Can purslane be grown as a houseplant?

After looking through different photos of purslane, it is sometimes difficult to guess that we see the same plant. These are bright flowers with fleshy needle-like leaves, and grass, which is weeded out from the beds. Purslane is a healthy and beautiful crop that can be grown both outdoors and at home. In addition, this plant is very unpretentious, so even novice growers can handle planting and care.

Purslane features

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

Purslane does not tolerate winter, therefore, in a temperate climate, it is grown as an annual

A herbaceous plant with beautiful flowers - a native of the subtropics of South and Central America. Orchard purslane, or vegetable purslane, 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. Purslane is rich in vitamins C, K, E, PP, B1 and B2, carotene and microelements. In cooking, young shoots and leaves are used, from which salads, stews, and marinades are prepared.

Russian gardeners pull out purslane from their beds, but in many countries it is a valuable vitamin plant.

In Russia, the edible species is rarely cultivated. But decorative purslane is widespread. It is often planted in flower beds, alpine hills, rockeries (a kind of rocky garden) and rabatkas (rectangular beds along paths), they are used to decorate balconies and terraces. This plant takes root well on any, even the most scanty soils, can tolerate drought, does not require weeding and feeding. Its creeping stems grow, forming a dense "carpet" of green villi-leaves with a pattern of bright inflorescences. The bud opens only for a day, so the multi-colored ornament is always different.

Purslane carpet changes color every day

Purslane blooms 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, its flowers do not open in cloudy weather. Although now varieties have been bred that are tolerant of shading.

Choosing between a perennial and an annual flower

Experts have developed 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: keep the varietal plant at home until next year, and after frost, plant it again in the ground or cut a bush.

But not so long ago, hybrid varieties of purslane appeared, which are successfully cultivated both in indoor floriculture and in gardening. These hybrids have 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.

Purslane can be brought home in the fall and stored until next spring.

The advantage of perennial purslane is its longevity in one pot, and the disadvantage 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

And garden varieties delight with the richness of colors, the 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 trouble-free growing purslane. Plant a flower bed once, and then let the flower scatter 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. The colder the 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

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

According to some classifications, the genus of purslane comprises almost 200 varieties, according to others - about 100. But the overwhelming majority of them did not become cultivated plants. In decorative floriculture, large-flowered purslane and many varieties based on it are common.

1. Garden purslane, or vegetable, is an 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 are yellow, small. Young leaves and shoots are eaten. The taste of purslane is similar to spinach with a sorrel flavor.
2. Ampelny purslane is a perennial hybrid species suitable for growing at home and in the open field. The plant has fleshy stems that branch well, thick oval-shaped leaves. The flowers are simple, in different shades of white, red, yellow, purple. Ampel purslane is planted in hanging baskets and tall flowerpots so that the shoots droop beautifully.
3. Large-flowered purslane is a decorative species that is very popular all over the world. In Russia, it is grown as an annual plant. Blooms from June until frost. It is a ground cover plant with creeping shoots. They are covered with a thick brush with needle-like thick leaves. Large (5-7 cm) flowers, double or simple, are located at the ends of the stems, one or three. The flowers of this particular type of purslane are compared to a rose or a peony. In most varieties, the buds close at night and do not bloom on cloudy days.

Double flowers bloom in cloudy weather

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

Dozens of varieties have been created on the basis of large-flowered purslane. The most popular ones are:

• Royal (with simple and very large flowers of various colors);
• Airy marshmallows (with short stems and large double flowers);
• White-flowered (similar to Airy marshmallows, 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 a cherry or pink hue);
• Extravaganza (with contrasting strokes and dots on the flower petals);
• Amber Coast (with lush yellow-orange colors).

Photo gallery: what different varieties look like

A few words about the garden purslane

Vegetable purslane, which many gardeners destroy, considering 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 mellitus.

Vegetable purslane greens are very useful and pleasant to the taste.

Vitamin greens of purslane are 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.

Garden purslane is an early culture. It is planted directly into the ground from late May to mid-June. Care consists in timely watering. With a lack of moisture, the leaves become coarser. The first harvest of young greenery is harvested within 3-4 weeks after sowing.

Video: acquaintance with the unpretentious purslane

How to propagate a plant

Propagated by seed and cuttings purslane. Freshly harvested seeds will not germinate, they need to lie down for about six months. And they retain their germination capacity for about 3 years. You can sow purslane 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 may outgrow).
2. Prepare low containers (about 7 cm high), preferably with a transparent lid, and make drainage holes in them. Fill containers. Lay a small drainage layer (perlite, fine expanded clay, vermiculite) and a light substrate (sand, garden soil, charcoal chips). Ready-made soil for seedlings is not suitable, 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 the purslane seeds with sand and spread over the surface.
5. Cover the container with a lid, glass or foil.
6. Place in a warm (average daily temperature not lower than 25 ° C) and well-lit place (southern windowsill, on the other hand, there must be a backlight).
7. Ventilate the greenhouse regularly and moisten the substrate if it is dry. After 5-10 days, the seeds sprout. In warm and with good lighting, purslane sprouts appear after 5-10 days
8. Remove the shelter after germination.
9. Keep warm (temperatures below 20 ° C can be detrimental to seedlings) and provide bright light.
10. Moisten carefully, excess moisture leads to black leg disease. Better to water through a sump. Purslane seedlings must 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 development to the remaining seedlings
12. Unpack them into separate containers. At the same time, be careful with the spine, transfer the sprout with a lump of earth. Deepen to the cotyledonous leaves. When diving, carefully handle the spine, deepen the sprouts to the lower leaves
13. Gradually accustom the seedlings to the outdoors, exposing them to fresh air during the day (at first for 20 minutes, gradually increasing the time). Temper 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 is 20-22 ° C, transplant the seedlings into open ground. For the seedlings of purslane to take root, you need warmth, sun and poor soil.
15. For the purslane, choose a warm, well-lit area 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 and early June. We must wait until the soil warms up to 20–25оС. Purslane sprouts can die if it gets cold even slightly, not to mention freezing.

Sow a purslane where it will grow constantly

How to sow seeds: a step-by-step process

1. Make a bed for purslane in a sunny area, protected from the wind. Ideally, it will be a small elevation.
2. Add sand to too nutritious soil.
3. Moisten the soil, spread the purslane seeds on it, sprinkle it with sand on top.
4. Cover the bed with plastic wrap 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 sprayer.
7. When shoots appear and the temperature is at least 24–26 ° C, remove the film.
8. Seedlings that have grown to 2-3 cm, thin out and transplant to a permanent place, scheme - 10:15.
9. Water at the root when the top layer dries.

Landing before winter

Sowing purslane before winter is only worth in the southern regions. The seeds of a heat-loving plant will not start growing until the soil warms up to 20–25оС. So in mid-latitudes there is no point in podzimnuyu sowing, early flowering still will not work.

It is better to sow purslane before winter in regions with a warm climate.

1. Choose a heated and lighted area for a purslane flower bed, it will be good if it is a hill.
2. Remove the weeds and prepare the bed.
3. Sow twice as many seeds as during spring sowing. Mix the purslane seeds with the sand.
4. Spread the mixture over the soil, sprinkle lightly.
5. In the spring, make sure that the area does not dry out at all after the snow melts.
6. You can cover crops with foil to keep warm.
7. After seed germination, care for normal 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.

1. In the fall, transplant the purslane bush into a pot and transfer it home. The purslane bush can be left at home for the winter.
2. Take care of the plant as if it were a houseplant.
3. In the spring, cut off the branches and root in water. Purslane cuttings root well in water
4. Plant the rooted cuttings in a flower bed or street containers when the temperature reaches 20–22 ° C.
5. Plant the mother bush in open ground too.
6. In a month or earlier, the purslane should bloom. Purslane grown from cuttings blooms quite quickly.

How to care for a garden purslane

A flowering carpet saves time and effort for the grower. Purslane is drought-resistant, 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 the beds with purslane at least once a week, if there is no rain. Pour water under the roots or on top from a shallow divider. The main thing is to try not to erode the soil. Plants living in pots 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, purslane suffers.

Thick purslane carpet prevents weeds from sprouting

You only need to mulch and loosen the soil in the flower bed 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 feeding. Purslane very rarely gets sick and does not like pests.

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

How to collect and store seeds

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

If you don’t trust purslane to self-seed, keep an eye on the maturation of the seed pods. To see them well, remove the limp petals from the inflorescences. It is important not to miss ripening and unpacking. Otherwise, small grains will spill to the ground. Collecting them will no longer work.

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

Purslane has very small grains that easily scatter on their own

It is better to prepare planting material for the future at the height of summer. In hot weather, purslane seeds ripen for only 10-14 days. You need to collect them when the box turns yellow, and then dry the crop. With the arrival of cool weather (with an average daily temperature of 12–15 ° C), purslane seeds do not ripen. If you did not have time to make a stock, take the pot with the plant home and wait until the seeds are ready.

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

Video: caring for decorative purslane

Problems with growing purslane

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

In nutrient-rich soil, purslane will grow lush greenery without flowers

Purslane almost never blooms in cloudy and rainy summers. Damp weather can make the plant 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 can you get rid of pests from purslane?

Parasites do not favor purslane. Only aphids and thrips can taste it. Aphids prefer young shoots, it is impossible not to see it. To rid the purslane of the pest, spray it with an insecticide - Aktellik, Aktara, Decis, Karate. Thrips leave shiny streaks and spots on all parts of the plant, including flowers. Purslane loses strength, slows down growth. Use Intavir, Agravertin, Karbofos or Fitoverm against this parasite.

Growing on a windowsill: can a purslane grow at home

Even 5-10 years ago, the purslane in our area was considered only a garden annual. Now the ampelous variety is grown at home. So far, the plant is only settling on the windowsill. But more and more gardeners do not want to part with purslane for the winter.

Ampel purslane feels good at home

Table: conditions of detention in room conditions

Watering, feeding and pruning at home

Water your indoor purslane sparingly, be sure to wait until the soil is almost dry. Overdrying an earthen lump is not scary, it will be worse if excess moisture provokes a disease. Use soft, cool water for watering.

Purslane on the window is still a rare occurrence

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

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

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

In warmth and in good light, the purslane will bloom all year round.

During the winter, the shoots inevitably stretch out. Therefore, in early spring, the plant must be slightly shortened. Do not over 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 overgrow with new branches.

Purslane has long been cultivated as a garden plant and garden decoration. Now it moves from flower beds to window sills and is grown as a perennial.Indoor purslane is almost as patient and grateful as its garden cousin.

Hello, my name is Irina, I am 33 years old. I love my collection of hippeastrum very much, but I do not offend other flowers either.