Differences of purslane, recommendations for caring for a plant when planting on a flower bed, reproduction, pest and disease control, facts for the curious, types. Purslane (Portulaca) is also referred to as Dandur, and is included in the genus Portulaca, classified in the Portulacaceae family. Almost all natural habitats are found in the Northern Hemisphere, where a tropical climate prevails. However, this plant is not uncommon in many countries of Eurasia and the theory that the purslane is a native of the eastern lands has no basis. According to various sources, the varieties of dandur are from one hundred to two hundred units. The plant settles on moist sandy soils, of which there are many along the banks of river arteries, but it can often be seen in gardens, in fields and in human gardens, indicating the proximity of human habitation.
Purslane bears its scientific name because of the translation of the word from Latin "portula", meaning "small gate, collar". All this points to the fruit of this representative of the flora, which looks like a box, which, while ripening, opens, as if opening miniature doors. Among our people, the plant is called "rugs". In the lands of Armenia, the plant is called "dandur". But the Turks call it for the fleshiness of the leaves and stems "semiz" (seven), which in those areas means "fat, fat, well-fed." In some regions of Russia, the purslane has a not very poetic name "chicken leg", according to one version - this is a distortion of the name in Latin "pulli pied". Although there is no exact confirmation of this statement.
Purslane has gained its popularity since the Middle Ages, spreading throughout European countries. He was especially famous in England, and at first dandur was grown as a garden crop, and only then as a garden plant. It is in the garden culture that only one variety of large-flowered purslane (Portulaca grandiflora) is widespread.
Basically, representatives of dandur are grown as annuals, since they will not be able to endure the winter in our conditions, even if they are sheltered for this time. The height of the purslane does not exceed 30 cm. The root of the plant has branching, fusiform shape. The stems are distinguished by fleshy outlines and good branching, their color is brown, there is a cavity inside. The leaf plates are also fleshy, their shape can be cylindrical or somewhat reminiscent of a flattened egg.
When blooming, buds with petals of yellow, white, dark red (wine) color are formed. The flowering process stretches from early summer to September. However, the life cycle of each flower consists of only one day and by the evening time it fades, but the number of flowers is so great that the process of formation and opening of buds creates a feeling of continuity.
When the fruits are ripening, then in the purslane they are a spherical box filled with numerous seeds. It is customary to grow this decorative and rather unpretentious plant not only in flower beds, but also it is placed in pots, hanging baskets and containers. We know a variety of garden purslane, or as many call it vegetable purslane, which, on the one hand, can occupy a personal plot, acting as a weed, and on the other hand, this culture is used in cooking and folk medicine.
Tips for growing purslane, planting and care in the garden
- Landing dandur. It is best to plant seedlings of the plant in early summer, as this will be sure that there will be no frost in the morning. If this rule is not adhered to and the temperature indicators become equal to 10 degrees of heat, then the seedlings will shed their leaves. When the plant already has 10-15 leaves, and you can also see several formed buds, you can plant it in open ground. When planting, purslane bushes are located at a distance of about 15–20 cm from each other, not closer. After the transplant has been carried out, it will be necessary to water the seedlings daily abundantly in the first 2-3 days, especially if the weather is dry. Plants obtained from seeds begin to bloom after 6-7 weeks, after the shoots have appeared.
- Disembarkation point for purslane should be sunny, preferably at an elevation, since even in partial shade, the flowering process may not occur. Also, if the purslane root system is located close to groundwater or in low-lying areas, where water often stagnates, then root decay processes may begin to develop.
- Selection of soil during planting. It is recommended that the substrate for dandur is poor and sandy, since in a land rich in nutrients, the plant will begin to build up its green mass, but flowering will not occur.
- General care. Basically, you need to pay attention to purslane if summer weather becomes too dry. And although the plant has succulent properties, it is recommended to water it periodically. Top dressing, pruning, weeding or loosening of the soil for the dandur bush is not carried out.
- Seed collection. As soon as a flower withers, it must be removed immediately, otherwise it will dry out and fall off. There is a fruit under it, which, when ripe, will open and all the seeds will fall on the soil. Ripening of the capsule in dry weather is 14 days, but if the summer is cold, then this process can stretch into autumn up to a month. Freshly harvested seed material will become suitable only next spring, but retain its properties for 3 years.
How to reproduce purslane with your own hands?
Sowing seeds. When growing dandur, the seed method is the most convenient and simple. If the seeds are planted at the end of winter or in March, then it will be necessary to carry out supplementary lighting with artificial light lamps for normal development. When seeds are sown in April, such a process will be superfluous, since the light ding will already become quite long. When planting, it is recommended to make up the soil mixture yourself, since there is peat in the universal purchased soil, which can slow down the germination of seed material. The substrate is made up of garden soil and river sand (20% of the total mass). Then the soil is mixed and calcined in the oven. A layer of fine expanded clay (gravel, pebbles) is placed in a shallow container with holes for the outflow of moisture and soil is poured on top. It is watered with settled water (preferably rain or melted water) and seeds are laid out on the surface. The distance between them is maintained up to 1 cm. In this case, you can use a toothpick for indentations, then the seeds are slightly pressed into the ground. The container with the crops is covered under plastic wrap to create the conditions for a mini-greenhouse. The container is placed in a warm and bright place, the heat readings are maintained at 22-30 degrees.
Growing seedlings. After a week, if the care is sustained, dandur shoots will appear. After that, the shelter is removed. Subsequent care consists in moistening the soil with settled water, often, so that there is no flooding of the soil, bottom irrigation is used. If it is noticed that the seedlings have become too stretched, then backlighting with phyto-lamps or fluorescent lamps is necessary. If the day is cloudy, then the lamps can burn all day, on other days the illumination is carried out for a couple of hours in the morning and evening. When the purslane was sown in April, the seedlings are placed on the sill of a south-facing window and then additional lighting is not needed.
Carrying out a dandur's pick. If a pair of true leaf plates have unfolded on the seedlings, then it is necessary to pick (seedlings) them in separate pots (about 7–8 cm in diameter). They try not to shake off the clod of earth from the root system of the seedlings (you can use a spoon for transplanting). When 7 days have passed after the pick, it is recommended to apply fertilization for the first time. Complex mineral preparations are used. Subsequently, such dressings are needed once a week or once a decade before the purslane is planted in open ground. The disembarkation is carried out when the frost has passed and there will be a stable daytime temperature of about 20 degrees - approximately this time falls on the end of May and beginning of June.
Diseases and pests of purslane
Dandur is particularly resistant to diseases and pests, but it can often suffer from aphids. In the summer months, these insects often attack flower beds, vegetable gardens and orchards en masse. At the same time, green or black small bugs can be seen on the stems and leaf plates of the purslane, and if measures are not taken, then soon all parts of the plant will be covered with a sugary sticky bloom (pad - the excrement of the pest), which will entail the spread of sooty fungus.
To get rid of this problem, it is recommended to spray with insecticidal preparations, for example, Aktellik or Akrata. If the treatment did not lead to a positive result the first time, then it is recommended to repeat it in a week.
Also a problem is a fungal disease provoked by the fungus Albugo portulaceae. In this case, the shoots of the plant are deformed, and the foliage is covered with mottling. For treatment, all affected areas are removed, and then a fungicide treatment is performed, which contains copper.
Purslane flower facts for the curious
The plant dandur (purslane) has been known to mankind since 400-300 BC (the times of the life of Hippocrates and Helen - the great healers of antiquity and the so-called "fathers of medicine"). Even then, traditional healers believed that plant seeds help cleanse the body, and leaf plates were an antidote to snake bites. Today, foliage can be applied to the site of bee stings, they will help relieve swelling. If the leaves are rubbed into a gruel, and then put on the eyes, then the swelling will pass. The same remedy, when dissolved in wine, was recommended to be used in the treatment of a sick stomach and relieving pain in the bladder. In Arab countries, healers with a drug from the gruel of foliage, infused with wine, removed warts, used it for erysipelas and pimples. The seeds were used to treat lichen scaly and other skin conditions.
At the moment, modern medicine also uses the healing properties of purslane in the fight against helminths, and it is also recommended to use dandur for patients with mild diabetes mellitus.
If you collect the shoots and leaf plates of purslane before the flowering process has begun, then they can be used as a side dish for meat and fish dishes. In this case, the foliage and stems are boiled with the addition of garlic, vinegar and vegetable oil. You can cook dishes based on dandur tops by letting it in with onions in vegetable oil.
However, like any medicinal plant, purslane also has contraindications. You can harm the body of a pregnant woman, since when consumed, the tone of the uterus increases and a miscarriage can be triggered. Also, the use of dandur is not recommended for nervous excitability and severe depletion of the body. All this is due to the fact that the plant contains a substance called norepinephrine, which resembles a hormone synthesized in the human body. Because of this substance, a general toning of the body occurs, which leads to stimulation of the central nervous system and has an effect similar to doping.
Types of purslane
Large-flowered purslane (Portulaca grandiflora). The most common variety in horticulture. The native habitat of this plant is in the territory of southern Armenia. It is a perennial, but in our climate this species is grown only as an annual crop. The height of the bush does not exceed 30 cm, since its stems differ in somewhat lodging outlines. The leaf plates are fleshy, their size is small, the shape is in the form of a cylinder, the color is rich green.
When flowering, single buds are formed. The flowers have a calyx shape, while the diameter in full disclosure varies in the range of 3-4 cm. Flowers can be either simple or double, their structure is somewhat reminiscent of a tea rose. The color of the petals is quite varied, including shades of white, cream, beige, as well as all tones of yellow, red or purple. There are varieties that can "boast" of a two-tone color of flowers, although the base species has petals in flowers of a deep red hue. The flowering process can take time from early summer days to mid-autumn.
The best varieties are:
- Double Mix is a double-flowered plant and is presented in flower shops as a mixture of purslane seeds.
- Cherry also has a double flower shape, but this plant is undersized, since the height does not exceed 10-12 cm. The stem is strong, the diameter of the flowers in the opening is 5 cm, the petals are cherry color.
- Hybrid Cream, has terry flowers, which are also large in size (about 5 cm in diameter), the petals are cream-colored, inside there is a darker clair in the middle.
- Sungo. This plant is distinguished by the largest size of flowers, they do not close, even if the entire sky is densely covered with clouds. Sundance and Cloudbitter varieties have the same properties.
Garden purslane (Portulaca oleracea) is also called vegetable purslane. It is an annual crop, the height of which reaches 30 centimeters (although some specimens may grow up to 40 cm or not exceed 10 cm). Reproduction is mainly self-sowing, which is why this type of purslane can become a weed that occupies large spaces in personal plots. The stem has a strong branching, which starts from the very base, its outlines are fleshy (succulent, that is, it can accumulate fluid reserves in itself for unexpected dry periods). The stem can lie to the soil, its color is reddish.
The leaf plates have oblong-spatulate, oblong-wedge-shaped or wedge-obovate, scapular contours. Leaves are sessile on shoots, also differ in fleshiness, the top is blunt. The upper leaves on the stems grow in opposite order, while those below the stem grow in a spiral order.
Flowering takes place throughout the summer months. In this case, the formation of flowers of light yellow or bright yellow color, with a diameter of about 7-8 mm. From the buds, bundles are collected, in which there are 2-3 flowers. Such inflorescences take their origin from the branching of the stems or in the leaf axils.
Ripening of fruits occurs in September. The shape of the fruit is an egg-shaped box or in the form of a ball. When ripe, it opens with a crack placed in a vertical plane. This kind of fruit is called a "cap".
Whole group plantings are formed from such plants. It is appreciated for its beneficial taste and medicinal properties. In the wild, it can be found in the European part of Russia, as well as in the Caucasus and the Far East.
Terry purslane is a low-growing bush with large flowers, double-shaped. The best varieties are "Belotsvetkovy" and "Slendens".
For more on growing purslane, see the following video:
