not frost-hardy and should be grown in USDA hardiness zones 9b-11. This plant is also drought-tolerant and does not require much water once established.
One of the best things about owning an Oscularia deltoides is that it has few pests and diseases associated with it. In fact, when grown in a healthy environment with plenty of sunlight and well-draining soil, pests and disease usually do not affect this resilient succulent.
However, overwatering your Pink Ice Plant can result in root rot and should be avoided at all costs.
Ideal Growing Conditions for Pink Ice Plants
This succulent prefers the following growing conditions to stay healthy:
- Sunlight: This beautiful succulent needs 6 to 8 hours of bright light but not long hours of intense heat and humidity with direct sunlight.
- Water: As a drought-tolerant plant, Oscularia deltoides prefer the soil to be moist but not saturated. And it is best to keep the soil on the dry side during the winter months when it goes dormant.
- Soil: It needs well-draining soil with a gritty texture, such as cactus or succulent pre-mixed or your preferred DIY recipe.
- Fertilizer: Ensure your plant has available nutrients by providing fertilizer during the growing season (spring and summer). Fertilizer should be provided once a month. No fertilizer should be provided during cooler temperatures and dormancy (fall and winter).
- Propagation: The Pink Ice Plant can be propagated by dividing the plant or by taking cuttings. The plant can also be propagated from seeds, but this is not recommended because the seeds are difficult to germinate.
How Much Sunlight Does Oscularia Deltoides Need?
Whether indoors or outdoors, Oscularia deltoides prefers long hours (6 to 8 hours) of full sunlight or lightly shaded areas. Pink Ice Plants that are exposed to more direct sunlight produce more vibrant flowers than those planted in shady areas.
Even though this plant is said to adapt to extreme conditions, you may still need to protect your plant while outdoors. Temperature and humidity conditions can change drastically in some areas, which could cause your plants to suffer damage or heat stress.
If you keep your succulent beauty outdoors, bring them indoors when cooler weather hits because they do not tolerate frost.
If you notice signs of distress in your Pink Ice Plant, simply relocate it to an area that receives mostly morning sun and is partially protected during the intense afternoon hours.
Tips for the Best Sunlight Indoors
The Pink Ice Plant is a fantastic addition to your indoor greenery collection and will still thrive when placed in the right areas. The following are excellent tips to keep in mind while finding a spot for your succulent plant:
- Choose an area close to a window that receives the most sunlight throughout the day.
- Keep these plants away from drafty areas, especially during cooler months.
- You may need to move your plant to a new location with more sunlight as the seasons change because the sun’s position and pathway will also change.
- Consider a small grow light for homes with little natural light to keep your succulent happy and healthy.
How To Acclimate Plants Moving From Outdoors to Indoors
If your Pink Ice Plant has been mostly outdoors during the growing season, you’ll want to acclimate it to the indoor environment before the frost comes.
Bring it indoors for part of the day, increasing the amount of indoor time over 1 to 2 weeks. This will prevent an environmental shock that can cause stress to your plants. And a stressed plant is not a happy plant.
When and How To Water Your Pink Ice Plant
Oscularia deltoides should be watered only when the soil is dry. Like other succulent varieties, this plant is prone to root rot when overwatered. So, if the soil is too wet, the roots will rot and may cause the death of your plant.
This plant is drought-tolerant and can go long periods without water. However, watering when needed will help your Oscularia deltoides grow to their full potential. And it will also produce more flowers if it is given regular water during the growing season.
Watering is needed more during warmer months because this plant is very active with growth and flowering. Moderate watering once or twice a week is typical during spring and summer. The watering frequency will slow during cooler months because your plants will enter a dormant state with little to no growth.
But you should always check the soil before watering to prevent over-watering. Do this by poking your finger down to your second knuckle to feel for moistness. If there’s no moist soil, your plant is thirsty.
The bottom-watering method is an excellent way to help prevent over-watering your ‘Pink Ice Plant’ and is highly recommended because of its effectiveness.
Why Bottom-Watering Is Recommended
The bottom-watering method is widely used by succulent and plant owners because it allows the plant only to absorb what it needs. Here are several reasons why you should consider bottom-watering your Oscularia deltoides:
- Consistency: With bottom-watering, the water is evenly distributed around the root system, making it easier for the roots to absorb what it needs without suffocating from anaerobic soil conditions. And because of this consistency, the plant will become stronger with bigger growth. On the other hand, top-watering can create soggy conditions or may not even reach the root system.
- Easy watering method: Bottom watering requires you to place your plants in a tray or saucer filled with water. This way, plants will absorb what they need within about 10 to 15 minutes. Once they’re done, let your plants drain for a bit and place them back in their area.
- Prevents over- or under-watering: The soil acts as a sponge that will soak the amount of water needed, directing it upward to the root system.
- Prevents pests: Because the soil absorbs the water through the planter drainage holes, there’s no wet soil on the top to attract pesky bugs. Moist soil is favored by gnats, fruit flies, and other pests that can be a nuisance.
- Retains nutrients: As you water from the top, the water trickles through the soil and eventually drains to the bottom. And with the water draining, so do your soil nutrients. Bottom-watering has less nutrient loss because it’s not creating a “flush” to the soil.
Oscularia Deltoides Soil Preference and Best Mixture
Pink Ice Plants prefer their soil to be slightly acidic to neutral, with a pH range of 6.1-7.5 being ideal. If the soil is too alkaline, it can cause the leaves to turn yellow and the plant growth to become stunted. Purchased soil mixtures are typically pH neutral.
These plants also prefer their soil to have well-draining properties because the root system will suffer root rot if the soil retains too much water. Cactus and succulent soil mixtures are ideal and can be purchased at your local nursery or some major department stores.
You can also easily mix your soil if you already have basic potting soil.
DIY Best Soil Mixture for Oscularia Deltoides
For the soil mixture, you’ll need a soil base and amendments to aid in drainage. Follow these tips to make the best soil mixture for a thriving Pink Ice Plan’ and other succulent varieties:
- You can use potting, succulent, or cactus mix for the base soil. Keep in mind succulent and cactus pre-mixed soils already have amendments added, so you’ll have to tweak the ratios a bit to get the right texture.
- To prevent water retention, soil amendments such as perlite, vermiculite, or sand should be mixed in the soil base to prevent water retention.
- You’ll use a ratio of 1:1, mixing the soil base and amendment equally. You may also use another recommendation of a 2:1:1 ratio. The 2:1:1 ratio requires mixing 2 parts soil, 1 part amendment like perlite, and 1 part amendment like sand.
- Test the soil by watering it down and watch for the soil to drain in a timely manner. You can also grab a handful of wet soil and squeeze it to ensure it doesn’t clump. If it clumps, it needs more amendments, but if it crumbles, it’s the proper ratio.
How To Fertilize Pink Ice Plants for Beautiful Blooms
Succulents love having all the nutrients available to create the energy needed for blooming. However, blooming can be challenging for potted plants as they’re confined to a pot with limited nutrients. Occasionally fertilizing your plants will replenish nutrients in the soil, giving them the energy to produce new growth and stunning blooms.
Fertilizing should only be given to your Pink Ice Plant during the growing season, as it’s not needed during dormancy because the plant isn’t as active.
The ideal fertilizer to use for Oscularia deltoides is succulent fertilizer or a balanced fertilizer of 15-15-15.
How To Propagate Oscularia Deltoides
Oscularia deltoides can be propagated from stem or leaf cuttings that are taken in at the beginning of the growing session, which is spring or summer.
Follow these steps to propagate Oscularia deltoides by the stem:
- Select a stem with about three or four leaves on it and a length of 4 to 6 inches (10 to 15 cm).
- Use sharp pruning shears or scissors to cut the shoot from the parent plant. If roots are already forming from the stem and leaves, leave them be.
- Let the stem wound heal and callus before planting in soil or spritzing with water.
- Fill a starter tray or pot with a cactus potting mix or your preferred DIY mixture.
- Once the cutting is callused and ready to be planted, spritz the top layer of soil with a spray bottle of water.
- Plant the shoot in or place it on top of the soil mixture.
- Keep it in a warm, sunny spot until new growth appears (7 to 21 days), and continue to spritz the top layer of soil when dry until the root system is established.
Propagating Pink Ice Plant by leaf cutting is done in the same fashion, and you may have already noticed it if you have an established mother plant. Leaves can easily fall off of the stem and begin rooting on their own as they lay on the soil bed.
Conclusion
Oscularia deltoides, or Pink Ice Plant, is easy to care for and propagate. It needs the following essential conditions for ideal growth:
- Up to 6 to 8 hours of bright sunlight
- Moderate watering once or twice a week during spring and summer
- Well-draining soil that’s pH neutral or slightly acidic
To achieve stellar growth, you can give your Pink Ice Plant a succulent fertilizer every few weeks or once a month.
Propagating the ‘Pink Ice Plant’ is simple and can be done by stem cuttings that contain a few leaves.