The picturesque purslane has made a name for itself on dry stone walls in midsummer, in sunny succulent gardens or as a decorative border for flower beds. Thanks to branching close to the ground, graceful growth and large, colorful flowers, the annual flower thrives in all hot, sunny locations. These answers to frequently asked questions reveal what else is important for successful cultivation.

The delicate purslane florets add pretty splashes of color to the bed

Plant purslane crooks correctly

The departure of the ice saints in mid-May marks the beginning of the planting season for purslane flowers. Choose a sunny, sandy-lean location that likes to be warm to hot. Here you dig small holes at a distance of 15-20 cm. If in doubt, add sand or fine grit (€46.95) to normal garden soil to create the appropriate permeability. Do not put the potted young plants deeper into the ground than in the nursery pot. Water regularly for the first few days to then gradually reduce the water supply to the small needs of the succulents.

care tips

At the optimal location, the purslane mainly attracts attention with its flowers, instead of with time-consuming care. It depends on the following measures:

  • Water the bed only if the summer drought persists
  • Only water in the pot when the substrate has dried well
  • A thin layer of compost mulch covers the need for fertilizer
  • Apply a liquid succulent fertilizer to purslane in pots and flower boxes (€16.99) every 4-6 weeks
  • Clean wilted flowers consistently for a long-lasting bloom

If you want to self-sow the annual summer flower, leave a few withered flowers in the bed from September until frost.

Which location is suitable?

In a sunny, warm location, the purslane shows the floral power it contains. A location in the light penumbra is tolerated, of course at the expense of the abundance of flowers. If you combine a correspondingly sandy-lean soil with the midsummer location, the annual flower will meet all expectations.

What soil does the plant need?

The purslane prefers a sandy, dry and lean soil, as it dominates in the rock garden and gravel bed. Enrich the soil with sand or very fine grit so that the summer beauty feels comfortable in normal garden soil. In pots and balcony boxes, we recommend a commercially available standard soil, pricking substrate or potting soil thinned with sand as a substrate.

When is flowering time?

A sun-drenched, sandy-poor and summer-hot location encourages the Portulaca grandiflora to flower from May to November. To ensure that the perpetual bloomer does not run out of floral breath, regularly cut off the withered flowers. In this way, new buds always find their way into the sunlight.

Cut purslane crooks correctly

If the purslane acts as a summer ground cover, use scissors to keep the spread in the desired shape. We also recommend regularly cutting off the withered flower stalks. This creates a neat appearance and attracts numerous new buds. Before winter, cut the plant down to the ground or pull the entire root ball out of the ground to dispose of everything on the compost.

Water the purslane crooks

As a typical succulent, the purslane is only poured a little. In the bed, the natural rainfall is usually sufficient. Only water the flower a little if it is constantly dry in summer. In the pot and balcony box, watering is only carried out when the substrate surface has dried up to a depth of 2 cm.

Fertilize purslanes properly

The exotic sun worshipers like spartan conditions when it comes to the nutrient balance. A thin layer of compost as mulch (€239.00) completely covers the bed. If purslanes thrive in the planter, apply a liquid succulent fertilizer every 4-6 weeks.

hibernate

The exotic succulents are not frost-resistant. Although purslane flowers thrive for several years in their homeland, annual cultivation is practiced in our latitudes. If you give the plant the necessary time for self-sowing in the fall, the festival of flowers will continue next year. If you would like to experiment with overwintering, put potted and box plants in good time before the first frost. In a bright location at 15-18 degrees Celsius, water from time to time so that the substrate does not dry out. There is no fertilization during the cold season.
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Propagating purslane crooks

The 4-6 mm small fruits contain several tiny seeds. In the fall, leave some wilted flowers to collect the mature seed pods. Stored in a dry, cool place, use the seeds from March for sowing behind glass. How to do it:

  • Mix peat-free seed compost with sand and pour into a seed tray
  • Mix the fine seeds with bird sand, sow and sieve thinly
  • Moisten with water from the hand sprayer and place on the warm window sill
  • At 18-20 degrees Celsius, germination takes 8-14 days

Strong seedlings with more than 2 pairs of leaves are transplanted into a sandy substrate and kept slightly moist until mid-May.

Purslane crooks in a pot

In the pot and flower box, the purslane inspires as a half-standing and half-hanging balcony beauty. Look forward to a fairytale abundance of flowers if you heed the following care measures:

  • Fill a peat-poor, lean substrate over a drainage made of potsherds, such as uniform, pricking or herb soil
  • Plant and water 5-6 flowers per meter of balcony box
  • Water only a little when the substrate is well dried
  • Treat with liquid herb or succulent fertilizer every 4 weeks until the end of the flowering period
  • Clean out wilted flowers as soon as possible to avoid energy-sapping seed formation

In view of the very easy propagation by sowing, the effort of overwintering on the windowsill is not worthwhile.

Is purslane poisonous?

The close botanical relationship of the purslane (Portulaca grandiflora) with summer purslane (Portulaca oleracea) and winter purslane (Claytonia perfoliata), the tasty herbs and wild vegetables, tempts hobby gardeners to nibble on the flower again and again. Although the flower is not poisonous, its taste is very disappointing. After all, the flowers function as a pretty decoration for cold and warm dishes or drinks.

Beautiful varieties

  • Sundial Chiffon: Silky, delicate blooms with semi-double, pink-red flowers that bloom early from June
  • Sundial Gold: Beautiful purslane with ruffled golden-yellow flower heads and dense branching
  • Sundial Orange: Small Portulaca grandiflora that draws attention to itself with dark orange flowers
  • Bicolor: premium variety with yellow and pink flowers; the ideal ground cover for sunny, hot locations
  • Stopwatch Cream: Picturesque summer flower with cream colored petals adorned with a pink center

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Vegetable garden