FLOWER PORTULAC: BRIGHT AND UNpretentious

For a long time I was looking for a hardy and unpretentious ground cover for my site, which does not need much attention. I have such a place in the flower garden - in the very sun, where any flowers rarely succeed. That's where I wanted to plant something beautiful, but at the same time drought-resistant and low-maintenance.

After a long search, I settled on purslane grandiflora. This plant came to us from the hot countries of South America (Argentina and Brazil), therefore it has good endurance and the ability to do without moisture for a long time.

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Due to the weak frost resistance of purslane, she preferred to grow it with seedlings. I was in no hurry with sowing, sowed purslane for seedlings in the first half of April, when there was already enough light and heat and the crops did excellently without additional lighting (with a lack of light, seedlings quickly stretch and may die). But if it is possible to illuminate the plants, then purslane can be sown from March.

I prepared the substrate for sowing on the basis of garden soil and sand (3: 1), added a little wood ash (I do not recommend adding humus or compost to it, purslane does not like this). A layer of drainage was poured at the bottom of the container, as this plant reacts negatively to waterlogging. The soil was previously shed with Fitosporin to disinfect it.

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Purslane seeds are very small, but are clearly visible due to an interesting metallic sheen. When sowing, I did not deepen them, but distributed them over the surface of the soil. I thoroughly moistened it with a spray bottle, covered the container with the crops with a film and put it on germination in a bright place with a temperature of about 25 ° C.

In the first month, seedlings developed slowly. I air them regularly. After the appearance of 2-3 true leaves, the seedlings were picked up and grown in a warm place.

The strengthened and pre-hardened seedlings were planted in open ground when the daytime temperature was at least 20°C and the night temperature was -15°C. It was the end of May.

The place for the purslane was taken away by the sunniest - there was no other free space in the flower garden. But for purslane, such conditions are just right, because the flowers of this plant open only in the bright sun, and in the shade, partial shade and in cloudy weather they are either half-open or completely closed.

The soil in the area allocated for purslane is light, non-acidic. I didn’t specially add any top dressing, since purslane blooms worse on fertilized soil. The poorer the soil, the better for him.

In the initial period of development, the planted plants were watered, but as they grew older, they practically stopped watering, since purslane is a drought-resistant culture. This flower can do without watering for a long time due to juicy, fleshy, needle-shaped leaves and creeping shoots, they retain moisture like succulents. Purslane is unstable to constant moisture, can be affected by fungal diseases.

Purslane bloomed at the end of June. Its flowering was like a Persian carpet - it looked so bright, colorful. This plant has a very rich color palette! Purslane bloomed with yellow, orange, red, cream, salmon, pink flowers until autumn.

The purslane gave good self-sowing, and the next year the colorful carpets bloomed on their own, without much effort on my part.

MULTICOLORED PORTULAC CARPET

I always liked purslane, I looked into the flower beds of my fellow villagers and admired the bright rugs from this plant.

Once in the spring I bought purslane seeds of different colors in a flower shop. In early March, I sowed them for seedlings (the seeds turned out to be so small that I had to tinker with them). I covered the containers with crops with a film and put them on the windowsill. From time to time, the package was removed and the soil was sprayed with a spray bottle.

Seedlings appeared on the 7-8th day, but thin, like threads. I had to carefully sprinkle them with earth for stability. True, not all survived, but basically the seedlings were saved. With the onset of heat, I landed them in a sunny place 15-20 cm apart, since the purslane tends to grow. When the plants grew a little, I pinched the tops to grow lush and beautiful bushes. And I succeeded. If you do not pinch the plants, they will spread along the ground, forming a beautiful rug.

Immediately after transplanting seedlings into open ground, I watered them as the soil dried up, and when the plants got stronger, watering was reduced. These flowers can go without watering for a long time - checked. Of course, she removed weeds, after watering she sometimes loosened the ground.

I also like purslane because not a single pest touches it, it grows on its own, without causing trouble. It has been self-seeding for several years now. And I knead ripe seed boxes with my fingers over the place where I plan to grow them next year.

Purslane blooms for a long time and continuously. It can be planted near the gazebo, benches, along the paths. Purslane is very decorative in the garden, but since it grows quickly and can take up a large area, you need to keep an eye on it.

GROWING PORTULAC - LANDING AND CARE, ADVICE AND FEEDBACK

SMART "RUGS" OF PORTULAC

With its charm and unpretentiousness, I was captivated by the large-flowered purslane - a herbaceous ground cover annual with fleshy leaves and beautiful flowers of various colors that bloom on the bushes from June to frost.

I grow different varieties. Splendens attracted me with a bright pink-purple color of double flowers. The pun struck with a variety of rich shades of double and semi-double flowers. Air marshmallow lured with tenderness of snow-white "roses". The dream of summer surprised me with densely double flowers and the fact that they open even in cloudy weather. Royal purslane, for example, has simple, but large flowers. Feeria and Flamenco are also large (up to 6 cm in diameter), but terry. The cream differs from others in a beige shade of petals.

For earlier and longer flowering, I grow purslane through seedlings. In early April, I superficially sow the seeds in a container with drainage holes filled with a moist loose substrate (garden soil + sand - 3: 1), previously calcined in the oven. At the bottom, do not forget to pour expanded clay. I lightly spray the crops, cover with a film and put in a bright warm (+ 23-28 degrees) place. I ventilate the greenhouses periodically.

After 1-2 weeks, friendly shoots appear, after which I remove the film and lower the temperature to +20 degrees. If the weather is cloudy, I use the backlight. During the day, lighting should be at least 12 hours. At first, I shade the seedlings from direct sunlight. I water moderately first into the pan, and when the plants grow a little, I moisten from above.

After the development of two pairs of true leaves, I dive the seedlings into separate cups with drainage holes, deepening to the first true leaves.

I feed seedlings 2 times with complex mineral fertilizer for flowering plants, making the concentration 2 times less than indicated on the package. The first time I give food 10 days after picking, the second - 2 weeks after the first feeding.

3 weeks before planting in a flower bed, I harden the bushes, gradually increasing the ventilation time.

BTW

Purslane cuttings take root well. Once I accidentally broke off a branch and put it in the water. After 2 weeks, roots appeared, and I planted the plant in a flower bed.

PORTULAC IN THE OPEN GROUND

In early June, when the threat of return frosts has passed, I plant bushes at a distance of 15 cm. I choose an open, sunny, elevated place for planting, without stagnant water.

Purslane does not tolerate acidic soil, as well as nutritious soil, on which it begins to fatten, abundantly growing greens. It blooms best on light and poor sandy soil. A rocky area will also do.

The first time after transplanting, I water the bushes. Adult specimens do not need frequent moisturizing. But I don’t allow the soil to dry out too much, so that the plants will please with more lush and long flowering.

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