purslane

When to sow purslane?

Botanical name
Portulaca oleracea
Family
Portulacaceae

Purslane is sown outdoors from May to August, 0.6 cm deep. It is harvested from July to October.

Purslane is an annual plant. The edible parts are the stems, leaves, flowers and seeds.

purslane
Photo: ZooFari · CC BY-SA 3.0

Purslane through the year

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Outdoor sowing
Harvest
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  • outdoor sowing
  • harvest

In short

Outdoor sowing
from May to August
weeks 21 to 35
the window opens a week after the last frost
Sowing depth
0.6 cm
Spacing in the row
8 to 15 cm
Days to maturity
42 to 56 days
Harvest
from July to October
weeks 27 to 41

The last frost is not on the same day everywhere, so the recorded weeks are a guide and not a date.

Growing conditions

🪨
Soil
light and loamy
☀️
Sun
full sun
💧
Water
moderate water
❄️
Frost
does not tolerate frost
🌱
Nutrients
a light feeder
🔁
Crop rotation
no sooner than the fourth year
⚠️
Toxicity
toxic to cats and dogs

Pests and diseases

Listed here is every problem for which the sources name this plant as a host. The problems are not listed in order of how common they are.

Powdery mildew

disease
Signs
A white, floury coating spreads over the leaves, first on the lower and older ones. The leaf under it yellows and dries up. The fruit stays small, because the plant loses leaf surface.
Prevention
Plant resistant varieties, leave an airy spacing and sun, and clear the debris at the end of the season. Unlike most fungi it is not helped by wet foliage, since it spreads in heat and high air humidity, in a dry summer too.

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Related plants

The plant below is in the same botanical family (Portulacaceae).

Sources about the plant: ASPCA Toxic and Non-Toxic Plants, BUND Region Hannover, GBIF Backbone Taxonomy, Johnny's Selected Seeds, KGZS, NC State Extension Plant Toolbox, Penn State Extension, UF/IFAS Extension, University of Wisconsin-Madison Division of Extension, Wikidata. Checked between 14 and 30 August 2026. The problem descriptions also draw on: Clemson Cooperative Extension, KGZS, Royal Horticultural Society, University of Maryland Extension, Utah State University Extension.