Buy Purslane: Buying guide & Recommended Sources of Supply
The healthy herb is all the rage and is on the rise. Find out where to buy purslane and what to look out for here.
Purslane ( Portulaca oleracea ) is an old leaf vegetable. Even the ancient Egyptians are said to have appreciated it. It is easy to grow in your own garden and the first leaves can be harvested after just three weeks. But what should you watch out for when buying purslane? And where do you get the seeds for healthy vegetables? Our article will tell you everything you need to know about buying purslane.
Buy purslane
It almost sounds too good to be true: Once sown, the purslane gives us healthy and tasty leaves throughout the summer, which the plant can harvest over and over again. The leafy vegetables do not need much care either, they grow almost by themselves. So well, in fact, that they are viewed as weeds in Spain. Completely wrongly, because the green plant is not a weed, but a great salad or can be eaten steamed like spinach. So how do you come up with such a true green wonder in your garden?
You should keep this in mind when buying purslane
Purslane has a very short germination time of about seven days and also a very short cultivation time of only three weeks. Therefore there is actually no reason to buy pre-grown purslane as a young plant in stores. Rather, you can buy seeds and then grow the plants yourself. With purslane, this is very easy and almost always successful.
When buying seeds, pay attention to the type and variety of purslane. It is easy to confuse winter ( Claytonia perfoliata ) and summer purslane ( Portulaca oleracea ). These of course differ in the time of sowing and the time of cultivation. The annual summer purslane is not winter hardy and dies even with light frost. It can therefore not – like the winter purslane – be grown in the cold months. You should also pay attention to the shelf life of the seeds when buying seeds. Purslane seeds lose their ability to germinate over time. However, if stored correctly, most vegetable seeds can be kept for around one to two years. To be on the safe side, it is worth taking a look at the best before date.
What should you watch out for when buying purslane?
- Choice of type
- Choice of variety
- Shelf life of the seeds
Recommended sources of supply for purslane
As already mentioned, pre-grown purslane young plants are practically not to be found in the trade. You are more likely to find what you are looking for with seeds. You can buy this in hardware stores, garden centers and nurseries. Another possibility is via the Internet. Here you usually have a larger selection and you will also find special rarities. We have put together a selection of recommended online dealers of purslane seeds for you below.
Flail: The company has set itself the task of breeding and further propagating traditional and forgotten varieties. You can also find some purslane seeds in the extensive online shop.
Samenhaus Müller: The online trade offers seeds and seeds for shipping. You will also find a large selection of purslane in the online shop.
Organic Herb Herb: This provider specializes in seeds and plants from controlled organic cultivation. Organic purslane seeds can also be found in the online shop.
Rühlemann’s: The nursery only offers seeds and plants for herbs and scented plants. Purslane is also available for purchase.
Zollinger Bio: The Swiss family business has been breeding organic seeds and preserving traditional varieties since 1980. Organic purslane seeds are also offered for shipping. The purslane rose is a special type of purslane. Find out what it is all about and how you can grow it yourself in your garden here.
