Bulbs
Flower Basics
Flower Beds & Specialty Gardens
Flower Garden
Garden Furniture
Garden Gnomes
Garden Seeds
Garden Sheds
Garden Statues
Garden Tools & Supplies
Gardening Basics
Green & Organic
Groundcovers & Vines
Growing Annuals
Growing Basil
Growing Beans
Growing Berries
Growing Blueberries
Growing Cactus
Growing Corn
Growing Cotton
Growing Edibles
Growing Flowers
Growing Garlic
Growing Grapes
Growing Grass
Growing Herbs
Growing Jasmine
Growing Mint
Growing Mushrooms
Orchids
Growing Peanuts
Growing Perennials
Growing Plants
Growing Rosemary
Growing Roses
Growing Strawberries
Growing Sunflowers
Growing Thyme
Growing Tomatoes
Growing Tulips
Growing Vegetables
Herb Basics
Herb Garden
Indoor Growing
Landscaping Basics
Landscaping Patios
Landscaping Plants
Landscaping Shrubs
Landscaping Trees
Landscaping Walks & Pathways
Lawn Basics
Lawn Maintenance
Lawn Mowers
Lawn Ornaments
Lawn Planting
Lawn Tools
Outdoor Growing
Overall Landscape Planning
Pests, Weeds & Problems
Plant Basics
Rock Garden
Rose Garden
Shrubs
Soil
Specialty Gardens
Trees
Vegetable Garden
Yard Maintenance
Tips on Growing Portulaca
Tips on Growing Portulaca. Properly raised portulaca plants will add an amazing dash of color and style to any garden. With flowers that resemble roses and grow red, white, orange, pink and yellow, these plants can brighten up even the dullest garden. Also called moss rose, this plant grows to be about 6 inches tall, and has a spread up to about 12...
Properly raised portulaca plants will add an amazing dash of color and style to any garden. With flowers that resemble roses and grow red, white, orange, pink and yellow, these plants can brighten up even the dullest garden. Also called moss rose, this plant grows to be about 6 inches tall, and has a spread up to about 12 inches. Because of its color and spread, portulaca is generally spread around as a ground cover. Properly planting and caring for your moss rose will add beautiful color and sophistication to your garden.
Planting
Plant portulaca plants in an area where they will receive direct light for at least half the day. These plants are native to Brazil, and so the heat and light provided by the sun is necessary for healthy growth. It should be planted in soil that drains well, as its origins in the hot, dry climate of Brazil has made it extremely susceptible to root rot and other damages from over-watering.
Portulaca can grow in hardiness zones five through 10, according to the Arbor Day Foundation zoning maps. It will prosper in areas where the average annual low varies from negative 10 degrees Fahrenheit to 50 degrees Fahrenheit. The plant can be sown any time after the threat of freeze has ceased for the season.
Seeds for portulaca plants are minuscule, so it might help you to mix a bunch of seeds in with sand, then spread them over the area of the garden on which you want the ground cover to grow.
Continued Care
Water the seeds so that the soil is moist, but not wet. If it rains, do not water your portulaca plants, as they can easily suffer from root rot.
Moss rose resists most disease and insect infestations naturally. The only insect from which moss rose may suffer is the aphid. If you find signs of an insect infestation, spray water directly onto the plants next time you water to wash them away. Mix a teaspoon of dish detergent into a quart of water in a spray bottle and spray onto the plants if the insects persist; the detergent will kill the bugs, but not the plants.
Because portulaca propagates so easily (it seeds itself in warm conditions, and cuttings from the plant can be planted to grow into the flower), it can get out of control in your garden and cover more ground than you originally hoped. Keep moss rose trimmed back in the area you want to cover to make sure it does not have its own way with your garden.
