Plant, maintain, multiply and more

Plant purslane correctly

The moving out of the ice saints in mid-May marks the beginning of the planting time of Purslane florets. Choose a sunny, sandy-poor location that is warm to hot. Here you dig small holes at a distance of 15-20 cm. If in doubt, use normal garden soil with sand or fine soil Grit(€ 41.99 at Amazon *) added to create the appropriate permeability. Do not put the potted young plants deeper into the ground than in the nursery pot. Water regularly in the first few days in order to gradually reduce the water supply to the low requirements of the succulents.

Care tips

In the optimal location, the purslane florets will mainly attract attention with its splendor of flowers, instead of time-consuming care. The following measures are important:

• Only water in the bed if the summer drought persists
• Do not water the pot until the substrate has dried well
• A thin layer of mulch made of compost covers the fertilizer requirement
• Purslane florets in the pot and Flower box(€ 149.00 at Amazon *) Apply liquid succulent fertilizer every 4-6 weeks
• Consistently clean off withered flowers for a long-lasting bloom

If you want to sow the annual summer flower yourself, leave a few withered flowers in the bed from September until frost.

Which location is suitable?

In the sunny, warm location, the purslane shows what floral power it is. A location in the light Penumbra is tolerated, admittedly at the expense of the abundance of flowers. If you combine a correspondingly sandy, poor soil for the midsummer place, the annual flower will meet all expectations.

What soil does the plant need?

The purslane favors a sandy, dry and poor soil, as it dominates in the rock garden and gravel bed. So that the summer beauty feels comfortable in normal garden soil, enrich the soil with sand or very fine gravel. In the pot and balcony box, we recommend a standard standard soil, pricking substrate or emaciated with sand as the substrate Potting soil.

When is the flowering time?

A sun-drenched, sandy, lean and hot summer location spurs the Portulaca grandiflora on to a flowering period from May to November. So that the permanent bloomer does not run out of floral breath, cut off the withered flowers regularly. In this way, new buds always find their way to sunlight.

Cut purslane correctly

If the purslane works as a summer ground cover, use the scissors to keep the spread in the desired shape. We also recommend that you regularly cut off the withered flower stalks. This creates a well-groomed appearance and attracts numerous new buds. Before winter, cut the plant close to the ground or remove the entire root ball from the ground in order to dispose of everything on the compost.

Pour purslane

As a typical succulent, the purslane is not watered much. The natural rainfall is usually sufficient in the bed. Only water the flower a little if it is permanently dry in summer. The pot and balcony box are only watered when the substrate surface has dried to a depth of 2 cm.

Fertilize purslane properly

The exotic sun worshipers like spartan conditions when it comes to the nutrient balance. In the bed, a thin layer of compost covers as Mulch(€ 13.95 at Amazon *) completely off. If purslane florets thrive in the planter, give them a liquid succulent fertilizer every 4-6 weeks.

Overwinter

The exotic succulents are not frost-resistant. Although purslane florets thrive for several years in their homeland, annual cultivation is practiced in our latitudes. If you give the plant the necessary time for self-sowing in autumn, the flower festival will continue next year. If you would like to dare to experiment with wintering, give potted and box plants in good time before the first frost. In the bright location at 15-18 degrees Celsius, water from time to time so that the substrate does not dry out. There is no fertilization during the cold season.
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Propagate purslane

The 4-6 mm small fruits contain several tiny seeds. Leave some withered flowers in autumn to collect the ripe seed pods. Stored in a dry, cool place, use the seeds for the from March sowing behind glass. This is how it works:

• Peat-free Sowing soil mix with sand and pour into a seed bowl
• Mix the fine seeds with the bird sand, sow and sieve thinly
• Moisten with water from the hand sprayer and place on the warm windowsill
• At 18-20 degrees Celsius, germination takes 8-14 days

Strong seedlings with more than 2 pairs of leaves are pricked into sandy substrate and kept slightly moist until mid-May.

Purslane in a pot

In the pot and flower box, the purslane florets inspire as a semi-standing and semi-hanging balcony beauty. You can look forward to a magical abundance of flowers if you take the following care measures to heart:

• Pour in a poor, lean substrate such as standard, prick or herb soil over a drainage made of potsherds
• Plant and water 5-6 flowers per meter of balcony box
• Water only a little when the substrate is well dried
• Pamper them with liquid herbal or succulent fertilizers every 4 weeks until the end of the flowering period
• Clean up dead flowers as soon as possible to avoid the debilitating seed formation

In view of the very easy propagation by sowing, the effort of wintering on the windowsill is not worthwhile.

Is purslane poisonous?

The close botanical relationship of purslane toulaca (Portulaca grandiflora) with summer purslane (Portulaca oleracea) and winter purslane (Claytonia perfoliata), the tasty herb plants and wild vegetables, entices hobby gardeners time and again to go from the flower to nibble. Although the flower is not poisonous, its taste is very disappointing. After all, the flowers act as a pretty decoration of cold and warm food or drinks.

Nice varieties

• Sundial Chiffon: Silky, delicate flower pile with half-double flowers in rose-red and early flowering from June
• Sundial Gold: Beautiful purslane florets with ruffled flower heads in gold-yellow and dense branching
• Sundial Orange: Small Portulaca grandiflora with dark orange flowers
• Bicolor: Premium variety with yellow and pink flowers; the ideal ground cover for sunny, hot locations
• Stopwatch Cream: Picturesque summer flower whose cream-colored flowers adorn a pink center