Unusual purslane plant: cultivation. Purslane - a weed or useful plant

Purslane, planting and care - photo of an adult plant

Purslane (lat. Portulaca) - refers to perennials genus and family of the same name. People call him dandur. It has a weaving stem and fleshy leaves, blooms in small yellow flowers. Refers to ground cover plants, and therefore - ornamental varieties are often used in landscape design.

In nature, purslane prefers sandy soil and well-lit areas. Distributed in the southern and central parts of Russia.

What are the benefits of purslane for health

Gardeners especially appreciate the garden purslane, planting and caring for which do not require much time, but beneficial features plants are invaluable. The plant has healing properties due to its rich chemical composition. Its leaves and stem contain:

• protein;
• alkaloids;
• vitamins: C, K, E, PP;
• micro and macro elements;
• dopamine.

The seeds of the plant are rich in unsaturated fatty acids. Regular consumption of purslane has a beneficial effect on the heart muscle, increases blood clotting. It is recommended for diabetes. AT traditional medicine Dandur seeds are used for colds, diseases of the kidneys and gallbladder. The juice and leaves are used to treat various skin ailments. Regular use of purslane has an anthelmintic effect.

Purslane is not officially classified as a medicinal plant, and is not used in traditional medicine. But traditional healers use this plant to treat hypertension, and regular use is recommended for people prone to diencephalic crises.

Diencephalic or hypothalamic crisis - a sudden (possibly intermittent) short-term increase, or the appearance of new symptoms in the disease, or damage to the hypothalamus.

The stems, leaves and seeds of the crop are eaten. Salads are made from them, added to hot dishes, marinated and salted. Cosmetic masks and medicinal ointments are prepared from the juice and pulp of the plant.

Types and varieties of purslane

There are 2 main types of plants: decorative and garden purslane, their care does not differ significantly, but their purpose is radically different.

Decorative varieties

Dandur decorative (large-flowered) has large bright flowers, and thin leaves. It is grown both in open beds and in pots.

Purslane Cherry - undersized plant, cherry blossom flowers.

Varieties of garden purslane

Dandur garden is grown for human consumption and as a medicinal plant. At purslane Makovei - the stems can reach 35 cm.

Purslane Paradox - edible undersized variety.

Purslane - planting and care, photo of garden plants

The plant is unpretentious to the soil, and undemanding in care. It grows rapidly, covering the soil with a green carpet. It is enough to plant it 1 time, and the culture will multiply by self-sowing.

Garden purslane - growing from seeds

In the climatic conditions of Russia, dandur can be sown directly into the soil. But if you want it to bloom in early summer, you should choose seedling method:

• sowing is carried out in late February - early March;
• soil in containers should be light and permeable;
• small seeds are mixed with calcined sand, and sown with a path in a container with soil (it is not necessary to cover the crops with soil, it is enough to press down with a plank);
• the earth is moistened with a spray bottle, and covered with a film;
• containers are placed in a warm place, ventilated once a day, and moistened as needed.

Friendly shoots will appear in 12-14 days. The seedlings are moved to the windowsill, and when a second leaf appears, they pick. Sprouts are seated at a distance of 5 cm, and slightly deepened.

Choosing a place for the garden

When choosing a location, prerequisite is the openness and illumination of the territory. Purslane prefers poor sandy soils. If planted in nutrient soil, the plants will increase growth at the expense of flowering.

Pre-hardening seedlings

It is important to know when growing purslane - planting and care in the open field will be successful only if the seedlings are pre-hardened. For 2 weeks, the boxes are taken outside daily during the daytime (starting from 15 minutes, and leading up to 5-6 hours).

Before planting, make sure that the danger of frost has passed. Usually dandur is planted at the end of May, in the northern regions - in June.

Purslane - planting in open ground

Seedlings are planted at a distance of 20 cm from each other, and watered. Vegetable purslane needs regular weeding and loosening until the plants grow and cover the soil. Although the culture is resistant to many ailments and pests, excess or stagnant moisture can provoke fungal diseases.

top dressing

The plant does not need fertilizing. If desired, you can use mineral fertilizers 2-3 times during the summer, then the bushes will not only be fleshy and juicy, but will also give a rich color.

Collection of purslane seeds

Seed boxes are formed unevenly. If you want to collect seeds for sprouting, or eating, you must not allow the testicles to open. At the end of August, when the boxes turn yellow, they are cut off and then dried in a ventilated room on paper. Seeds can be stored up to 3 years.

Outcome

Not many gardeners know unpretentious and very useful culture- purslane, cultivation and care, photos of varieties, and amazing properties which are described in our material. Planting a plant does not take much time, and eating it regularly will help improve the health of the whole family.

Thinking about how to decorate your flower bed next spring! Pay attention to purslane. The shoots of the plant have needle-like leaves, intertwining, cover the ground well, and a variety of colors (red, white, pink, orange, purple) creates a multi-colored meadow. In addition, the plant does not require much time for care.

Growing purslane from seeds

There are several ways to breed purslane. The most popular way is to grow purslane with seeds, as it does not require high costs time and effort.

Did you know? The name of the purslane flower comes from the Latin word "portula" - "collar".

Sowing seeds for seedlings

For those who are eager to see the purslane bloom in June, seedlings are planted in the ground. For seedlings, seeds are sown in February-March. ground for them any will do, the main thing is that it is moisture and breathable. Due to the small size of the seeds, when purslane is planted for seedlings, they are mixed with calcined sand. The resulting cocktail is scattered over the surface of moist soil, without falling asleep, but slightly pressed to the surface of the soil, irrigated with water from a sprayer. Then the pots are covered with polyethylene and transferred to a warm room (the temperature should not be lower than 20ºC). Once a day, the film is removed in order to ventilate and water if necessary.

Important! Do not overuse fertilizers. With a large number of them, the purslane will grow green and stop blooming.

Caring for purslane seedlings will not be a big hassle. Seedlings germinate in 1-2 weeks. When they appear, the cover from the pots or boxes is removed and the seedlings are moved to the windowsills. Watering is continued with a sprinkler. When the second leaf appears on the seedling, the purslane begins to dive. Seedlings dive at a distance of 4 cm from each other, deepening them to the cotyledon leaf. Purslane is planted in a flower garden at a distance of 10-15 cm from each other. Seedlings can be planted after frost (temperatures below 10ºC are critical for purslane).

Sowing seeds in open ground

Purslane is a perennial plant. It can be planted once, and then the grass will self-sow. The plant can grow for years in the same place in the flower bed. Purslane does not require specific care and special soil. Seeds should be sown after the last frost in a sunny location. When planting purslane seeds in open ground, the earth is preliminarily loosened and brought a small amount of fertilizers, while the seeds are slightly pressed into the soil to a depth of 1 cm. The gap between the rows is within 50 cm. When two leaves appear on the seedlings, they break through, leaving one plant per 10 cm.

Reproduction of purslane cuttings

Purslane is well propagated by cuttings. For the winter, you need to bring one or more plants from the flower bed into the house. In the spring, part of the branches are cut off from the purslane, rooted in water and transplanted into a flower bed. When purslane is planted with cuttings, it blooms in a month.

Did you know?Purslane has a number medicinal properties. Its shoots contain vitamins of groups A, B, K, PP, E. It also serves as a source of protein and carbohydrates.

Combination with other plants and use in landscape design

Purslane is great for landscaping. The plant is used for group plantings. Purslane looks great both in front of flower beds and on the southern slopes of alpine hills. In the flower garden, purslane well replaces flowering small-bulbous spring plants.

In mixborders, it is used as a foreground plant. It is often used as a border plant in dry conditions. Having grown purslane in balcony boxes and flowerpots, they transform gazebos, verandas and terraces. The plant looks good with marigolds and nasturtiums.

Purslane serves as an alternative lawn grass, since it does not require frequent watering, it does not need to be cut, it does not stop blooming, constantly pleasing the eye with bright colors.

How to care for purslane in the garden

Purslane was introduced from South America are the tropics and subtropics. Therefore, good lighting and moderate watering are extremely important for him. Fertilizers should not be carried away, as they can harm flowering. Water the plant every 5-7 days with water at room temperature. In drought conditions, watering is carried out more often. The soil around the flowers needs to be pushed only at the beginning of growth. Mandatory is weeding from weeds.

When growing purslane in room conditions in summer it is moved to a well-ventilated and protected from rain place.

Important! Good and abundant purslane blooms only in the sun.

When to Harvest and How to Store Purslane Seeds

For breeding purslane from seeds, it must be taken into account that this is only possible for non-double species. Seeds of terry purslane do not germinate well. Seeds are formed and ripen unevenly, therefore, they are collected as they ripen. Seed boxes are plucked after they are purchased yellow unripe to avoid cracking. Dry the collected inoculum by spreading it on paper. To maintain high germination of seeds, they must be placed in a tin or plastic container by tightly closing it with a lid. Storage temperature should not exceed 4-5ºC. Germination is maintained for three years. When storing seeds high temperatures and moisture germination is reduced.

After reviewing different photos purslane, it is sometimes difficult to guess that we are seeing the same plant. This and bright flowers with fleshy leaves-needles, and grass, which is pulled out from the beds. Purslane is a useful and beautiful crop that can be grown both outdoors and at home. In addition, this plant is very unpretentious, so even novice flower growers can handle planting and care.

Features of purslane

On bags of purslane seeds it is written: annual. But it is not so. In our climate with harsh winters, the plant lives in the open ground for one season - from spring to autumn. But in the southern latitudes, purslane is a perennial.

Purslane does not tolerate winter, therefore, in conditions temperate climate grown as an annual

herbaceous plant with beautiful flowers- a native of the subtropics of South and Central America. Purslane garden, or vegetable, which we consider a weed, is called a cosmopolitan. It grows on all continents.

In many countries, for example, in France, India or the Caucasus, this plant is eaten. Garden purslane is rich in vitamins C, K, E, PP, B1 and B2, carotene and trace elements. In cooking, young shoots and leaves are used, from which salads are prepared, stews, marinades.

Russian gardeners weed purslane from the beds, but in many countries it is a valuable vitamin plant

In Russia edible kind rarely cultivated. But decorative purslane received wide distribution. It is often planted in flower beds, Alpine rollercoaster, in rockeries (view rocky garden) and rabatka (rectangular flower beds along the paths), they are decorated with balconies and terraces. This plant perfectly takes root on any, even the most meager soils, can tolerate drought, does not require weeding and top dressing. Its creeping stems grow, forming a dense "carpet" of green villi-leaves with a pattern of bright inflorescences. The bud blooms for only a day, so the multi-colored ornament is always different.

Purslane carpet changes colors every day

Flowering purslane lasts all summer - from mid-June to September or October, until frost begins. The only requirement is abundant lighting. Purslane is a child of the sun; in cloudy weather, its flowers do not open. Although varieties are now bred that are tolerant of shading.

Choice between perennial and annual flower

Specialists have bred many varieties for open ground, with simple and double flowers of the most whimsical color. However, attempts to grow them at home are rarely successful. The maximum that turns out is to keep the varietal plant at home until next year, and after frosts, plant it again in the ground or cut the bush.

But not so long ago, hybrid varieties of purslane appeared, which are successfully cultivated in indoor floriculture, and in the garden. These hybrids simple inflorescences. But in the cold season they grow on the windowsill, and in the summer they bloom in the same pot on the balcony or in the garden.

The advantage of perennial purslane is its longevity in one pot, and the minus is modest inflorescences and less lush flowering, compared to annual garden varieties.

Garden purslane is not only a riot of colors and long flowering, but also an annual sowing

BUT garden varieties delight with the richness of colors, size and shape of flowers, but they must be grown from seeds or cuttings every spring anew, and then planted in the ground. True, there is a way to grow purslane without problems. Plant a flower bed once, and then let the flower disperse the seeds on its own and do not dig up this place. Purslane will rise on its own, but this option is acceptable in relatively warm regions. How colder climate, the longer the seeds of a heat-loving plant do not germinate. This means that the flowers will appear by the middle, or even by the end of summer.

Purslane embodies the fantasies of flower growers and grows beautifully in one place, scattering on its own

Ampelous, large-flowered, garden and other varieties of purslane

According to some classifications, the genus of purslane consists of almost 200 varieties, according to others - about 100. But the vast majority of them never became cultivated plants. In decorative floriculture, large-flowered purslane and many varieties based on it are common.

1. Purslane garden, or vegetable, - edible plant, but Russian gardeners weed it out like a weed. Thick reddish stems grow up to 30 cm. They spread along the ground. Leaves are oval, juicy. Flowers yellow, small. Young leaves and shoots are eaten. To taste, garden purslane is similar to spinach with a sorrel flavor.
2. Ampelous purslane is a perennial hybrid species suitable for growing at home and in open ground. The plant has fleshy stems that branch well, thick leaves in the shape of an oval. flowers are simple, different shades white, red, yellow, purple. Ampel purslane is planted in hanging baskets and tall flowerpots so that the shoots droop beautifully.
3. Purslane large-flowered - a decorative species, very popular all over the world. In Russia, it is grown as an annual plant. Blooms from June until frost. This is a ground cover plant with creeping shoots. They are covered with a thick brush of needle-like thick leaves. Large (5–7 cm) flowers, double or simple, are located at the ends of the stems one or three. Flowers of this particular type of purslane are compared with a rose or a peony. In most varieties, the buds close at night and do not open on cloudy days.

Terry flowers bloom even in cloudy weather

Terry varieties are more relaxed in partial shade and bloom well even in the absence of bright sun.

On the basis of large-flowered purslane, dozens of varieties have been created. The most popular of them:

• Royal (with simple and very big flowers different colors)
• Air marshmallow (with short stems and large double flowers);
• White-flowered (similar to Air marshmallow, but with snow-white inflorescences);
• Princely (with white, orange or bright scarlet inflorescences with corrugated petals);
• Splendens (with spectacular purple-lilac double flowers);
• Illusion (with large semi-double flowers of cherry or pink hue);
• Extravaganza (with contrasting strokes and dots on flower petals);
• Amber Coast (with lush yellow-orange flowers).

Photo gallery: what different varieties look like

The ampelous purslane is grown both in the garden and at home. The white-flowered purslane got its name due to the color of the double inflorescences. different colors The Illusion variety has cherry or pink inflorescences The princely purslane pleases with its white, orange and scarlet flowers The Royal purslane has simple, but very bright flowers The large-flowered purslane has become the base for hybrid varieties The most modest outwardly garden purslane in many countries is a valuable food -purple flowers
The amber coast is distinguished by orange-colored flowers

A few words about garden purslane

Purslane vegetable, which many gardeners destroy, considering it a weed, is not only useful, it is used to treat many diseases. Stems infused with alcohol help with arthritis, heal ulcers. Decoctions and infusions are used for insomnia, eye diseases, dysentery and diabetes.

Vegetable purslane greens are very healthy and taste good.

Vitamin green purslane is low in calories, so it is an excellent component of dietary nutrition. Young shoots with leaves are fried, stewed and pickled. In order to retain all the benefits of purslane, eat it fresh.

Purslane garden - an early culture. It is planted directly into the ground from late May to mid-June. Care is timely watering. With a lack of moisture, the leaves become rougher. The first harvest of young greens is taken already 3-4 weeks after sowing.

Video: getting to know the unpretentious purslane

How to propagate a plant

Purslane is propagated by seeds and cuttings. Just now harvested seeds do not germinate, they need to lie down for about six months. And they remain viable for about 3 years. Purslane can be sown directly into the ground when the average daily temperature is at least 20 ° C. In addition, seedlings can be grown.

seedling method

1. Sow seeds for seedlings at the end of March or April (the warmer the climate, the earlier, but you should not rush - the seedlings can outgrow).
2. Prepare low containers (about 7 cm high), preferably with a transparent lid, make drainage holes in them. Fill up the containers. Lay a small drainage layer (perlite, fine expanded clay, vermiculite) and a light substrate (sand, garden soil, charcoal chips). Ready soil not suitable for seedlings, it contains peat, in which purslane does not grow well.

   

   For purslane seedlings, low containers and light soil without peat are needed.

3. Compact the soil and water.
4. Mix purslane seeds with sand and spread over the surface.
5. Cover the container with a lid, glass or film.
6. Put in a warm (average daily temperature not lower than 25 ° C) and well-lit place (southern window sill, on the other hand, there must be backlighting).
7. Ventilate the greenhouse regularly and moisten the substrate if it is dry. After 5–10 days, the seeds sprout.

   

   In warmth and good lighting purslane sprouts appear after 5-10 days

8. Remove cover after germination.
9. Keep warm (below 20°C can be detrimental to seedlings) and provide bright light.
10. Moisturize carefully, excess moisture leads to blackleg disease. It is better to water through the pan.

    

    Purslane seedlings need to be watered carefully

11. When the shoots have 2-3 true leaves, thin them out, leaving the strongest ones.

    

    Purslane crops must be thinned out to give room for the development of the remaining seedlings.

12. Pick them up in separate containers. At the same time, be careful with the root, transfer the sprout with a clod of earth. Deepen to the cotyledon leaves.

    

    When picking, handle the root carefully, deepen the sprouts to the lower leaves

13. Gradually accustom the seedlings to the street, exposing them to fresh air during the day (at first for 20 minutes, gradually increasing the time).

    

    Harden seedlings so that there is no stress from transplanting to the street

14. After the threat of frost has passed (at the end of May-first half of June), and the average daily temperature will be 20–22 ° C, transplant seedlings into open ground.

    

    For purslane seedlings to take root, you need warmth, sun and poor soil.

15. For purslane, choose a warm and well-lit place with poor soil.
16. Place the sprouts at a distance of 10–15 cm, deepen the seedlings to the first leaf.

Video: sowing terry purslane for seedlings

How to plant seeds outdoors

Purslane is sown directly into the ground in late May-early June. We must wait until the soil warms up to 20-25 o C. Purslane sprouts can die if it gets even slightly colder, not to mention freezing.

Sow the purslane in the place where it will grow constantly

How to sow seeds: step by step process

1. Make a bed for purslane in a sunny area, protected from the wind. Ideally, if it is a small elevation.
2. Add sand to overly nutritious soil.
3. Moisten the soil, spread the purslane seeds on it, sprinkle a little sand on top.
4. cover the garden polyethylene film or glass.
5. In the afternoon, when it gets warm, open the garden bed for 2-3 hours to ventilate.
6. Moisten crops as needed by spraying from a spray bottle.
7. When shoots appear and the temperature is not lower than 24–26 ° C, remove the film.
8. Seedlings that have grown to 2-3 cm, thin out and transplant to permanent place, scheme - 10:15.
9. Water under the root when the top layer dries out.

Landing before winter

Sowing purslane before winter is only in the southern regions. The seeds of a heat-loving plant will not start growing until the soil warms up to 20-25 o C. So in the middle latitudes there is no point in winter sowing, early flowering still can't be achieved.

Purslane before winter is best sown in regions with a warm climate.

1. Choose a heated and lit area for a flower bed with purslane, it will be good if it is a hill.
2. Remove weeds and prepare the bed.
3. Should be sown twice more seeds than during spring sowing. Mix purslane seeds with sand.
4. Spread the mixture on the soil, sprinkle lightly.
5. In the spring, make sure that the area does not dry out completely after the snow has melted.
6. You can cover the crops with a film to keep warm.
7. After the seeds germinate, care for them as you would regular seedlings.

Propagation by cuttings

Purslane can cuttings all summer to renew plantings. Also, this method will help speed up the appearance of the first flowers.

How to care for garden purslane

A blooming carpet saves the grower time and effort. Purslane is drought tolerant, loves poor soil and does not require careful maintenance. The only thing a plant cannot do without is the sun.

Growth and flowering

It is enough to water flower beds with purslane at least once a week if there is no rain. Pour water under the roots or on top of a small divider. The main thing - try not to erode the soil. Plants living in flowerpots or other containers will need more frequent watering. But in any case, underfilling is better than waterlogging the soil. In too rainy weather or with an excess of water, the purslane suffers.

A thick carpet of purslane prevents weeds from germinating

Mulching and loosening the ground in the flower bed is only necessary at first, until the purslane bushes have grown. The plant quickly covers the soil with its shoots, and weeds do not germinate on such a rug. Additional nutrition is not required for the flower. It grows well and blooms without fertilizing. Purslane very rarely gets sick and is not liked by pests.

Surprisingly, juicy greens and delicate flowers purslane do not like harmful insects

How to collect and save seeds

If you do not remove wilted inflorescences, it is possible that the purslane will multiply by itself, scattering ripened seeds. And then next spring a flower carpet will grow again in the same place.

If you do not trust the purslane to self-sow, watch the maturation of the seed pods. To see them well, remove sluggish petals from inflorescences. It is important not to skip maturation and "unpacking". Otherwise, small grains will fall to the ground. It is no longer possible to collect them.

The seeds of this plant are often compared to dust because they are so tiny. 10 thousand pieces of purslane seeds weigh only 1 g.

Purslane has very small grains that easily disperse themselves.

It is better to harvest planting material for the future at the height of summer. In the heat, purslane seeds ripen in only 10–14 days. It is necessary to collect them when the box turns yellow, and then dry the crop. With the arrival of cool weather (when average daily temperature 12-15 o C) purslane seeds do not ripen. If you did not have time to stock up, take the plant pot home and wait for the seeds to be ready.

Purslane is afraid of the cold, so it is not left outside in winter

Video: decorative purslane care

Problems in growing purslane

Some gardeners complain that purslane blooms modestly or refuses to open buds at all. Most often, the reason for this whim is errors in choosing a place and soil. Purslane will not bloom in a shaded area. The soil for this plant must be poor. Purslane will consider the soil too greasy, which was fertilized even a year ago. He will be happy to build up a carpet of greenery, but he will not bloom. Owners of fertile plots can artificially reduce the nutritional value of the soil by adding sand, vermiculite, expanded clay or fine gravel.

in the rich nutrients soil purslane will build up lush greenery no flowers

Purslane almost does not bloom on cloudy and rainy summer. From wet weather, the plant can get sick. Leaves and stems become stained, rot and die. Purslane stops growing. Treatment consists of sanitary pruning. It is necessary to remove the affected parts, and then treat the purslane and soil with a fungicide (Previkur, Soligor, Fundazol or Skor).

How to get rid of purslane pests

Growing on the windowsill: can purslane grow at home

Even 5–10 years ago, purslane in our area was considered only a garden annual. Now the ampel variety is grown at home. While the plant is just settling on the windowsill. But more and more flower growers do not want to part with purslane for the winter.

Ampel purslane feels good at home

Table: room conditions

Season	Lighting	Humidity	Temperature
Spring	Bright, with direct sunlight. Plentiful light is especially important for the formation of buds and flowering. The best place- South window. Does not need shading.	Moderate or reduced, 40–60%. Does not require spraying. Painfully refers to excess moisture. But too dry air from heaters is harmful to purslane.	Moderate, slightly elevated, 20-25 o C. It tolerates an increase to 27 o C. It is better to spend the summer in the fresh air. Place the plant pot on the balcony or in the garden.
Summer
Autumn	With a short light day, add artificial lighting (phytolamps, fluorescent, LED). With a lack of light, the shoots stretch out, the leaves become smaller, flowering does not occur.		It is better to winter the purslane at a cool temperature (15–17 o C, but not lower than 10 o C). In the southern regions, a glazed balcony is suitable for the cold season.
Winter

Watering, fertilizing and pruning at home

Water indoor purslane moderately, always waiting until the soil is almost completely dry. It’s not scary to overdry an earthen lump, it will be worse if excess moisture provokes a disease. For watering, use soft, non-cold water.

Purslane on the window - so far a rare occurrence

It is not necessary to feed a purslane growing in a flower bed, it will take everything from the soil. But what lives in confined space pot, a little nutrition does not hurt. Especially during flowering. You can give him mineral fertilizers for flowering plants every 2-3 weeks. But make the concentration half as much as recommended in the instructions. With nutrition, as with water, a deficit is preferable to an excess.

Purslane prefers moderation in watering and nutrition, and light - in abundance.

Indoor purslane can bloom not only in summer, but also in winter, if you provide it with additional lighting and warm content. True, there will not be many flowers. And it is better to give the purslane a cool rest during the winter.

In warm and good light, purslane will bloom all year round.

During the winter, the shoots inevitably stretch. So in early spring the plant should be shortened slightly. Do not tighten with a haircut, so as not to damage the formation of buds (they appear at the ends of the shoots). By summer, the purslane should grow new branches.

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Read more about growing purslane below.

Purslane flowers - description

Purslane flowers are grown as annuals because they cannot stand our winters even under cover. Their height does not exceed 30 cm. The purslane has a branched spindle-shaped root, juicy, branched stems Brown, hollow inside, fleshy leaves, cylindrical or resembling a flattened egg. The flowers are white, yellow, deep red, bloom from June to September, and although each flower lives only one day, withering by evening, purslane blooms so profusely that it seems to be continuous. The fruit of the purslane is a multi-seeded spherical box. In addition to garden purslane grown in flowerbeds, in pots, hanging baskets and containers, garden purslane grass grows in our gardens, or vegetable purslane, which is a weed on the one hand, and a salad and medicinal plant on the other.

Growing purslane from seeds

Sowing purslane.

Many flower growers consider growing purslane seedlings the most convenient way reproduction, so we will tell you how to sow purslane for seedlings. Despite the fact that many flower growers, when discussing when it is better to plant purslane seeds, believe that this should be done at the end of February or early March, it seems to me that it is better to sow purslane for seedlings in April so that germinated seedlings grow and development was enough for daylight hours, while more early crops have to be illuminated artificially. Before sowing purslane, you should prepare soil mixture, because in any purchased soil contains peat, which slows down the germination of purslane seeds. To prepare the mixture, you can take garden soil, add about 20% sand to it, mix thoroughly and ignite the mixture in the oven. In a shallow container with drainage holes, lay a layer of fine gravel or expanded clay, place disinfected soil on top, pour it with settled, and best of all, melt water and spread the seeds a centimeter apart on the surface - the easiest way to do this is using a wet toothpick - then lightly press seeds into the soil and, having built a frame over the container, pull transparent polyethylene over it to make a greenhouse. It is necessary to keep a greenhouse with sowing in a bright, warm place where the temperature will not fall below 22 ºC, but it is better that it be approximately 30 ºC.

Purslane seedling.

At favorable conditions Purslane seedlings will begin to appear in a week or two, and as soon as this happens, the film can be removed from the container. Now you should know how to grow purslane seedlings. Growing purslane seedlings involves periodically moistening the soil with settled water using the bottom irrigation method, and, if necessary, organizations additional lighting. Under what circumstances might this need arise? If you see that the seedlings are too stretched, then they do not have enough light, therefore, they will have to be illuminated with fluorescent lamps or ordinary table lamp a couple of hours in the morning and a few hours in the evening, thus lengthening the daylight hours for seedlings. In cloudy weather, the lamps should burn all day. But if you sow purslane for seedlings in April and keep the seedlings on the southern windowsill, then all this trouble with artificial lighting will not be needed.

Purslane pick.

When and how to dive purslane? As soon as the seedlings have a pair of true leaves, they need to be planted three in cups with a diameter of 7-8 cm, trying not to shake off the earthen ball from the roots, and a week after picking, when they take root, the first top dressing should be made with complex mineral fertilizer. Then top dressing should be carried out weekly or once a decade until the very landing in the ground.

Planting purslane in open ground

When to plant purslane.

Planting purslane flowers is carried out no earlier than the beginning of June, because you must be sure that there will be no more frosts, otherwise, at temperatures below 10 ºC, the leaves fall off the purslane. Prepare a place for the plant in the sunniest and most elevated area, because even in partial shade it may not bloom, and if the purslane roots are close ground water or in a lowland where water stagnates, putrefactive processes of the plant's root system may occur. The soil for purslane is best poor, sandy, because on rich soil purslane only increases its green mass, but does not bloom.

How to plant purslane.

It is desirable to plant purslane in open ground when the seedlings grow 10-15 leaves and several buds appear. Purslane is planted in this order: the bushes should be located no closer than 15-20 cm from each other. The first 2-3 days after planting, the purslane in the flower bed should be watered daily, especially if the weather is dry. Purslane blooms from seeds 6-7 weeks after germination.

Purslane - care

How to grow purslane.

Caring for purslane flowers consists in periodic watering - despite the fact that its leaves retain moisture well, the plant needs water for normal flowering. The plant does not need fertilizing, pruning, weeding, or loosening the soil. All purslane care is infrequent, but regular watering.

Pests and diseases of purslane.

As you can see, planting a purslane and caring for it is within the power of both an indefatigable and a lazy lover of flowers. Even growing terry purslane from seeds is not difficult, because it does not differ from the rules for growing large-flowered or garden purslane, which were described above. As for pests and diseases, the purslane is very resistant to them, and you are unlikely to have any difficulties with this. However, sometimes there is a massive raid on flower beds, gardens and aphids, then the purslane also gets it. It is best to fight aphids by spraying Actellik, and if you couldn’t fix the problem the first time, then after a week you can repeat the insecticide treatment. Sometimes purslane infects the fungus Albugo portulaceae, which is expressed in deformation of the shoots and the appearance of spots on the leaves. Damaged parts will have to be removed and the plants sprayed with a fungicide containing copper.

Purslane properties.

Purslane after flowering

How and when to collect purslane seeds.

As soon as the flowers begin to wither, remove them without regret, while they are easily removed from the ovary, otherwise they will wither, and you will not see the fruit under them, which, when ripe, will open and spill the seeds to the ground. In dry weather, the seeds ripen two weeks after pollination; in cold summer and autumn, the ripening process can be delayed for a month. In addition, you should know that freshly harvested seeds become viable only next spring and retain it for three years.

Purslane in winter.

In our climate, garden purslane does not hibernate, so in the fall you need to free the area from it and dig up the soil. Purslane propagates by self-sowing, so do not worry about how and when to plant it next spring.

Types and varieties of purslane

Large-flowered purslane (Portulaca grandiflora).

As already mentioned, in garden culture grown purslane large-flowered, a native of South America, a perennial cultivated in our climate as an annual plant. In height, the bushes of large-flowered purslane reach no more than 30 cm, since its stems are decumbent. The leaves are fleshy, small, cylindrical in shape. Single cup-shaped flowers with a diameter of 3-4 cm, simple or double, look like tea roses in white, cream, beige, yellow, red or purple, there are varieties that have a two-tone color. The original species has red flowers. Large-flowered purslane blooms from June to late October. The best varieties:

• – Double Mix - purslane terry, usually sold as a mixture of purslane seeds;
• – Cherry- also a terry variety, undersized - only 10-12 cm in height, with a strong stem and large cherry-colored flowers up to 5 cm in diameter;
• – hybrid Cream- Terry flowers up to 5 cm in diameter cream color with a darker middle;
• – Sunglo– variety with the most large flowers, which do not close even on a cloudy day, just like the flowers of the Sundance and Cloudbeater varieties.

Purslane garden, or vegetable purslane (Portulaca oleracea)

- an annual plant up to 30 cm high, easily propagated by self-sowing. The stem is strongly branched, the leaves are oblong-spatulate, the flowers are light yellow with a diameter of 7-8 mm. Grows in groups. Blooms from June to late summer. Valuable good palatability and healing properties.

"? If not, then I will gladly tell you a secret: the name of this mysterious plant comes from the Latin "portula", which means "gate". Why a gate? Yes, because the open seed box of the plant resembles a tiny open gate. By the way, this name is not known to all flower lovers; among the people, another, no less interesting, “rug” is firmly entrenched in the plant. In this article, I will share my experience of growing purslane and tell you how to achieve a long and lush flowering this amazing plant.

Coming to us from the countries of South and North America is surprisingly gentle and, one might say, exquisite flower conquered summer residents with its unpretentiousness and naive beauty. Being popular in Europe in the Middle Ages, today in many European countries purslane grows as field weed self-seeding. Despite this circumstance, for many gardeners, purslane is a welcome guest on, and the point is not only in the fancy flowers of the plant, but also in the long flowering period - from June to August.

I will also mention that at all times main value purslane was not only about beauty abundant flowering but also in medicinal properties. So, the Arabs grew the "blessed" purslane in the Middle Ages, believing that it cures all diseases, and in the time of Hippocrates, purslane leaves and flowers were used as an antidote after snake bites and in the treatment of severe wounds.

Planting purslane

The large-flowered purslane plant is heat-resistant, which is why, in order to achieve abundant flowering, it must be planted in the most lit place, keep this in mind when growing purslane! It is desirable that the place where the purslane will grow is dry and warm, so I try to plant the plant on elevations, not far from the southern wall of the house, since the flowerbed is very well located.

Purslane is so thermophilic that already at +10 ° C and below, its leaves begin to fall off, so it is possible to plant a “mat” in open ground only closer to mid-June. When planting, maintain a distance between plants of at least 15 cm.

Reproduction of purslane

I sow purslane quite early (in mid-March) in small containers, on the bottom of which I pour a layer of fine gravel (about 0.5 cm), then fill the containers with soil. I want to say about the soil separately: the universal earth mixture that I use to grow most plants is not suitable in this case. The reason is that it contains, the presence of which greatly complicates the germination of purslane seeds. I prepare the earth mixture myself, for which I take simple garden soil and add about 20% ordinary sand to it. ready mix I always disinfect: I scatter it on a baking sheet, put it in a hot oven for half an hour. Only after such a heat treatment do I use it for sowing purslane.

The containers filled with soil must be thoroughly moistened with settled, and even better - with melt water, and only after that you can start sowing. I lay out the seeds in increments of about 1 cm from each other and lightly, by about 0.5 mm, press them into the soil. On top of these containers, I build a frame from thin (prepared in advance) branches and cover with a film - it turns out.

Purslane, as I wrote above, is very thermophilic, therefore, its seedlings, literally from the first days of life, need warmth - not lower than +22 ° C. To provide maximum light for young plants, I place containers with them on the brightest window sill in the house, not far from the radiator.

After the purslane seedlings acquire a couple of true leaves, they must be placed in small (about 7-8 cm in diameter) pots.

With insufficient lighting, watering and lack of heat, purslane seedlings grow very slowly, stretch out. With heat, thanks to the stretched film, the problem can be solved quickly, with water too (I water the plants as needed with warm settled water, trying to prevent the soil from drying out). But with a lack of light at the end of March, when the purslane seedlings have already risen and want to actively develop, everything is a little more complicated. I make up for the lack natural light electric light, for which I use an ordinary table lamp. it takes a long time: until 9 am and in the evening, as soon as it starts to get dark, in cloudy weather - throughout the day.

Purslane also reproduces well by cuttings, for which the specimens you like most on winter period put away in a cool place. In the spring, cut cuttings about 5 cm long and, removing all the lower leaves, plant the purslane in the prepared soil.

Purslane Care

Purslane needs regular, but not much frequent watering A: I do this every 4-5 days with warm settled water. Watering is especially important during dry periods, hot days, when the moisture in the soil is not enough for the plant - remember this!

Purslane - unpretentious plant, which almost does not need top dressing, it blooms equally beautifully on both rich and poor lands. Even where the soil is sandy, with large admixtures of clay, any kind of purslane (terry item, garden item, large-flowered item, and others) grows beautifully.

Diseases and pests of purslane

In principle, based on five years of experience in growing purslane, I can say that it is very resistant to both pests and diseases. The only thing that was noticed: sometimes small spots appear on the fleshy leaves of the purslane, and the shoots are deformed and become ugly.

After digging a little in the specialized literature, I found the reason: this is how the fungus Albugo portulaceae acts on the purslane, which you can get rid of by removing the damaged parts of the plant and spraying it with any that contains copper.

Types of purslane

The genus purslane united over 200 species of perennial and annual herbaceous plants, which also included succulents (with succulent stems or leaves). how garden plant Today, only one species is grown - large-flowered purslane (Portulaca grandiflora).

Large-flowered purslane (Portulaca grandiflora)

A native of South America has firmly established himself on the European continent. Today it can be found in numerous parks in England, flower beds in France and flowerbeds in Russia. Among the varieties large-flowered purslane there are also terry ones, which, unfortunately, are still quite rare. What is strange: growing and caring for terry varieties is no different from the conditions for cultivating purslane with simple flowers.

Despite the fact that purslane is a large-flowered perennial creeping plant, it is grown in culture as an annual, most often used in borders and, window boxes and culture.

Relatively small in height, about 20 cm, large-flowered purslane attracts attention with beautiful (in my opinion, a little similar to) flowers and fleshy cylindrical leaves. The flowers of the "rug" can be different in color: white, yellow, coffee, red, even two-tone. For most gardeners, the most valuable terry varieties of purslane are ‘White-flowered’ and ‘Splendens’.

Purslane variety ‘White-flowered’

It has beautiful white double flowers.

Purslane variety ‘White-flowered’

Flowering is plentiful, long.

Purslane variety ‘Splendens’

Variety ‘Splendens’ strikes with an unusually bright pink-purple color of the petals.

Purslane variety ‘Splendens’’

Flowering is friendly, lasts a long time.

Garden purslane (Portulaca oleracea)

Purslane is a cosmopolitan plant, that is, it is cultivated all over the world. In height, the vegetable purslane (the second name of the garden purslane) reaches only 30 cm, the stems are highly branched, the fleshy leaves are oblong-scapular. It blooms, in comparison with other types of purslane, rather inconspicuously - small light yellow flowers. But after all, it is not grown as a garden plant, the main value lies in the unique healing properties.

My story about the amazing purslane has come to an end. I hope you liked this unpretentious, but very beautiful and useful plant.