Purslane planting and care
Purslane is a unique flyer. And it’s not just that this field weed in landscape design has no equal among creeping seasonal accents. The legendary “rugs” can surprise even the most experienced gardener with their beauty and multi-colored colors. But their main advantage is their amazing endurance, drought resistance and undemandingness. Purslane creates colorful carpets even in the poorest soil. This miracle is grown from seeds, and its sowing does not require any tricks.
Growing purslane grandiflora from seeds.Purslane is an ancient plant. This is one of the first ornamental crops, which began to be used as both decorative and medicinal in the Middle Ages. Despite the fact that there are about two hundred species in the purslane genus, as ornamental plant only one of them is grown - South American in origin and popular on all inhabited continents and in all countries - purslane grandiflora (Portulaca grandiflora). A compact creeping perennial, which is grown as an annual, with a modest height of only 20 cm, it surprises with its small, green or brownish fleshy cylindrical leaves, the similarity of the greenery with pine needles, and the beauty of the flowers shining against the background of the mats. The shoots are light green, with a reddish tint, juicy and creeping. Cup-shaped, simple or double, up to 3 cm in diameter, the flowers still seem huge on such a plant. And the multicolored nature - after all, purslanes are usually distributed as mixtures of varieties - makes the plant not just elegant, but also cheerful. Pink, yellow, orange, white, cream or red, purslane flowers always look fresh and original. This is a summer plant in every sense, blooming from June to September. 
Purslane for decorating container compositions or outdoor vases, balconies and potted gardens, ampels and window boxes, and for growing in soil in the garden is obtained in the same way - from seeds. Moreover, both the simplest varieties and fashionable new varieties among variety mixtures with especially large double flowers are equally easy to propagate.
Purslane is best grown from seedlings. When sowing into the soil, you will have to wait for stable warmth, and the plants will bloom much later, may suffer from hot weather and will not form spectacular mats. But sowing into the soil is also acceptable.
Self-collection of purslane seeds and their selection for sowing
Purslane seeds, due to their good preservation and abundance, are classified as budget flowers with low cost. This plant is easy to grow, there are no difficulties in industrial cultivation and cultivation in garden centers no, so purslane seeds can be safely purchased from any trusted manufacturer. The choice of individual varieties and variety mixtures is so large that it is better to use only purely aesthetic qualities as a selection criterion. In 1 gram of purslane seeds there are up to 13 thousand potential plants.
After the purslane blooms, in favorable weather, multi-seeded single-locular fruit capsules are formed. The most quality seeds collected from pots, not growing in open ground purslane. To collect seed pods and optimal ripening of seeds, purslanes are brought into rooms at the end of August, protecting plants from cold snaps even down to 10 degrees at night. IN room conditions in bright light, the seeds gradually ripen, and after the boxes have browned, they can be safely collected, dried and the fruits opened. But you can also collect your seeds from plants growing in the soil. True, a one-time procedure is not enough: the boxes open slightly when ripe, the plants need to be monitored, systematically removing the fruits as soon as they turn yellow. For double purslanes, you should try to collect seeds from the first two pairs of flowers, in which doubleness is less pronounced, but a normal pistil develops and then full-fledged fruits are formed.
Purslane retains seed viability for up to 3 years, provided it is protected from light and hot temperatures. As a rule, even from one plant you can collect so many seeds that they will last for several years.
Soil and containers for sowing purslane
Purslane can be sown in any universal light soil mixture, not necessarily a special substrate for seedlings, but the higher the quality of the soil in terms of its water permeability, the better. It is recommended to add up to 1/5 of sand and charcoal to the soil. Purslane is not sown in peat mixtures, as well as substrates with organic fertilizers.
In addition to the substrate, it is also worth preparing drainage - a drainage layer must be laid at the bottom of the containers, even for seedlings. For purslane, you can use fine gravel and even coarse sand.
Containers for purslane are chosen to be shallow, but the sizes are selected depending on the number of seeds and your ability to place containers. Sowing can be done in small pots, large boxes or even mini-greenhouses. The main condition is good and numerous drainage holes.
For purslanes, you need to take care of one more parameter - the quality of water, which will be used both during sowing and then during care. These plants do not like hard water; to work with the plant, its characteristics are selected in the same way as for the most capricious indoor stars, using soft, settled water at room temperature or a little warmer.
Self-collection of ornamental purslane seeds.
Sowing purslane seeds
Purslane is best sown in March. If it is possible to provide additional lighting or favorable weather, sowing can be carried out as early as the end of February, and the last acceptable time for sowing purslane for seedlings is limited to the first ten days of April.
Before filling the containers with soil, for purslane, you need to add a layer of drainage to the bottom of the containers. After the containers are filled with soil, it must be evenly moistened. Classic watering is not the only option. You can place the containers in a pan of water and slowly saturate the soil with moisture using the bottom method.
Sowing purslane seeds is not such an easy task. Very small seeds require careful handling and attention. It is more convenient to use pelleted seeds or mix them with sand before sowing, but according to the classic method, the seeds are spread out using a toothpick or skewer. Optimal distance when sowing - about 1 cm between seeds. Sowing is carried out shallowly, pressing the seeds no more than 1 mm. You can also carry out classic superficial dense sowing, but with this option you will have to take care of diving later.
Re-wetting the soil and wetting the seeds is not carried out. The top of the crops must be covered with film or glass.
Conditions for germination of purslane seeds
For purslane, you need to provide two main factors - bright lighting and warmth. Containers with crops are placed in sunny places or provided with additional lighting if there is still not enough light in the brightest window. Lamps are installed in the morning and evening, and on cloudy days - throughout the day. The later the sowing is done, the less purslane needs for additional lighting, but the later the plants will bloom.
The temperature range for seed germination is from 20 to 25 degrees.
Growing purslane
Glass or film from containers must be removed immediately after the seedlings shed their seed coat. For young plants, provide the same, maximum bright lighting with additional lighting (if necessary) and stable temperatures.
Caring for young purslanes comes down to maintaining stable, light soil moisture. Overmoistening is detrimental.
Picking purslane seedlings and caring for young plants
Purslanes will need diving only if the sowing was carried out not individually, at a distance of 1 cm, but more densely. After the appearance of the third or fourth leaf, plants are planted in large boxes with a distance of 5 cm or in individual containers. When sowing seeds at a distance of 1 cm, diving can be avoided, transferring the plant from containers in small groups to permanent place.
Caring for young purslanes is very simple. Plants need careful watering, light humidity, and do not tolerate waterlogging. In the first month, when purslane develops very slowly, you need to be especially careful with watering. Seedlings need to be provided with the brightest lighting possible. If there are signs of stretching or lack of light, it is better to provide additional lighting. You cannot feed seedlings.
Hardening off purslane seedlings
You can start moving purslanes onto balconies and Fresh air, as soon as the weather permits. Plants react poorly to even slight cold, but after 6-7 true leaves appear minimum temperatures for them it is not 20, but 10 degrees. On warm days, moving them to sunny balconies or opening a window slightly and moving them into the garden for a few hours allows you to stimulate the development and thickening of bushes and produce more hardy plants. When taken out to open air Purslane seedlings must be protected from precipitation.
Planting seedlings of purslane grandiflora in open ground
Planting purslane seedlings
It is very simple to choose the timing of planting in open ground for purslane: this plant will shed its leaves when the temperature drops even to 10 degrees. Therefore, seedlings can be transplanted only when consistently warm weather arrives.
Transplanting into pots or containers, ampels and boxes can be done earlier, because such containers are easy to bring indoors on cold nights. Planting in a container can be done as soon as the purslane reaches a height of 5-6 cm and it grows more than 10 leaves. Often at this stage the plants are already producing buds.
For purslane, special conditions are selected - hot, sunny, dry areas. This plant needs the brightest light and is not afraid of southern slopes or southern window sills. Purslane has become famous for its ability to bloom tirelessly even in the poorest soil, so you can ignore its nutritional value. But the characteristics of the soil in terms of water permeability are very important: purslane does not like damp, compacted and containing fresh organic matter, too nutritious and acidic soils. Best choice there will always be sandstones for purslane.
When planting seedlings in the soil, the plants are placed at a distance of 15-20 cm between the seedlings.
Young purslanes should be provided with careful care. This plant needs frequent watering only when grown in pots and containers; in soil, purslane is drought-resistant and can do without watering at all, but you won’t be able to admire the spectacular flowering throughout the summer, and even at the adaptation stage you can’t do without support. Purslane is watered on hot and dry days precisely to maintain the splendor of flowering, but carefully. Purslanes are not fertilized; the plant also does not need other care measures. But young purslanes will not refuse timely weeding - until they create a dense mat.
Sowing purslane in the soil
Seeds are sown in the ground on seedling beds or on a permanent growing site in April-May. In fact, purslane is sown as soon as the weather permits, and the earlier sowing is done, the better. But since seedlings appear very quickly, return frosts can destroy crops. The soil is prepared in advance, loosened, and thoroughly processed. The seeds are not covered with soil, but only pressed down. It’s easier to mix them with sand before sowing. If sowing is carried out later than mid-May, it is better to protect the crops from drying out with a shelter. Young plants need light maintenance watering.
Alternative methods for propagating purslane
The best varieties of purslane, favorite double hybrids or special colors are not always preserved when propagated by seed. Therefore, purslane with the most interesting characteristics It is better to preserve and renew using another method - cuttings. True, for this you need to keep the mother plants cool for the winter and cut the apical cuttings only in the spring. They take root in both water and sand, provided high humidity, very fast.
Purslanes usually self-sow abundantly. And young shoots can be safely used instead of seedlings and transferred to the desired places as soon as the plants get stronger and produce their fifth or sixth leaf.
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Before asking questions about the rules for growing purslane, it is worth determining for what purpose the plant will be used. Purslane includes more than two hundred species and subspecies, and the most popular of them are the following:
On sale you can find seeds of large-flowered purslane different varieties. The most valuable of them are those with amazingly beautiful terry buds.
Purslane of all types blooms very profusely; behind this splendor it is difficult to notice that each bud lives only one day. After wilting, fruit set and seed pods form. It is from these boxes that you need to collect the seeds in time, preventing them from falling to the ground, that is, self-sowing.
On a note! If purslane seeds are not collected, they are sown in the soil, and next summer new plants grow that will bloom only at the very end of summer.
The procedure for collecting seeds is as follows:
- During the growth period, we begin to feed the purslane with mullein solution. In total, you need to make 3 applications of fertilizer every 2 weeks;
- we wait until the first seed pods appear and open on the purslane, and the stems turn yellow;
- We dig up the plants by the roots, shake off the soil. There is no need to trim the leaves;
- in a room with good ventilation we stretch the ropes on which the purslane will hang. Lay burlap or similar fabric on the floor;
- We hang the dug up bushes so that they hang with the seed pods down.
In this way, the plants will dry out, and the seeds from the opened boxes will begin to fall onto the fabric. All that remains is to collect the seeds from the fabric and leave them until next spring.
The maximum shelf life of purslane seeds is 3-5 years. After this period, the germination percentage will tend to zero.
Salad purslane - seeds
Where and when to grow purslane from seeds
If you are lucky enough to live in the southern regions of our country, then you can safely plant purslane seeds directly into open ground without additional preparations or measures.
Residents of the northern regions of the country and middle zone It is recommended to grow seedlings from seeds, which are subsequently planted in a greenhouse or soil.
What is this connected with? Purslane cannot be called a whimsical plant, but for it abundant flowering immutable conditions are an abundance of light and warmth. These conditions apply to both adult plants and seedlings.
On a note! If frosts occur in your region even in summer period, it is necessary to harden the purslane.
Seeds for seedlings begin to be sown in February and March. But due to insufficient sunlight it is required artificial lighting boxes. You can do without additional lighting, but in this case sowing should be done no earlier than the last days of April.
Important! At temperatures below +15÷20°C, seedlings develop poorly and even die. And a lack of light will cause the seedlings to stretch out or lie down. The best germination of seeds is ensured at temperatures from +26 to +30°C.
Soil and containers for planting seeds
Purslane, both decorative and used for food, grows well even in poor soil if provided proper watering and the right place was chosen. Planted in compost indoor views purslane does not need to be additionally fed and fertilized.
Important! Store-bought plant mixtures contain peat, which inhibits the growth of purslane. Therefore, you need to prepare the soil yourself.
Step 1. In the garden or vegetable garden we collect soil without twigs, grass and stones. We transport it in a tight bag, and then sift it through a large sieve.
Step 2. We weigh the resulting volume of soil, after which we take sifted river sand in a proportion of 5 parts soil to 1 part sand. Mix the ingredients well.
Step 3. Place the resulting mixture in the oven for calcination and disinfection. You can also perform the procedure in a water bath.
Proper soil preparation
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Next, prepare a container where soil will be filled and seeds sown. Wash a plastic container well with soap or bake a wooden box in the oven. If there are no drainage holes, drill them in the bottom of the container, best size holes 0.5-1 cm.
Pour a layer of fine gravel or expanded clay into a clean container (it’s better if the volume is small). The layer thickness is maximum 1 cm. Pour the soil mixture on top, leaving 1 cm from the edge of the side to the soil.
All that remains is to water the soil before sowing purslane. Use the leftover mixture for several days tap water, but if it is possible to collect clean snow away from city roads, then we collect it, bring it home and melt it warm water water the soil.
On a note! Do not use too cold water to water seeds and seedlings. It is better if the liquid is at room temperature.
Sowing and caring for seedlings
Purslane seeds are small and dark in color. It is convenient to place them in the soil with a damp toothpick, keeping a distance of about 1 cm between the seeds. Do not bury the seeds too deeply into the soil.
If you don’t want to speed up the process, you can mix the seeds with pre-calcined river sand, then scatter the mixture over the damp soil and lightly press it with a flat spatula. The seeds are moistened from above using a spray bottle.
Immediately after sowing, the box should be covered with cling film or glass and placed under lamps (additional lighting mode: 2-3 hours in the morning and up to four hours in the evening, as well as during the day in cloudy weather). Be mindful of the temperature.
The film should be removed briefly every day for ventilation. If the soil dries out, it is moistened again with a spray bottle. It is important not to overdo it with watering.
After about 7-14 days, the first purslane shoots will appear. During this period, the box with seedlings (without film) can already be placed on the windowsill or glazed loggia. It's good if the windows face south. If the seedlings are too dense, you should thin them out a little.
Planting of seedlings is carried out when the seedlings have two true leaves. Plants are transplanted into small pots or cups with a diameter of about 4-7 cm, trying to shake off not all the soil from the roots. You can transplant the purslane into a larger box, leaving a distance of 4-5 cm between the sprouts. The sprouts are sprinkled with soil up to the cotyledon leaves.
It will not be superfluous to apply mineral fertilizer weekly, but this measure is not necessary. Ammonium sulfate is used as a top dressing in the proportion of half matchbox per ten liter bucket of water.
On a note! The first hardening is carried out after picking. Cups with plants are placed outside for 10-15 minutes every day, the air temperature should be at least 10 degrees. Gradually, the hardening time in the daytime is increased to 6 hours.
Planting purslane seedlings
If the frosts have already passed, and more than 7-9 true leaves have grown on the sprouts, you can plant the plants in open ground.
Rules for choosing a place to grow purslane:
- the site for purslane should be open, on a hill;
- there should be no trees or buildings nearby that provide shade or partial shade;
- the soil should not be waterlogged, otherwise the roots will begin to rot;
- it's better if the soil is decorative species the purslane will be poor, otherwise it will bloom poorly, gaining greenery. Garden purslane it is permissible to grow on rich nutrients, but not in oily soil;
- it is permissible to plant seedlings on alpine coaster, in hanging flowerpots, street flower beds, etc.
Table of dates for planting purslane in the soil
Based on the table, we select the disembarkation time. We transplant the seedlings by carefully removing them with a lump of earth from a box or cup and moving them into holes, which should be located at a distance of up to 15 cm from each other.
On a note! Plant early in the morning or in the evening, so the tender shoots will take root better.
Water the plant regularly, but not too often, so as not to over-moisten the soil.
If the plant has spots on its leaves or the shoots are severely deformed, it is necessary to remove the affected parts and then treat them with fungicides containing copper.
Video - Planting purslane directly into the ground
Video - How to sow purslane
Video – Picking purslane
Purslane is one of the most popular among plant lovers. More famous it popular name- "rugs". Flowerbeds with this plant really resemble a carpet with a bizarre pattern of bright flowers and unusual stems. In addition, he earned his love for the duration of flowering. You can admire this plant literally all summer long. You will learn about what purslane is like, when it is best to plant it and how to grow it from seeds in this article.
The name of this plant comes from the Latin word “portula”, which means “gate”. This name is due to the fact that the box with the seeds of this flower, when opened, resembles a small gate.
The purslane plant was originally distributed in tropical and subtropical America, and today there are about a hundred of its species. The most common of them:
Garden
This species is not distinguished by lush flowering and particularly pleasant appearance, but is grown as medicinal plant. Beneficial features Purslane is used in medicine, cosmetology, and cooking. All this compensates for its inconspicuous appearance: very juicy, branched stems with teardrop-shaped leaves and small yellow flowers.
Purslane
Purslane grandiflora
This type of purslane is most often sown as seedlings. in early spring(more about the timing below) for a garden, balcony or whatever indoor plant. Under proper conditions, its flowering usually lasts from late spring to early autumn; the flowers are cup-shaped and large, in bright, rich shades from white to burgundy and lilac. The inflorescences usually close at night and in cloudy weather. This plant reaches a height of 20-15 centimeters, and under normal conditions it spreads along the ground.
Purslane grandiflora
Rugs can be classified as due to their long flexible stems. This type of purslane blooms with both double and regular flowers of various shades.
Terry purslane is the most beautiful and valuable variety of garden purslane. In the central regions of Russia it is grown as an annual plant. Its flowers resemble a miniature rose - their corrugated petals are arranged in several rows. Some terry varieties can bloom even in the dark.
In addition, large-flowered or decorative purslane amazes the imagination with a variety of flowering varieties used in gardening:
- "Royal". This one reaches a size of 7 centimeters. Has a huge variety of colors;
- Also simple, but bright flowers purslane “Sonya” will decorate the garden;
- Purslane “Shaherizada” is a mixture of varieties, different shades.
- Purslane "Air Zephyr", characterized by particularly lush flowering and short, up to 10 centimeters, shoots.
To popular terry varieties also include:
Terry purslane "Mango"
- "Flamenco";
- “Mango”, distinguished by its rich salmon color;
- "Cherry" is a spectacular red variety.
Reproduction methods
Purslane propagation occurs primarily by seeds. This method is the most profitable, since purslane can be grown from seeds even after several years of storage.
Purslane seeds are contained in the fruit-box of each flower, from which they spill out when ripe.
How to properly collect purslane seeds:
- Wait until the plant’s first seed pods appear and its stems turn a little yellow;
- Dig it up by the roots, shake off the soil, leaving the leaves on the stem;
- Hang the plant by its stems on ropes in a well-ventilated area with the pods facing down;
- Place a cloth on the floor under the hanging stems.
This method is good because you don’t have to collect purslane seeds by hand - they themselves, having ripened, will fall out of the boxes onto the fabric, and later they will only need to be collected from it and put aside until next spring.
There is another way: on the just faded stems, where the bolls have still begun to grow, you need to tie a fabric bag. Later, you can carefully remove these bags and empty the seeds from them. This method is suitable for those who do not have time to cut a plant with boxes in time, for example, in the country.
Purslane seeds can be stored for three to five years after collection. Seeds stored longer than this period rapidly lose their viability.
Purslane seeds 
It should be taken into account that double purslane flowers set fewer seeds, especially densely double ones. This is due to large quantity petals formed not only from the stamens of the flower, but also from the stigmas of the pistil.
This plant can also be propagated by cuttings and replanting part of the bush. This should be done at the end of June or July.
Timing and features of planting seeds
You need to grow purslane from seeds that have been lying around for at least six months. Newly ripened seeds have a low germination rate. It will not be possible to grow this flower from seeds without special care; you will have to be patient.
You can start sowing purslane seedlings as early as February. It is best to use small containers and cover them with film or glass on top. To the bottom of the container better drainage You can add small pebbles.
For seedlings, you cannot use a universal store-bought soil mixture, since the peat it contains greatly impedes the germination of mat seeds. It is best to prepare the soil yourself using regular garden soil and about 20% sand. The sand must be washed before mixing, and ready mixture disinfect in a hot oven.
Before sowing purslane, the soil in the container must be moistened with settled or, even better, melt water. The seeds are laid out superficially in increments of 1 centimeter from each other. You can lightly sprinkle the seeds with soil on top. Since mats are a very heat-loving plant, containers with seeds covered with film should be placed on a well-lit windowsill closer to heating battery. With the onset of stable warmth, the cultivation of purslane seedlings can be continued on the balcony.
In addition to insulation, seedlings will have to be provided with sufficient lighting. To do this, in the evening you need to point a lamp at the container with plants. daylight. It should also be turned on all day if the weather outside is cloudy.
It is worth watering the seedlings periodically, without allowing the soil to dry out. After a couple of true leaves appear, you need to bake the seedlings.
When to sow purslane outside? This can be done around the end of April, but be sure to cover the planting site with agrofibre. Sow at a distance of 3-5 centimeters. In warm and calm weather, the covering material can be removed to ventilate the sprouts. It can be completely removed in persistently warm weather. How and when to transplant seedlings into the ground? A grown purslane with several buds can be moved into the garden if there is no risk of return frosts outside.
Planting seedlings in open ground and caring for them
Planting purslane and caring for it in open ground does not require much effort.
Before planting purslane in a flowerbed, it is necessary to harden it. It is better to do this in mid-May.
You should choose a place for planting that is as lit as possible, preferably on a hill, but protected from the wind. To loosen soil that is too dense, you can first add fine-grained sand to it. But this is not always necessary, since rugs are quite unpretentious plant, capable of growing in almost any soil.
It is necessary to provide the purslane with space for further growth and plant the sprouts in open ground at a distance of 10-15 centimeters from each other. When purslane is planted, its stem is buried down to the first leaf.
Caring for purslane consists of sufficient watering. This should be done at least once a week, but on particularly hot days you need to make sure that the soil does not dry out. This plant does not need additional feeding.
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Diseases and pests
The purslane flower is very resistant to various pests and diseases. Possible problems may be associated with fungi, affecting the plant at high humidity. In this case, the plant will stop blooming and growth will stop, rot spots will appear on the leaves, and the stems will become smaller. You can get rid of the fungus by removing all damaged parts of the plant, and then treating it and the soil around it with one of the fungicidal preparations containing copper.
Among the pests, large-flowered purslane can be attacked by aphids and thrips; you can learn more about the latter. In the first case, the pest is destroyed by any modern insecticides, in the second, with the help of systemic insecticides.
Use in landscape design
The homeland of a plant such as purslane is tropical areas located in the Northern Hemisphere. Varieties of decorative crops number approximately 100–200 varieties, according to various information. The plant grows well in moist, sandy places that are located on the banks of rivers and surrounding ponds. But it is possible to grow this decorative culture in the garden, field and vegetable garden on a personal or summer cottage.
If we talk about the name of this flower, it originates from Lat. the term portula meaning "small gate". This is explained by the fact that this plant has a seed pod, which, when opened, seems to open small doors. In our country, the common people call this flower “rug”. IN garden conditions It is possible to grow only one species of this crop - the large-flowered purslane (Portulaca grandiflora).
Such an ornamental flowering crop as purslane, grown in our climatic conditions, is considered annual plant, since it is not able to withstand frosty winters, even if it is carefully covered. Purslane grows no more than 30 centimeters in height. Externally, this flowering crop is characterized by a well-branched spindle-shaped root, succulent, branched stems with brown tint cylindrical, fleshy leaves that are hollow inside but can also resemble flattened eggs. It blooms in white, yellow, dark red tones in separate inflorescences throughout the summer.
The inflorescences of these plants live for only one day, and at sunset they already fade. At the same time, large-flowered purslane, for example, blooms extremely profusely and literally continuously throughout the entire season - almost immediately after one inflorescence withers, a new one appears. If we talk about the fruit of this flowering crop, it is a multi-seeded capsule shaped like a ball. In addition to such a variety as garden purslane, which is usually grown in our country in flowerbeds, in pots, and using a hanging basket or container, vegetable purslane also grows well in our country - salad and medicinal plants, often mistaken for weeds.
Features of sowing purslane
Most modern domestic flower growers claim that growing this flowering crop using seedlings is the most convenient way to propagate it. But there are features of how to get good seedlings, that is, sow the seeds correctly. Many experts believe that optimal time The best time to plant the seeds of this plant is February-March, but it is also possible to sow them in the month of April - in this case, those seeds that germinate will be able to grow well and fully develop due to a sufficiently long daylight hours, and those sown earlier than the month of April will have to be supplemented with daylight. using artificial lighting.
Purslane seeds in a box
Before starting a process such as growing purslane, it is necessary to properly prepare the soil and create a certain mixture - this is explained by the fact that almost any soil contains peat, which significantly slows down the germination of the seeds of this flowering crop. To do this, take ordinary garden soil, and add approximately 20% fine-grained sand to it, and everything is mixed as much as possible. After this, it is necessary to calcine the soil mixture in the oven, which will allow it to be disinfected.
Then, in a shallow container with drainage holes, you need to pour fine-grained gravel (expanded clay), on top of which place the oven-baked soil mixture and pour water over it - it should be settled or melted. After this, the seeds should be placed on the surface of the soil at a distance of one centimeter from each other - the easiest way to do this is to use a damp toothpick. All that remains is to carefully press the seeds into the ground, build a frame above the soil surface onto which the polyethylene is stretched, i.e., make a small greenhouse. It is necessary to place this greenhouse in a bright, warm place where the temperature does not drop below +22 degrees Celsius - +30 degrees Celsius is considered the optimal temperature.
Obtaining seedlings of this plant
If there are favorable conditions, then seedlings of representatives of this flowering crop can be obtained after a week or two from the moment the seeds are planted. After the seeds germinate, you should free the container from the film and that’s it – seedlings are obtained. Growing seedlings of this plant requires mandatory periodic moistening of the soil using settled water - in the process, the method of bottom watering is used. In addition, if the seeds were planted at the beginning of February or in March, then additional artificial lighting may be necessary. This is necessary in the case when the seedlings are stretched too much, which indicates a lack of light - accordingly, then they need additional lighting. It can be done using fluorescent lamps or regular table lamps for a couple of hours in morning time and several hours in the evening - this will provide an opportunity to lengthen the daylight hours for the sprouts. If the weather is cloudy, then artificial lighting should be turned on throughout the day. In the case when seedlings are sown in April and grow on a windowsill on the south side of a house or apartment, then artificial lighting is not needed.
Rules for picking purslane
At what stage and in what way should this plant be picked? When the sprouts have truly formed a pair of leaves, the seedlings need to be planted three at a time in cups having a diameter of about 8 centimeters. After one week from the date of picking, i.e. after the sprouts have taken root well, the first complex fertilizing should be carried out - it is carried out by applying it to the soil mineral fertilizers. In the future, this procedure must be performed once/week or once/ten days throughout the entire time until the seedlings are planted in the ground (open ground).
Important: in the process of planting, one point is extremely important, compliance with one rule - you must definitely try not to shake off the soil lump from the root system of the seedling!
The nuances of planting in open ground
When should you plant a crop such as grandiflora purslane, for example, or any other type of it? It is clear that growing any variety of such a flowering crop implies the creation optimal conditions. Firstly, this process can be started no earlier than the beginning of June - that is, when you are absolutely sure that there will be no frosts or a relatively serious decrease in temperature regime it won't be anymore. This is important, because if the air temperature in the place where purslane grows drops below +10 degrees Celsius, the plant begins to rapidly lose leaves.
It should be remembered that this flowering crop feels best in a sunny place located on the most elevated area, because even in partial shade, purslane may not begin to bloom. Under no circumstances should root system this plant was located near groundwater. In addition, representatives of all varieties of this plant should not be planted in places where water stagnates - this contributes to the occurrence of putrefactive processes in the rhizome. The soil for planting this plant should be poor, sandy, otherwise in rich soil the plant actively grows green mass, and the flowering period does not occur.
According to experienced domestic flower growers, seedlings of this flowering crop can be planted in open ground after the seedling has 15 leaves and buds. Purslane must be planted in a certain order. Firstly, the bushes should be no closer than about 20 centimeters from one another. Secondly, during the first three days after planting seedlings in a flowerbed, you should water them daily, especially when the weather is dry and hot. The flowering period for those representatives of this flowering crop that are grown from seeds is about 7 weeks from the moment the sprouts appear.
Basic rule of care
Caring for such plants requires periodic watering, which is carried out regularly. This is necessary for the normal flowering of purslane, because despite the ability of its leaves to retain moisture well, water must still come from outside. Growing this flowering crop does not require fertilizing, pruning, weeding or loosening the soil. The only rule for proper care of such plants is to ensure infrequent, but always regular watering.
What causes purslane and its pests?
As is clear from all of the above, the process of planting and caring for purslane does not require absolutely any significant effort - it is accessible and understandable even for a beginner. Even such a representative of this flowering crop as terry purslane is not at all difficult to grow from seeds, because its cultivation is characterized by compliance with all the same rules that were described earlier in this article. If we talk about pests and diseases, then this plant is quite resistant to them - in this regard, problems rarely arise with it. Nevertheless, from time to time, experts note cases of mass incursion of aphids simultaneously into several nearby flower beds, gardens and vegetable gardens - in such a situation, purslane also suffers. Most effective method combating aphids is spraying plants with actellik. Then, when the problem cannot be eliminated at one time, then after 7 days the treatment using an insecticide should be repeated.
Actellik for aphids
It is also possible for representatives of this flowering crop to be affected by a fungus called Albugo portulacea, which is manifested by deformation of the shoots and the appearance of numerous spots on the leaves. The fight consists in the most thorough removal of absolutely all damaged parts and further spraying of the plant with a copper-containing fungicide, carried out with the highest possible quality.
Positive properties
Purslane like medicinal plant, has been known for a very long time - since the time of Hippocrates. In ancient times, it was believed that the seeds of this plant were able to cleanse the human body, while the leaves were an effective antidote for snake bites.