How to grow purslane? The latest cultivation techniques and methods tutorial
Purslane is also known as purslane (Portulaca oleracea), five-element grass, long-life vegetable, five-direction grass, pig-fat vegetable, purslane grass, etc. It is an annual herbaceous plant of the genus Portulaca in the family Portulacaceae, growing in sunny places such as field roadsides and garden ruins. The whole plant is used medicinally, with effects of clearing heat and draining dampness, detoxifying and reducing swelling, and reducing inflammation and promoting urination. The tender stems and leaves can be eaten as a vegetable. Now let us take a look at purslane cultivation techniques together!
Purslane Growth Habits
Purslane likes high humidity, is drought-tolerant and waterlogging-tolerant, and is heliotropic. It is suitable for cultivation in various fields and sloping land, with neutral and slightly acidic soil being better. Its germination temperature is 18°C, and the most suitable growth temperature is 20-30°C. When the temperature exceeds 20°C, it can be sown in stages and brought to market successively. Protected cultivation can allow year-round production.
Purslane Propagation Methods
1. Seed propagation: The seeds used for seed propagation of purslane are all seeds collected from the wild in the previous year or retained during cultivation. Its seeds are extremely small, so land preparation must be very fine. After sowing, keep the soil moist, and seedlings will emerge in 7-10 days.
2. Cutting propagation: Cuttings are collected from seedlings sown that year or from wild seedlings, preferably from strong plants that have many branches and vigorous growth, and each section should retain 3-5 nodes. Before cutting, prepare the soil finely and apply fully decomposed farmyard manure thoroughly in combination with land preparation. The cutting density (plant and row spacing) is 3*5 cm, and the depth of the cuttings into the soil is about 3 cm. After cutting, maintain a certain humidity and appropriate shade, and they will survive after one week.
Purslane Cultivation Techniques
1. Land preparation and fertilization: After sowing or cutting, purslane can be transplanted into the field for cultivation in 15-20 days. When the cultivation area is small, it can also be directly cut into the field. Before transplanting, plow the field soil, and in combination with land preparation apply 1500 kg of fully decomposed human manure or 15-20 kg of ternary compound fertilizer per mu.
2. Bed opening and transplanting: After land preparation and fertilization, open beds at a width of 1.2 m for purslane, and plant at a plant and row spacing of 12 cm × 20 cm. After planting, water thoroughly to settle the roots. To ensure the survival rate, transplanting is best done on cloudy days. If transplanting on sunny days, shade measures should be taken within 2 days after planting, and water once every evening.
3. Field management: When transplanting purslane, after applying sufficient base fertilizer as required, no topdressing is needed in the early stage. After that, apply a thin human and livestock manure water once every 1-2 harvests. Flower buds that form should be removed promptly to promote the growth of vegetative branches. In drought, water appropriately to resist drought. During the entire growth period, pests and diseases are very rare, and generally no spraying is needed.
4. Timely harvesting: The harvest standard for commercial purslane is tender shoots 10-15 cm long before flowering. If harvested too late, not only will the tender shoots become old and poor in edible value, but it will also affect the growth of the next branching and the annual yield. After one harvest, it can be harvested again after 15-20 days, and this can continue until mid-to-late October. In production, staged and batch-by-batch rotational harvesting is generally used.
5. Seed retention and collection: The plot for retaining purslane seeds should be marked out from the plot producing commercial purslane from the very beginning. The cultivation and management measures are the same as those for commercial purslane production, except that the seed retention plot does not harvest commercial purslane and allows it to branch, flower, and set seed naturally. 25-30 days after flowering, when the capsules turn yellow, the seeds are already mature and should be harvested in time, otherwise they will scatter on the ground.