How to Grow a Flowering Purslane
Its invasive habit has made purslane (portulaca oleracea) the bane of many a gardener's existence. This creeping succulent with bright yellow flowers deserves a better reputation. High in potassium, beta-carotene and magnesium, purslane is a valued food in some cultures, and the University of Illinois recommends it as a salad and sandwich ingredient.
Nurseries now carry seeds for upright strains of purslane that are easier to harvest and more friendly than their wild counterparts.
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Things You'll Need
- Purslane seeds
- Seed starter mix
- Plastic bag
- Refrigerator
- Seed pots
- Well-lighted indoor area with temperature between 70 and 86 degrees
- Garden spot with full sun and sandy soil
- Trowel
Instructions
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Starting Purslane Indoors
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1
Purchase purslane sees in the fall preceding spring when you intend to plant purslane in your garden. Order the seeds to arrive at least six weeks before the last frost of the spring normally occurs in your area.
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2
Pour seed starter into a plastic bag and add your seeds. Refrigerate the plastic bag for 15 days. This process is called seed imbibing.
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3
After 15 days remove the seed starter and seed from the plastic bag and pour it into seed pots. Place the seed pots in a well-lit indoor area where the temperature is between 70 and 86 degrees Fahrenheit. Water the soil thoroughly but gently so the seeds are not washed from the pots.
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4
Water the seeds only enough to keep them slightly moist until the purslane seeds germinate. This normally takes from one to three weeks.
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5
Let the plants grow to a half-inch tall before thinning them to one plant per seed pot. Use a trowel to loosen the soil in a sandy, sunny area of your garden and plant the baby purslanes after the final frost of the spring. Water them when they dry out but otherwise just watch them grow and enjoy their flowers.
Sowing Purslane Seed Outdoors
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6
Prepare your garden for seeding by loosening a patch of sandy soil that receives at least six hours of sun daily. Use a trowel to turn the soil and breakup large clumps. Smooth the soil with a rake.
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7
Scatter purslane seeds on the soil surface and barely cover them. Keep them damp and when they have grown to to a half-inch high, thin them to stand 6 inches apart. Once they are established, water only when the soil is completely dry. Purslane loves hot, dry growing conditions, thrives on neglect, and will flower abundantly once established.
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8
Harvest the peppery purslane leaves for cooking. Take only a few at a time from each plant.
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Tips & Warnings
Plant purslane as the perfect solution for those hot, dry cracked garden spots in which nothing else can survive.
Remove your purslane from the garden when it is done flowering but before it has a chance to release its seed. Otherwise it will invade your entire flower bed.
