One of the most beloved annuals of many horticulturists is portulacus - a creeping plant with small flowers of all colors of the rainbow. In appearance, the portulacus resembles a small bush, whose height is usually not more than 15-20 cm, and its tiny leaves look like needles. It grows so fast and densely covers the soil with its stems, which in the common people was simply called "rug."
In total, the genus Porlaca has about 100 plant species, but the most popular is the pearl-lobed terry, which refers to the ornamental large-flowered species. The main feature of this plant is that with sunset buds close, as if falling asleep for the night, and in the morning they rejoice the eye with their abundant bright flowering. In addition, often in the gardens there is a rather malicious weed - a porcelain garden , which can quickly become a real disaster in the suburban area. However, it should be noted that the stems and young leaves of this plant contain a huge amount of vitamins, easily digestible protein, microorganisms and carotene, so it is often used for the preparation of salads, soups or sauces.
If you are fascinated by this ornamental plant, but do not know how you can grow portolacus in your summer residence, then our article is especially for you!
Portulak - features of planting, cultivation and care
The pledge of abundant and long flowering of the portalak is bright, direct sunlight, so for this plant one should choose the most open places for planting. As for the soil, the portaloque is one of not many ornamental plants that feel great on the poorest sandy lands. And if the soil is rich in nutrients, then the flower will simply begin to build up the green mass and will less please you with its abundant flowering.
Care for pestilent is more than simple. Proceeding from the aforesaid, it is possible to draw a conclusion, that the plant absolutely does not need top dressing. In addition, portolac does not need to be cut, transplanted, and various pests and diseases absolutely are not terrible for him. To this ornamental plant fell in love with your garden plot, it is enough to provide a moderate, regular watering and timely removal of weeds .
In summer, the reproduction of the pearl-lizard is possible by cutting or dividing the bush, but more often it is grown from seeds.
When and how to sow the Portuguese?
Due to the fact that the seeds germinate slowly enough, the portolac is sown in early March. To do this, the usual garden primer, which must be well loosened and moistened before planting. Seeds should be distributed on the surface of the soil is not too dense, slightly pressing them into the ground. After that, the container with seeds should be covered with a film or glass and put in a well-lit place. And as soon as the first shoots appear, the shelter can be removed. It should be noted that until the sprouts grow and finally get stronger, do not water them, just spray them with a spray.
Approximately a month later the seedlings must be carefully dived into separate containers. Further, before the onset of stable warm weather, the plant should be kept in a warm sunny place and well watered.
With the onset of warm days, the seagull is planted in the ground to a permanent place in the garden. To make the plant easier to transfer the transplant, this procedure is better to produce in the morning or evening time. Planting seedlings is necessary at a distance of 10-15 cm from each other, because they quickly fill all the empty space. Immediately after the transplantation, the pierculace should be watered as it dries, and when the flower finally takes root in your garden, watering can be reduced to a minimum.