What is useful purslane and how it is used in landscape design. Purslane: varieties, growing from seeds, care and use in landscape design Large-flowered purslane varieties

Purslane is a wonderful choice for decorating any flower bed. Plantings with bright lashes of this plant cover the ground with a dense rug and look very impressive. Small non-double flowers are shaped like multi-colored poppies, and terry varieties look like miniature roses.

Features and varieties

Purslane (Dandur) - genus herbaceous plants from the Purslane family. Because of the fleshy creeping stem, the people call the flower "rug". Adult specimens grow up to 30 cm. There are plants with simple and double flowers of white, yellow, orange, purple, red, pink, coffee and two-color color. Dandur can please bright colors mid-June to October. In the absence of sunlight, they remain closed all day, but some newly bred terry varieties open even when the weather is cloudy. After flowering, a spherical fruit box is formed with large quantity small seeds.

The genus Purslane has united more than 200 species of plants, but only one of them is used in ornamental gardening - large-flowered purslane. This perennial species is usually grown as an annual. It has five-petalled single flowers with a diameter of 2.5-3 cm, in some varieties they reach a size of 6 cm. The green leaves resemble fleshy needles, and the creeping stem has a reddish-brown color.

Purslane garden (vegetable) - an annual with small flowers of white or yellow color collected in inflorescences and a fleshy stem up to 30 cm long. This is a weed plant with medicinal properties which was used to treat various diseases even in the time of Hippocrates. It is applied in traditional medicine and culinary. There are edible types of garden purslane with red and yellow leaves.

Non-decorative wild species of purslane are tenacious weeds, which can be difficult to overcome in the garden. They grow in many regions of Russia and Ukraine, in Central Asia, Transcaucasia and the Far East.

Reproduction methods

You can get a lot of young seedlings of decorative purslane when growing from seeds. The second breeding option is to carry out cuttings of the most interesting specimens. To do this, the flower is transferred to a cool place for the winter, and in the spring, cuttings about 5 cm long are cut. They are planted in prepared soil, removing the lower leaves. With the onset of heat, young plants are planted in open ground.

How to sow purslane?

Seed material is pre-sown in shallow and wide containers from February to April. Use seeds that are from six months to three years old. At the bottom there is a layer of fine gravel or expanded clay.

Peat is not used as a soil - it worsens the germination of purslane seeds.

Prepare the soil from 80% garden soil and 20% sand. The mixture is pre-disinfected. To do this, it is kept in the oven for half an hour at temperatures up to 50 degrees. Then they let the earth cool down, moisten it with settled water and sow the seeds. They are placed at a distance of about 1 cm from each other, pressing into the ground to a depth of 0.5 mm.

Pots with crops are covered with glass or plastic wrap and transferred to a room with a temperature not lower than +22 degrees. Choose a bright and warm place without drafts, regularly moisten and ventilate. The first shoots appear after 3-4 days, and within 1-2 weeks there is a mass appearance of plants. Growing seedlings.

It can be sown directly in open ground when the average daily temperature reaches +20 degrees. In this case, flowering will be later. Small seeds are mixed with river sand and placed on a pre-moistened area to a depth of 0.5 mm. A bed with crops is covered with a film until the seeds germinate. Ventilate and moisturize regularly. The film is removed at an average daily temperature of at least +24 degrees.

When the height of the seedlings is 2-3 cm, they are planted in a permanent place of cultivation. Purslane is placed in 2-3 pieces. in one hole, the distance between plants is 10 cm, and the row spacing is 15 cm. You can plant one at a time. Over time, the creeping stems of the flower will cover the surface of the soil with a dense rug.

Purslane reproduces well by self-seeding. Young seedlings almost always appear in spring on flower beds where the plant bloomed last year. In this case, it will take longer to wait for beautiful multi-colored rugs than with pre-sowing at home.

How to grow purslane from seedlings?

After the appearance of a pair of true leaves, young plants grown from seeds dive. They are transplanted into pots with a diameter of about 7-8 cm. Purslane is deepened into the soil to the cotyledon leaves. Seedlings grow slowly, with a lack of light, heat or moisture, they can get sick and stretch. Drying of the soil is not allowed, watered with warm settled water. It is convenient to do this with a spray gun. With a lack of sunlight, additional illumination is carried out with an ordinary table lamp. This is especially important if the sowing was early.

Transplantation in open ground is carried out in late May or early June, when warm weather sets in. In regions with a cold climate, purslane can be planted outside no earlier than mid-June.

Pre-seedlings are hardened for 1-2 weeks. Pots with purslane are taken out into the street in the daytime, first for 15 minutes, then the time is gradually increased to 5-6 hours. Flowers are planted in open ground, keeping a distance between adjacent specimens - 10-15 cm. Work is carried out carefully so as not to damage the brittle fleshy stem. The first week is watered frequently, then the amount of moisture is reduced depending on weather conditions.

Features of cultivation

You can get a long and numerous flowering of purslane, if you create suitable conditions for its growth and development, follow the rules of care.

• This is a heat-resistant flower that will like the most light, dry and warm place. Light penumbra is acceptable, wait in shaded areas good flowering will not work.
• Low temperatures are detrimental to this heat-loving plant. Already at +10, the lower leaves fall off.
• Purslane is a succulent that can tolerate prolonged lack of moisture. During the period of active vegetative growth, it is watered with warm settled water every 4-5 days. Water stagnation is unacceptable. In rainy weather, they do not moisturize; when it gets colder, the amount of watering is reduced.
• The flower grows well nutrient soil, and on depleted sandy or clay soil. You can grow purslane in too dense soil, but you need to add sand to the substrate.
• Excessively nutritious soil with a lot of organic matter leads to the active growth of shoots, but there are few flowers. It is useful to fertilize with complex mineral fertilizer 2-3 times in summer. In this case, the purslane will bloom more abundantly.
• The soil is loosened near young plants. Then there will be no opportunity to carry out such work, otherwise you can damage the dense flower carpet.
• After the autumn cooling, the plant dies. You can collect small purslane seeds in order to sow a beautiful plant again next year. They ripen at different times, so the seed boxes are torn off in parts. Do this when they turn yellow, but do not have time to crack. Then they are dried on paper. Non-double varieties are easier to grow from self-collected seeds. In terry varieties, the number seed material less, and its germination is worse.

Pests and diseases

Fungal diseases can appear on the plant if the soil is constantly waterlogged. Often this happens if excess moisture is combined with sufficiently low temperatures. In this case, dark spots first appear on the leaves, and then the rot spreads to the roots and stems. Some types of fungus lead to deformation of purslane shoots. The affected parts of the plant are removed and the flower and earth are treated with fungicides.

Aphids and thrips are unpleasant enemies of purslane. Aphids can be detected independently. It feeds on plant sap. It is difficult to notice thrips with the naked eye, it will tell you about their appearance appearance flower: silvery blotches and stripes appear on the stems and leaves of the plant. For pest control use insecticides according to the instructions.

Use in landscape design

Purslane large-flowered - an excellent decoration for alpine slides and flower borders. It is often placed in areas with primroses. After the flowering of tulips, hyacinths and lilies of the valley, the purslane will revive the empty section of the flower bed.

Dandur can be planted in flowerpots or containers, which are used to decorate balconies, loggias and verandas. After a cold snap, containers with plants can be transferred to a warm room to extend the life of the flowers.

Attractive purslane rugs will add variety to the decoration of the flower garden. They will delight lovers of easy-to-care, but spectacular flowers.

Purslane attracts attention with its unusual name. If you try to translate it from Latin, you can learn a lot about this plant: "portula" means "gate" which quite definitely indicates the peculiarities of opening the seed box. However, domestic gardeners are not used to this name, so they gave it their own - "rugs".

Features of purslane

Purslane is widely represented in warm regions central Europe, North and South America, where it is considered a field weed. Often it is specially grown in gardens and orchards. In the Middle Ages, this plant could often be found in European countries, primarily in England. In the time of Hippocrates, purslane was considered medicinal plant, which helped in the treatment of wounds, with bites of poisonous snakes and insomnia. In the Middle Ages, purslane was one of the revered plants among the Arabs.

The genus purslane has a numerous composition, where about 200 species of annual and perennial herbaceous plants are represented.

As an ornamental plant, the large-flowered purslane (Portulaca grandiflora), whose homeland is South America, is most often used. A feature of this perennial is the presence of a creeping long stem, which reaches a height of 20 cm. It received the greatest application in the design of rocky gardens and borders.

The most beautiful are considered varieties with double flowers. A striking example of this is Variety "Double Mix". Purslane variety "White-flowered" clearly indicates that its flowers have White color. Against its background, the Splendens variety stands out, in which the flowers acquire a purple color.

Today, purslane has gained fame as one of the well-known representatives of container plants. For its cultivation, you can use a variety of containers:

• outdoor vases;
• hanging baskets;
• window and balcony boxes.

Big variety this plant also demonstrates when used in garden decoration. It can be present in the composition of flower beds, flower beds, complement retaining stone walls, joints concrete slabs in rockeries. It can also be grown on dry soils, where it can be a great alternative to a regular lawn, creating no less problems in care.

The nuances of growing purslane in the open field

In order for this plant to give only positive emotions, it is necessary to take into account some points regarding its cultivation.

Location

Best of all, purslane flowers feel in those areas that have maximum illumination. Otherwise, you can simply not wait for it to bloom. If purslane is considered for growing at home, then it is best to place containers with plants on the south side. However, it grows best in balcony and window boxes, which are provided with constant access. fresh air. But in both cases, caring for the plant will be easy.

Temperature

Purslane large-flowered is one of those plants that are used to growing in hot climates. However, small cold snaps are not able to harm this plant, since it is most often grown as an annual.

Watering

Purslane care involves regular watering. Therefore, after sowing, it is necessary to constantly ensure that the soil is moistened. However, excess moisture can adversely affect its development.

Diseases and pests

Plants belonging to the genus Purslane are resistant to diseases and pests. The fungus Albugo portulaceae can pose a danger to purslane, traces of damage to which are found only in very rare cases. This can be determined by the presence of spots on the leaves and deformation of the shoots. The fight against fungi consists in removing the damaged parts and spraying the plant with any copper-containing fungicidal preparation.

Acquisition

Search planting material recommended already at the end of winter or early spring. In this case, it is necessary to make sure the integrity of the bag and pay attention to the expiration date. If you need ready-made seedlings in cups, then you can contact a flower nursery or horticultural center. Particular attention should be paid to ensuring that young seedlings show no signs of decay.

For the normal growth and development of purslane flowers, it is necessary to provide a long daylight hours. Only in this case it will be possible to count on its beautiful flowering. If you are growing purslane at home, it is best to install containers with plants on windowsills facing south. It is more preferable to use balcony and window boxes for it, since they can be provided with a large amount of direct sunlight.

Sowing features

Favorable conditions for good growth of purslane flowers are temperatures within 20-26 degrees Celsius. This plant is undemanding to moisture, but if containers-pots are used for cultivation, then watering should be carried out regularly in small quantities. When growing purslane, the owner does not have to deal with such a laborious operation as fertilizing. Therefore, if you plant a plant on not very fertile land, then the purslane will feel good here.

• The most favorable time for sowing purslane flowers is March. However, if we turn to the floricultural literature, then there are recommendations on the possibility of sowing earlier (the third decade of February) and at a later date (the first decade of April).
• They begin to sow purslane when the daytime temperature stays at around 20-25 degrees, and mini-greenhouses are used for this purpose. In bright sunshine, the temperature in it can rise to 50 degrees Celsius. This only benefits the purslane, as its growth rate increases. If, after planting, the plants are not provided necessary quantity light, then this will lead to the stretching of seedlings.

Planting in a greenhouse

You can also make a greenhouse from improvised materials. For example, it could be plexiglass aquarium. In this case, it is necessary to pull over it polyethylene film or put a plexiglass cover. Next, the aquarium is installed on the most illuminated window. In poor light conditions, you can avoid pulling seedlings with the help of their additional illumination. To do this, you can use a fluorescent lamp or a table lamp (40-60W).

Especially plants need additional lighting in the morning and evening hours. If the weather is cloudy outside, then they need to be illuminated throughout the day.

If you plan to sow a small amount of seeds, it is recommended to use compact plastic pots for this purpose. Their bottom is filled with fine gravel and coarse sand, which will act as drainage. Next, soil is poured there. The composition of the mixture used should be free of peat and organic fertilizers. In the presence of the first component, you can not wait for the seedlings to germinate, and in the presence of the second, the seedlings will grow weak and will not be able to resist fungal diseases.

When preparing an earth mixture, it is allowed to add no more than 20% of sand with a diameter of 0.1 mm to it. fertilize heavy clay soil maybe charcoal. Containers with soil mixture must be placed in a tray previously filled with soft settled water. It is not recommended to use hard water for irrigation, as this leads to a decrease in the percentage of similarity.

After waiting for soil moisture, you can sow. To do this, you need to take a match and place the seeds on the surface of the soil with a pointed end. Next, the grains need to be slightly deepen into the soil by 0.5-1 mm. The distance between the seeds should be at least 1 cm. After sowing, the seed containers should be immediately placed in a greenhouse. If you do not plan to keep them on the window and will not use the backlight, then you need to watch when most of seeds will be released from the shell. At this point, the planting bowls are removed from the greenhouse and placed on the window so that they are as close to the glass as possible.

If you are going to illuminate them with a table lamp, then it is recommended to do this even in a greenhouse, after opening the lid. When seedlings are illuminated with a 40 W lamp, it must be kept at a distance of 10-15 cm from the sprouts. In case of using a 60 W lamp the distance is increased to 15-20 cm. If a significant drop in temperature is expected at night, then at this time the crops can be removed in an open greenhouse. In the morning, after additional lighting, they are returned to the window. During the care process, pay attention to the fact that the soil is constantly moistened.

If you are growing purslane in an apartment, and your balcony is located on the sunny side, then you can take your crops there.

Conclusion

Purslane is one of beautiful plants which can decorate any area. Every summer resident can grow it, because for purslane planting and care in the open field involves the same general recommendations, as for many other ornamental crops. Particular attention must be paid to the choice of landing site and creation optimal conditions for the growth and development of plants. Although the purslane is undemanding to moisture, however, in especially dry periods, its need for water may increase. Therefore, it is necessary to ensure that there is no dry crust. Otherwise, it will affect its flowering.

Growing purslane

Terry purslane is an ornamental annual creeping plant with double flowers 2-3 cm in diameter in a wide variety of colors: white, pink, orange, red. This is one of the favorite flowers of many gardeners, which, thanks to bright, multi-colored flowers, creates an attractive colorful flower rug in the garden or at their summer cottage, which is why many people call purslane as a “rug”.

Purslane terry is ideal for decorating flower beds, borders, creating flower arrangements and alpine slides, it is also used to decorate balconies and garden flowerpots.

Purslane terry, description

Terry purslane is a low-growing creeping plant no more than 20 cm high, with fleshy leaves and light green stems, sometimes with a purple tint, with spindle-shaped, branched roots. Clinging to the ground, the purslane completely covers the area, the flower bed, forming a continuous carpet of exquisite beauty. Purslane leaves are fleshy and needle-shaped. The highlight of the plant is flowers resembling a miniature rose or peony, which consist of several balls of petals. Terry purslane begins to bloom in early summer and continues to delight with extraordinary beauty until frost. The variety of colors is simply amazing, a mixture of terry purslane looks especially beautiful and colorful, from which a spotted elegant flower garden is obtained. Flowers open in sunny weather, their flowering lasts only one sunny day, and new ones appear in place of the faded flower.

The attractiveness of purslane for gardeners:

• The plant is resistant to trampling. For a long time, it was considered a weed, which was fought in every possible way.
• Unpretentiousness in care.
• The presence of beautiful buds of various colors is the decoration of any site or flower bed.
• Rapid landscaping of the suburban area.

Types and varieties of terry purslane

Large-flowered purslane (Portulaca grandiflora)

Portulaca grandiflora is the most common type of purslane, with over 200 varieties. The most famous are: "white-flowered", which blooms with exquisite snow-white double flowers and "splendens" with bright pink blooms and a pleasant aroma.

The most common varieties of terry purslane

1. Flamenco. The bush is medium in size, reaching a height of up to 15 cm. The stems are long, fleshy and large. The leaves are needle-shaped bright green. It has flowers of various colors.
2. Pun - ornamental bush 15 cm high, resembling a rose bush, with long creeping large stems. The variety has large double flowers of bright juicy tones. Successfully used by landscape designers.
3. Sunglo is an ornamental variety with large flowers. The stems are fleshy and large, have a slightly pink tint. The leaves are long, needle-shaped. The peculiarity of the variety is that the flowers remain open in any weather, even cloudy.
4. Mango - terry large-flowered purslane with abundant flowering coral-orange flowers 5 cm in diameter.
5. Hybrid Cream - a plant with cream flowers that have a darker center, 4-5 cm in diameter.

Purslane terry, cultivation and care

Terry purslane is an unpretentious plant that does not require special attention. The only condition for its growth and constant flowering is a lit and sunny place in your garden. It needs a permanent place for its normal growth. If it is placed in a shaded place, it will not be able to fully grow and develop: the stems will stretch and thin, becoming unattractive.

Watering the plant is carried out once a week, as this drought resistant flower, which dies from excess moisture, water should not be allowed to stagnate in the soil. The plant feels great without water for a long period of time. When watering purslane, keep the leaves dry and water early in the morning. Also, purslane does not need to be fertilized with fertilizers, but from an overabundance in the soil organic fertilizers the green part of the plant grows, and flowering slows down. It has been established that the poorer the soil, the more abundant the purslane blooms. Feels great on sandy and stone soils.

Purslane is undemanding in care, it is enough to regularly remove weeds and thin out seedlings a little so that the bushes are more sprawling and lush.

Propagation of terry purslane

Purslane terry, growing from seeds

Most often, purslane propagates by seeds. Since they are very small, they are simply sown in the soil in early spring and covered with a film to protect them from spring frosts. After the first shoots, the film is removed.

Purslane terry, growing seedlings

For colder northern regions it is recommended to use a seedling method of propagation in pots.
In February, the seeds are planted in pots. In order for seedlings to sprout evenly, you can mix the seeds with sand (1: 4). It is advisable to put glass on top of the pot and put it in a well-lit place in the house, the optimum temperature is at least 17 degrees. In a week the first shoots will appear. The soil needs light moisture, you can sprinkle it a little with a spray bottle. To harden the plant and avoid stretching the sprouts, it is recommended to lower the temperature in the room at night. To give room for the growth of young shoots, it is recommended to dive them, and plant the removed shoots in boxes with soil. Seedlings are planted in open ground in late April or early May, when frosts are already excluded. When planting terry purslane, keep a distance of 15 cm between sprouts.

In summer, terry purslane can be propagated by dividing the bushes and transplanted to another place. After pinching off the stalk, lower it into a container of water until the roots appear. Thus, purslane can be planted in decorative flowerpots and balcony boxes. After rooting, the shoot requires infrequent watering.

Diseases and pests of terry purslane

Purslane is a rather unpretentious plant, resistant to common diseases and pests. But, there are cases of plant infection with fungal diseases, which manifests itself in the form of spots behind the leaves and buds. Having noticed the first signs of infection, the affected areas of the plant should be removed and the bushes should be treated with an agent containing copper. Another danger that awaits the plant is the invasion of aphids. When it appears, it is recommended to spray the bushes with soapy water using a spray bottle.

Purslane terry - unusually beautiful and at the same time unpretentious flower, which is successfully used to decorate borders, alpine slides and flower beds. This colorful rug will be a bright spot in your garden that will surely draw attention. Purslane looks great on balconies, in pots and garden flowerpots, decorating verandas and summer arbors. In compositions, it looks great with petunias, nasturtiums, marigolds and zinnias. Since terry purslane is a low-growing plant, it is recommended to plant it in the foreground in compositions. Sometimes purslane can be a great alternative to lawn, providing perfect coverage site.

Purslane terry, photo

Morphological characteristics of purslane

The purslane family includes more than 100 varieties of plants. Purslane got its name because of the peculiarities of the seed pods - they open like a small gate, and from the Latin portula means "gate".

Purslane can be annual and perennial, but they are all characterized by small growth. These are creeping plants up to 30 cm in height with succulent fleshy foliage and a branched fistulate stem. The leaves can be not only traditionally green, but also brownish in color. In shape, they resemble a flattened egg. The flowering period of purslane lasts from June to September, the flowers, depending on the variety, are white, yellow, red and even dark brown.

Species and varieties

More than 200 species of herbaceous plants, including succulents, can be attributed to the genus of purslane. hallmark which is a fleshy stem and leaves. However, as garden culture today, only one of the many types of purslane is grown - large-flowered.

The homeland of the large-flowered purslane is South America, over time it spread throughout the European continent, and today it can be found not only in city flower beds in England or France, but also in Russian gardens. The large-flowered variety has earned popularity because of its lush multi-colored flowering.

There are several varieties of large-flowered garden purslane. White-flowered - one of the most common varieties, giving lush double flowers.

Variety Splendens is distinguished by bright purple-pink flowers.

Purslane is grown not only for beauty, but also as a medicinal plant. We will talk about useful properties a little later. For such purposes, a garden variety of a plant is bred - garden or vegetable purslane. It can be recognized by its highly branched stems and oblong-spatulate leaves. Another feature is inconspicuous, compared with other types of purslane, flowering with small pale yellow flowers. But, we repeat, it is grown not because of the beautiful flowering, but for food and for treatment.

Other varieties of decorative large-flowered purslane:

1. Sonya is a plant of a simple form up to 15 cm high.
2. Flamenco - terry purslane up to 20 cm high with multi-colored flowers.
3. Double Mix - terry variety with flowers that look like small spray roses.
4. Pun - terry or semi-double variety up to 15 cm high with flowers up to 4 cm in diameter.
5. Sanglo is the variety with the largest flowers.
6. Cloudbeater - A distinctive feature of this variety is that its flowers do not close on cloudy weather.
7. Mango is a double variety with pinkish-orange flowers.
8. Flash - blooms bright red.
9. Tequila Cherry is a hybrid variety with maroon flowers.

Useful properties of purslane

Previously, people were closer to nature and knew much more about plants than they do today. Modern technological progress and the development of medicine have replaced the understanding and use of plants for medicinal and sacred purposes. Today, the majority will tell you what this or that tablet helps with, what they will at least name the names of the plants under their house. As for purslane, its useful properties prevail over decorative ones, and if desired, it can be an excellent assistant in the prevention and treatment of many diseases.

In particular, we are talking about garden purslane, since in a large-flowered ornamental all vitality goes into flowering. The ancient Greeks and Romans used the fleshy purslane leaves as food. V medical writings Numerous positive effects of purslane on the digestive system and overall health have been described. Despite the fact that the plant was actively used in the southern and Eastern countries in ancient times, Europe learned about purslane only in the 17th century. French chefs were the first to become interested in him, they also contributed to the popularization and distribution of purslane to other countries.

With the advent modern means to study the chemical composition, it was possible to find out that in addition to chlorophyll, which is beneficial for health, purslane contains a lot of iron, zinc, magnesium, potassium and calcium. Also in the fleshy leaves there is carotene, ascorbic and nicotinic acid. You can eat stems with leaves, adding them to vegetable and fruit salads, side dishes, meat and fish dishes. Green cocktails with purslane are very useful.

Boiled purslane sprigs are served as a side dish for meat dishes. Dried herbs of the plant are used as a spice for soups, sausages and meat products. Pickled purslane leaves are also popular.

By including fresh or dried purslane in your diet, many diseases can be prevented. But even with existing ailments, the plant can help to cope. Even in ancient times, doctors found that purslane is able to effectively cleanse the body of toxins accumulated as a result of an unhealthy lifestyle. Modern medicine only confirms this knowledge, positioning purslane as an effective diuretic and powerful antioxidant. Leaves and stems are added to medicinal collections and infusions for overwork, insomnia, flatulence, diseases of the filtering organs (liver, kidneys), etc.

Among other things, purslane normalizes blood sugar levels, “levels” arterial pressure. In the old days, fresh leaves were applied to snake bites, as purslane juice pulled out and neutralized the poison.

Growing purslane

Most gardeners breed purslane seedlings, as this is the most convenient way for the Russian climate. In southern warm countries, sowing seeds directly into the ground is more practiced, but climatic conditions middle lane not too suitable for a heat-loving plant. The opinions of professional gardeners on when it is better to prepare seeds for seedlings differ - some believe that this should be done in late February or early March, others prefer to plant purslane in April. The second option is more preferable, since the daylight hours are already longer and warmer, so that the plants do not have to be highlighted artificially.

Before sowing purslane, prepare an earthen mixture. All purchased soils for plants contain a fair amount of peat for “splendor”, however, this component significantly slows down the process of germination of purslane seeds. To make a suitable mixture, add 20% river sand to the garden soil, mix and bake the mixture in the oven to disinfect. Then lay the soil in a seedling container with drainage holes. For better drainage, it is recommended to cover the bottom with expanded clay or gravel. Pour the soil abundantly with settled water at room temperature. If possible, use melted water. You can make it yourself by freezing settled water in the refrigerator.

Spread purslane seeds 1-1.5 cm apart and lightly sprinkle with earth. Cover the container with cling film or a transparent plastic bag to create a greenhouse effect. Now it remains only to wait for the germination of seeds. To make this happen as quickly as possible, place the container in a warm, bright place, but not under direct Sun rays. The temperature should not fall below +22C (optimally +30C). If the conditions are met correctly, seedlings will begin to appear in a week. When all the seeds hatch, you can remove the film.

At this stage, it is necessary to maintain the relative humidity of the soil and protect young seedlings from direct sunlight. Growing purslane seeds for seedlings requires bottom watering and additional lighting if necessary.

Useful advice: If the seedlings are strongly stretched in height, then they do not have enough light - install an additional artificial lighting. It is enough to highlight them for a couple of hours in the morning and evening to increase their daylight hours in this way. If the day turned out to be cloudy, the lamp can not be turned off.

The picking and planting of the purslane is done when the seedlings have two true leaves. Seed them in pots 7-8 cm in diameter, 3 pcs. in each, trying to keep the earthen ball on the roots intact. For the first week after picking, water as the earth dries out with ordinary water, and when the plants take root, make the first top dressing with mineral complex fertilizers. Feed the purslane once a week or once every 10 days until planting in open ground.

Landing in open ground

Purslane should not be planted in open ground until June, because at this time you can already be sure that frosts will suddenly begin and destroy the plants. Purslane begins to hurt and die at temperatures below + 10C. It should be planted in a pre-prepared place, located on the highest and sunniest site. If you plant a purslane in partial shade, it may not bloom, and if its roots are in highly moist soil, the plant will rot. For all its capriciousness, purslane loves poor sandy soils and blooms most magnificently on them. And if you “take care” and plant it in well-fertilized soil, the purslane will actively gain green mass, but will not give flowers.

Before planting a purslane, make sure that the seedlings have at least 10 true leaves and a couple of buds:

1. Plant bushes at least 15-20 cm apart so that as they develop, they do not block each other's sun.
2. For the first few days, water the plants generously in the mornings or evenings, especially if the weather is dry.
3. After 3-4 days, water twice a week.
4. Flowering will begin 4-5 weeks after planting in open ground.

Caring for purslane is very simple - you just need to remember to water it. Despite the thick leathery leaves, adapted to hold moisture well, the plant needs stable watering for normal flowering. It should be understood that flowering takes all the chemical and energy resources, so if the purslane does not have enough water, it will “cancel” flowering and will economically consume the moisture accumulated by the leaves. It is not necessary to feed and fertilize it, weed and loosen the soil - too.

When the lush flowering begins to fade, and you notice the first fading buds, pluck them without regret. At this time, they are very easy to remove from the ovary, and if you hesitate, they will dry out and close the fruit box. Over time, it will open, and the seeds will fall into the ground. V southern countries this state of affairs is perfectly normal and natural, but in a colder climate, the seeds will simply die. Therefore, if you want to decorate the garden with purslane next year, remove the fading flowers and expose the seed pods. Leave them to ripen for a week, and then collect and hide until spring. You can store purslane seeds for no longer than 3 years, then they lose their germination.

When you have collected seeds from all plants, remove the faded purslane and dig up the ground. If you grow garden, and not large-flowered decorative purslane, you don’t have to bother with collecting seeds and digging - the plant reproduces well by self-sowing.

Diseases and pests

Sometimes the fungus Albugo portulaca can settle on the purslane. Evidence of this is a strong deformation of the shoots, the appearance of spots on green leaves. If you notice these signs, do not try to treat the infected shoots - remove them and spray the rest of the plants with a fungicide containing copper. The rest of the care for purslane is regular watering.

Planting and caring for purslane: photo

The homeland of such a plant as purslane is the tropical regions located in the Northern Hemisphere. Varieties of ornamental culture, according to various information, approximately 100–200 varieties. The plant grows well in moist sandy places which are located on the banks of rivers and surround reservoirs. But it is possible to grow this decorative culture in the garden, field and in the garden on the backyard or suburban area.
If we talk about the name of this flower, then it originates from lat. the term portula meaning "small gate". This is explained by the fact that given plant It has seed pod, which, opening, seems to open small doors. On the territory of our country, in the common people, this flower is called "rug". In garden conditions, it is possible to grow only one type of this crop - a type of large-flowered purslane (Portulaca grandiflora).

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Such a decorative flowering culture, like purslane, grown in our climatic conditions, counts annual plant, as it is not able to endure frosty winters, even if it is carefully covered. In height, purslane grows no more than 30 centimeters. Externally, this flowering culture is characterized by a well-branched spindle-shaped root, juicy, branched stems that have a brown tint. cylindrical shape, fleshy leaves that are hollow inside, but may also resemble flattened eggs. It blooms in white, yellow, dark red colors with separate inflorescences throughout the summer period.

The inflorescences of these plants live for only one day, and at sunset they already fade. At the same time, large-flowered purslane, for example, blooms extremely abundantly and literally continuously throughout the season - almost immediately after one inflorescence fades, a new one appears. If we talk about the fruit of this flowering culture, then it is a multi-seeded box that has the shape of a ball. In addition to such a variety as garden purslane, which is customary to grow in our country in flower beds, and in pots, and using a hanging basket or container, vegetable purslane also grows well in our country - salad and medicinal plants, often mistaken for weeds.

Features of sowing purslane

Most modern domestic flower growers claim that growing this flowering crop using seedlings is the most convenient way to propagate it. But there are specifics on how to get good seedlings, i.e. correctly sow the seeds. Many experts believe that the optimal time for planting the seeds of this plant is February-March, but it is allowed to sow them in the month of April - in this case, those seeds that germinate will be able to grow well and fully develop due to a fairly long daylight hours, and sown before April, the month will have to be illuminated with artificial lighting.

Purslane seeds in a box

Before embarking on such a process as growing purslane, it is necessary to properly prepare the land, create a certain mixture - this is due to the fact that almost any soil contains peat, which significantly slows down the germination of seeds of this flowering crop. For this, we take the usual garden soil, and approximately 20% of fine-grained sand is added to it, and everything is mixed as much as possible. After that, it is imperative to ignite the soil mixture in the oven, which will allow it to be disinfected.

Then, in a shallow container with drainage holes, it is required to pour fine-grained gravel (expanded clay), on top of which place the calcined in the oven soil mix and pour water over it - it should be settled or melted. After that, seeds should be spread on the surface of the soil at a distance of one centimeter to each other - the easiest way to do this is if you use a wet toothpick. It remains only to gently press the seeds into the ground, to build a frame over the soil surface, on which polyethylene is stretched, that is, to make a small greenhouse. It is necessary to put this greenhouse in a bright, warm place where the temperature does not drop below +22 degrees Celsius - +30 degrees Celsius is considered the optimal temperature regime.

Getting seedlings of this plant

If available favorable conditions, then shoots of representatives of this flowering crop can be obtained after a week - another from the moment the seeds were planted. After the seeds germinate, you should free the container from the film and that's it - the seedlings are received. Growing seedlings of this plant requires mandatory periodic soil moistening using settled water - in the process, the bottom irrigation method is used. In addition, if the seeds were planted in early February or March, then additional artificial lighting may be needed. This is necessary in the case when there is too much stretching of the seedlings, which indicates a lack of light - accordingly, then they need additional lighting. It can be done with fluorescent lamps or ordinary table lamps for a couple of hours in the morning and a few hours in the evening - this will provide an opportunity to lengthen the daylight hours for sprouts. If the weather is cloudy, then artificial lighting should be turned on throughout the day. In the case when seedlings are sown in the month of April and grow on the windowsill on the south side of the house or apartment, artificial lighting is not needed.

Purslane picking rules

At what stage and in what way should this plant be picked? When a pair of leaves is truly formed in the sprouts, the seedlings need to be planted in threes in cups with a diameter of about 8 centimeters. After one week from the date of picking, that is, after the sprouts take root well, the first complex top dressing should be performed - it is carried out by applying mineral fertilizers to the soil. In the future, this procedure must be performed once / week or once / decade throughout the entire time until the seedlings are planted in the ground (open ground).

Important: in the process of planting, one moment is extremely important, the observance of one rule - you must definitely try not to shake off the soil lump from the root system of the seedling!

The nuances of planting in open ground

When should a culture of such a plan as a large-flowered purslane, for example, or any other kind of it, be planted? It is clear that the cultivation of any variety of such a flowering crop implies the creation of optimal conditions. Firstly, this process can be started no earlier than the beginning of the month of June - that is, when one hundred percent sure that neither frosts nor a relatively serious decrease temperature regime will no longer be. This is important, because if the air temperature in the place where the purslane grows drops below +10 degrees Celsius, the plant begins to intensively lose leaves.

It should be remembered that this flowering culture feels best in a sunny place located on the most elevated site, because even with partial shade, purslane may not begin to bloom. Under no circumstances should root system this plant was close to ground water. In addition, representatives of all varieties of this plant should not be planted in places where water stagnates - this contributes to the occurrence of putrefactive processes in the rhizome. The soil for planting this plant should be used poor, sandy, otherwise, on rich soil, the plant actively grows green mass, and the flowering period does not occur.

According to experienced domestic flower growers, seedlings of this flowering crop can be planted in open ground after 15 leaves and buds appear in the seedling. It is necessary to plant purslane in a certain order. First, the bushes should be no closer than about 20 centimeters from one another. Secondly, during the first three days after planting seedlings in a flower bed, you should water it daily - especially when the weather is dry and hot. The flowering period for those representatives of this flowering crop that are grown from seeds is about 7 weeks from the moment the sprouts appear.

Basic rule of care

Caring for such plants consists in the mandatory periodic watering, which is performed regularly. This is necessary for the normal flowering of purslane, because despite the ability of its leaves to hold moisture well, water must still come from outside. Growing this flowering crop does not require fertilizing, pruning, weeding or loosening the soil. The only rule for proper care of such plants is to ensure infrequent, but always regular watering.

What causes purslane and its pests

As is clear from the foregoing, the process of planting and caring for purslane does not require absolutely any significant effort - it is accessible and understandable even for a beginner. Even such a representative of this flowering culture as terry purslane is not difficult to grow from seeds, because its cultivation is characterized by compliance with all the same rules that are described earlier in this article. If we talk about pests and diseases, then - this plant is quite resistant to them - in this regard, problems rarely arise with it. Nevertheless, from time to time, experts note cases of a massive raid simultaneously on several nearby flower beds, gardens and aphid gardens - in such a situation, purslane also suffers. Most effective method aphid control is spraying plants with Actellik. Then, when the problem cannot be eliminated at one time, then after 7 days the treatment with the insecticide should be repeated.

Actellik from aphids

It is also possible that representatives of this flowering culture can be affected by a fungus called Albugo portulacea, which is manifested by deformation of the shoots and the appearance of numerous spots on the leaves. The struggle consists in the most thorough removal of absolutely all damaged parts and further spraying of the plant with the help of a copper-containing fungicide, carried out with the highest quality.

Positive properties

Purslane like medicinal plant, has been known for a very long time - since the time of Hippocrates. In ancient times, it was believed that the seeds of this plant were able to purify human body, sheets are an effective antidote for a snake bite.