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Monday, September 28, 2009

How to Care for Moss Rose - Portulaca Grandiflora



I got this Moss Rose from my mum.
It didn't flower for a very long time until I placed it outside my house where there is enough sunlight.

It blooms gloriously in the morning (but I'm not at home during much of the blooming time as I leave early to work and back in the evening when all the show is over) That's one of the reason why I don't fancy this plant as I only able to enjoy these blooms during the weekend.

Somehow this variety is a bit different, as the flower stays bloom longer and bigger compared to the ones I had before.

Basic Plant Characteristics:

1) Sun lover - Unlike other floral plants, this one is hardy and drought tolerant.

When planted in shade the plant grows leggy without blooms, eventually the plant matures and dies. The roots do not go deep, and they grow as ground covers.

2) When they put out many branches and leggy, its better to trim & use the stem to propagate more plants. They can be planted using few stems together in a bunched and poked inside the soil. That way, when they bloom, the flowers are bushy and not singled & spaced out.

3) Once they finished the blooms and become leggy the plant slowly becomes dormant and began to die. So, its important to take immediate cuttings and replant them just after they matured or at their prime. This happens when a single plant puts out 3 - 5 long stems.

4) They can also root in water very easily, tiny roots appears after few days. But you need to make sure that none of the leaves submerge in the water as that may cause the whole thing to rot.

5) They need free draining soil, sand would be the best option. Too much water retaining type of soil may cause root rot and fungus. They are like the succulent type - so too much water is not advisable.

There are some variety which had been sold in wet markets as vegetables. The flowers are not so grand looking. I have not seen them for sometime. I guess they are not popular anymore.


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These are the other two which I had before now gone extinct. I got this from my office mate, I had left it in my office for a day and the plant start blooming, there were immediate flower buds which bloomed on the next day.
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These are temporarily planted together with my coleus. They were not replanted and had slowly disappeared. Somehow they become leggy and dry up. All these time, none of my Moss Rose had every put out seeds or self sowed. Once matures, they just die.
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Update: 2020 March


These are what currently existing in my garden. 
I find that it is much more difficult to cultivate them in long-term as these are short life span plants and may not regenerate back again in the same pot / medium. The idea of trimming and replanting the pruned cutting back into the same pot may not work in various times.

Also, space seemed to be a challenging constraint when other plants are growing together in the same community pot. However the beautiful sun blooming flowers does cheer up the day when they bloom during the few hours in the morning till late afternoon.


There are many cultivars and varieties had been introduced year after year that it is impossible to keep up with all them. However the ideal thing to do is to find the ideal space and room from the grow and flower.


These require bright direct sunlight throughout the day in order for them to bloom constantly. They will never bloom in shaded area. They won't do well in cool, wet & humid areas too.
The best ideal condition - bright open sunny areas.


Their roots won't go deep into the pot. The ideal potting size would be shallow wide type of pots. These will ensure good sunny expose on them that will optimize greater flowering and longer blooming time during the day.

The flowers however last only for a day only and closes by evening time. A new bud will take place and bloom in it's place. Some variety from seedpod with tiny black seeds which will self germinate around the moss growth areas.


Pest:
These sometimes have mealybug infestation in between the leaf and buds. Sometimes ants farm them and therefore they can be a vector for the infestation which could prove difficult to rid off using home-made pesticide as these ants may introduce them sooner than you think.


Apart from all these set-backs. Consider moss-rose plant as a temporary joy plant. Something that you can collect and exchange with other gardening friends when you have the chance. These do great as a nook & crook plant as you can just poke the stem in between the edges of the pot and soil as they are non-fussy plants when it comes for root growth. 








11 comments:

Autumn Belle said...

James, I see that your portulaca has many fleshy and healthy leaves. Looks like the coleus needs more water than the portulaca. Have you tried mixing different colour or big with small portulacas in one pot?

James David said...

Belle - I just went back to your blog and saw all your moss rose posting. You have a lovely collection. I had many varieties of it but they seem to be so temporary.

Do mix them but also keep the originals in separate pots because eventually one cultivar will overpower the other and you will find that from the mix - one or two goes dormant and later missing.

Stephanie said...

James, I love how you matched the coleus with the moss rose. Colours go so well together. Good combination! Enjoy your garden and have a great weekend! Btw, in my garden, when it rains non-stop, some of my newly propogated portulaca stems dissappeared... ha ha... yes beware of the rain also.

James David said...

Steph - Waa.. even rain can cause havoc ahh??

I really don't expect much from moss rose as they are so unpredictable. CUrrently I only have this red big bloom type only.
(others had dissappeared)
But when they bloom, I take it as a bonus for the day!

lynn'sgarden said...

Hi James! Thanks for visiting and leaving comment on my blog...I always enjoy meeting new gardeners ;) I usually include moss roses in my mixed containers but when deer visit, the plants are chewed completely down to nothing! I agree, that is a pretty coleus, love the pink heart center! Btw, your princes are adorable!
Lynn

Chloe m said...

James,
I am going outside to see if my Portulaca survived last night, and then do some water cuttings. I did not know about this. I may be too late! Thanks for all the great info about Moss Rose. It is one of my new favorites!
Rosey

James David said...

Thanks Lynn - sorry to note abt. the deers. We don't have deers roaming around in Malaysia. I guess it would be cute to see one here but I guess its a pest there as they cause much damage.

Rosey - Im glad that my info helped you. Hope you manange to salvage those moss rose and plant them.

easygardener said...

I like Portalucas - I'm a great fan of brightly coloured flowers. My plant is looking a little old now so I had better take cuttings.

James David said...

Easygardener - Im a fan of coloured flowers & foliage too. They just brighten the day.

kevin said...

Hi James, I'm new to gardening...and like most of your fans on your blog here...I love portulacas for the brilliant and myriad of colors. Recently I noticed that the flowers that were planted outside my house seems to close by noon whilst those just a couple of steps away inside closes only around 4pm. Would you be able to advise on how I can get them to stay open longer? Or should I replant the whole garden from new cuttings? Thanks a bunch! :)

James David said...

Hi Kevin.
I would suggest you replant the whole garden from new cuttings and place them where the sun shine the longest.
Probably the ones you planted earlier are in shaded area?
Again, the issue is the brightest and not the hottest. Sometimes before you know it - the flower wither under the hot sun.
Its always better to experiment and maximise to see what brings out the best result.

My opposite neighbour finds it difficult to keep few of the plants that thrive in my garden. And its versa visa for me to find that some of her plants does so well in her garden and not mine.

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My Malaysian Tropical Garden mainly focused on unique and colorful plants ranging from rare to common plants all around the tropical belt across the world. Ideal for inspiration for challenging areas in the garden space - indoor gardening, balcony gardening and small green spaces especially for ariods, bromeliads, begonias, edibles, cascading & vertical garden plants, succulents & cacti, orchids, together with both shade and sun loving plants.

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