If you want to enjoy fresh vitamins and minerals in fresh salad all year round, you should grow both summer and winter purslane. Both leafy greens are annual, herbaceous plants that are very easy to plant and care for without much effort. However, both types tend to spread quickly and uncontrollably.
Do I have to water purslane?
The summer purslane, which loves the sun and warmth, only needs to be watered in dry periods if it has been planted out. Winter purslane usually does not require any additional watering.
When and how much should I fertilize my purslane plants?
Purslane does not need to be fertilized, but can be provided with some extra garden compost at the beginning of the planting season.
Can you grow purslane in a pot?
In particular, the winter purslane grows ground-covering, while the summer purslane can reach a height of about 40 centimeters. Despite their rather wide growth, both species can also be grown in pots, whereby bushy growth can be achieved by regularly trimming the shoot tips. The also edible Peru purslane (Anredera species), a sun-loving and not hardy creeper, is ideal for cultivation in pots.
When and how should purslane be cut?
You can harvest both types of purslane several times a year, using the fleshy leaves either as a salad or as a soup ingredient. When harvesting, always cut off the leaves along with the stems, but leave the bottom two leaves in place. The young leaves taste best, while older ones tend to be bitter. Therefore, the plants should not be too big. The flower buds, which are still closed, can be preserved like capers, and the seeds, which contain a lot of protein, are also edible. Winter purslane should be cut when it is about ten centimeters long - but not later, otherwise it becomes inedible due to the high nitrate content.
Is purslane susceptible to infestation by certain pests or diseases?
If purslane is kept too moist, it has a strong tendency to mold infestation. The summer purslane in particular does not tolerate waterlogging either. Otherwise, slugs in particular like the juicy and thick-fleshed leaves.
Which purslane cards are hardy?
Summer purslane is an annual plant that - if you let it - will self-seed at the end of the vegetation period and will reliably come back in this way. However, unlike the winter purslane, it is not hardy.
tips and tricks
In Russia in particular, purslane used to be pickled in vinegar or salt and thus preserved as a winter vegetable rich in vitamins.
IJA