Portulaca grandiflora(Portulaca grandiflora) is a fairly easy-to-grow annual plant that flowers in bright colors.The requirements of large-flowered purslanein relation to the place of cultivation are small. It grows perfectly in dry and sunny places. See whatcultivation of purslaneand learn how to carry outreproduction of purslane in the gardenWe reveal the secrets of abundant flowering of purslane!
Portulaca grandiflora - Portulaca grandiflora
Fig. pixabay.com
What does the large-leaved purslane look like?
The large-flowered purslane is a low annual plant , with a creeping habit, reaching only 15 cm in height. In white-flowered varieties, the creeping stem is fleshy and green. The stem is usually more or less reddish in varieties of other colors.The fleshy leaves of the purslaneare even, cylindrical, arranged in a twist, slightly hairy at the base, and concentrated in a rosette under the flower.
Purslane flowers are very charming , single or full, 4 cm in diameter. They are yellow, pink or carmine in color. They open only in sunny weather from the second half of summer until the first frost.Among the varieties of large-flowered purslanewe can also find varieties with full flowers that do not close in cloudy weather. They are the multicolored purslane 'Cloudbeater' and 'Sundance' and the white blooming purslane 'Swan Lake'.
The fruit of the large-flowered purslaneis a round bag with tiny, shiny seeds, steel-gray in color.
In addition to the ornamental purslane, , the common purslane(Portulaca oleracea) is also cultivated. In the past, this plant was used as a vegetable (it has edible leaves), but now it is mainly a weed. This species of purslane is well described in our forum as purslane.Compared to the large-flowered purslane , the common purslane can grow much taller (up to 40 cm in height), and its leaves are ovate, small, fleshy, opposite on the stem. The yellow flowers of the common purslane appear in the leaf axils and are very inconspicuous. The plant, therefore, does not look as nice as the large-flowered purslane.
Portulaca grandiflora - Portulaca grandiflora
Fig. Martin Greslou, Public Domain, Wikimedia Commons
Portulaca large-flowered - requirements
Large-flowered purslane requires well-sunny and permeable soils For this reason, the large-flowered purslane is an excellent plant for rock gardens, flower-lined retaining walls and dry and sunny slopes. It looks beautiful in sandstone containers or decorative bowls exposed to full sun. It also looks good in boxes and pots on the terrace or balcony. For cultivation in containers and pots, the variety 'Sundial' is particularly recommended, with very short growth and full and semi-double flowers.
Purslane is suitable for planting places , where strong sunlight and poor soil prevent the cultivation of other types of flowers. It is a very good ideato create carpets of purslane along passages and alleyson plots and in home gardens. While other plants in such places do not always do well,large-flowered purslane usually growswithout problems, being an attractive decoration along garden paths.
Large-leaved purslane dies easily when it is cool and rainy He feels bad in the shade and hates heavy, moist and clay soils even more. Therefore,the best growing position for purslane is a sunny and dry placeIn such sites, purslane blooms most abundantly.
Large-flowered purslane - cultivation
Purslane is an extremely hardy plant , therefore it should not be watered frequently. It is enough to check the moisture content of the substrate once a week and prevent it from drying out completely during the summer. Too prolonged drought in the summer may cause flower buds to die off.
In terms of fertilizationpurslane does not require the systematic use of mineral fertilizers . We can use a dose of fertilizer for flowering plants together with watering.
Portulaca grandiflora - Portulaca grandiflora
Fig. pixabay.com
Problems with growing purslanemay be caused by aphids, although this is rare.These pests suck the sap from plants, making them weak. Stems and leaves covered with tiny bugs also do not look aesthetically pleasing. To make sure that the reason for the weakening of plants is not the aphids, it is worth looking under the leaves and flowers of purslane, because it is under them that pests often hide. Fortunately,if harmful aphids appear on the purslane , simply spray the plants with natural preparations such as Emulpar 940 EC or Agrocover. Vegetable oils contained in these preparations stick to the bodies of pests and cause suffocation. For spraying on aphids, you can also use garden soap with garlic.
Portulaca grandiflora is usually not attacked by diseases , as long as we make sure that the soil is not excessively wet. In order to protect plants against diseases, we can also use natural preparations. In this case, Biosept Active will help.
Large-flowered purslane in a balcony box
Fig. pixabay.com
Portulaca large-flowered - reproduction
Large-flowered purslane is propagated by sowing seedsdirectly into a permanent place or from seedlings. We sow seeds directly into the ground in May, on freshly prepared soil. Unfortunately, during rainy weather, the seedlings are quickly attacked by fungal diseases and die in large numbers. Therefore, the production of purslane seedlings gives better results. On the seedbed it is easier to ensure the conditions appropriate for purslane, and already slightly larger plants planted in beds have greater resistance.
We start growing purslane from seedlingswe start growing in early spring in March or early April, sowing seeds in an inspection or in a cold greenhouse into boxes filled with leaf soil, peat and sand or a ready-made soil mixture for sowing seeds.
Sown purslane seedsgently cover with a thin layer of sand, because the seeds themselves are very small. We cover the box with foil or glass, controlling the moisture content of the substrate.When the plants start to grow, the appearance of the first leaves will be a sign to pierce them.
Quilted purslane seedlings develop better and take root , and after planting in a permanent place, the seedlings take on and grow better. Plants are quilted into pots for multi-pot pallets, which work very well in the production of purslane seedlings. Remember that seedlings and young plants are sensitive to excess moisture.
In mid-May, when the risk of frosts is over,plant young purslane plants into the groundor plant them in balcony boxes. The recommendedplanting distance for purslaneis 25x15-20cm.
MSc Eng. Joanna Białowąs
