GrowSabzHow to grow purslane in pots
Also called Garden Purslane, Little Hogweed, Verdolaga, kulfa · Portulaca oleracea
کلفا
- ☀️ Sunlight
- 6–8hours daily
- 💧 Water
- 0.3 Levery 3 days, 5 L pot
- 🌡️ Ideal temp
- 20–35°C
- 🪴 Min pot
- 5 L15 cm deep
- 🧺 Harvest
- 21–35days from sowing
- ⚖️ Yield
- 0.6 kgper 20 L pot
Purslane is a heat-lover with no tolerance for cold. It wants 20–35 °C and frost kills it outright. Everything about growing it well comes down to timing — getting it into the season early enough to crop before temperatures fall away.
Short answer
Grow purslane in a 5 litre container at least 15 cm deep, watering about 500 ml per 10 litres of soil every 3 days, and keep temperatures between 20 and 35 °C. First harvest comes 21–35 days after sowing.
Where to plant it
What size pot does purslane need?
5 litres and 15 cm deep is the realistic minimum for a single plant. Pick a container below to see what changes.
| Container | Minimum size | Depth | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pot | 5 L | 15 cm | Requires good drainage |
| Grow bag | 5 L | 15 cm | Fabric bags promote air pruning |
| Open ground | — | 10 cm | Spreads easily, can become invasive |
| Raised bed | 10 L | 20 cm | Good for containing spread and managing soil |
Watering
How often should you water purslane?
Every 3 days through the growing season, at about 500 ml per 10 litres of soil — every 2 days in hot weather, every 5 days when it turns cool. Water in the early morning. Drip irrigation or base watering works best.
Too little water
- wilting
- leaves shriveling
- stunted growth
Too much water
- yellowing leaves
- mushy stems
- root rot
Avoid: overhead watering in high humidity; constant soggy soil.
Climate
Can you grow purslane where you live?
No hardiness zone needed — compare your actual temperatures against the plant's own limits.
| Ideal range | 20 – 35 °C |
|---|---|
| Survives | 5 – 40 °C |
| Germinates above | 18 °C — best at 25 °C, about 7 days |
| Flowers drop | above 40 °C, or below 10 °C |
| Sunlight | 6–14 hrs/day, best 8 |
| Frost | Highly sensitive — will not survive it |
The flower-drop thresholds matter more than the survival ones. A plant can be perfectly alive at 40 °C and still give you nothing.
How cold is too cold for purslane? Check your temperaturesEnter your night low and day high — see if it survives, and if it will cropTimeline
Purslane growing stages, day by day
Click any stage to see what's happening. Durations shift with temperature — a warm season runs roughly a quarter faster than a cool one.
Feeding
Fertiliser schedule for purslane
Feed on the interval below, changing what you give as the plant shifts from making leaves to making fruit.
| Stage | What to use | Per 10 L | Every |
|---|
How to prepare each feed
Common mistakes
Why purslane fails, and how to avoid it
- A container that is too small
Below 5 litres the root run is too shallow. The plant grows, flowers late, and drops whatever it sets because it cannot support the crop.
- Watering too lightly
A daily splash wets the top few centimetres and nothing else. Purslane wants about 500 ml per 10 litres of soil — one deep soak beats three shallow ones.
- Ignoring the flower-drop threshold
Above 40 °C, or below 10 °C, flowers fall before setting. The plant can look perfectly healthy and still give you nothing — shade it through the hottest hours.
- Planting it beside Lettuce
Vigorous purslane can easily outcompete young lettuce seedlings for light, water, and nutrients, stunting their growth.
- Leaving it out through a cold snap
Purslane is highly frost-sensitive. One night below 5 °C can end the plant outright — bring containers in or cover them.
Companions
What to plant with purslane
Good neighbours
Purslane acts as a living mulch, suppressing weeds, retaining soil moisture, and keeping the soil cool for corn.
Provides ground cover, helps retain soil moisture, and suppresses weeds around squash plants.
Helps maintain consistent soil moisture, which is beneficial for bean growth, and can suppress competing weeds.
Keep apart from
Vigorous purslane can easily outcompete young lettuce seedlings for light, water, and nutrients, stunting their growth.
Similar to lettuce, young spinach plants can be smothered and outcompeted by fast-growing purslane.
Purslane's dense growth can shade out young carrot seedlings and compete for soil resources, hindering root development.
Problems
Purslane pests and diseases
Each lists the weather that brings it on, so you know when to start checking rather than reacting once it's established.
Aphids humidity any · temp 15-25
Small, soft-bodied insects that can sometimes cluster on new growth, but purslane is generally resistant and infestations are usually minor.
Slugs Snails humidity >70% · temp 10-20
Can chew holes in leaves, especially in damp, cool conditions. Usually not a major threat to established plants.
Root Rot humidity any · temp any
Occurs in waterlogged soil, causing wilting and yellowing. Ensure good drainage as purslane prefers drier conditions.
Harvest
When to harvest purslane
First picking falls between day 21 and day 35, and the plant then keeps producing for about 90 days. Pick often — what you leave on the plant signals it to stop making more.
How to tell it's ready
- Stems are 4-6 inches long with plump, succulent leaves.
How much to expect
Storing it: Refrigerate in a plastic bag or wrapped in a damp paper towel for up to a week.
Questions
Purslane: common questions
How long does purslane take to grow?
About 35 days from sowing to the first harvest, with picking usually starting between day 21 and day 35. It then keeps producing for roughly 90 more days. Warm weather pulls that forward; cool weather pushes it back.
What size pot does purslane need?
At least 5 litres and 15 cm deep for one plant. A raised bed wants 10 litres of soil and 20 cm of depth.
How often should I water purslane?
About 500 ml per 10 litres of soil, every 3 days in normal weather — every 2 days when it is hot and every 5 days when cool. Water in the early morning.
What temperature does purslane need?
It does best between 20 °C and 35 °C and survives from 5 °C to 40 °C. Seed needs soil above 18 °C to germinate, ideally around 25 °C.
Can I grow purslane in winter?
Not outdoors anywhere that frosts — it is highly frost-sensitive and will not survive it. In a frost-free winter it grows slowly; anywhere colder, treat it as a warm-season crop.
How do I know when purslane is ready to harvest?
Stems are 4-6 inches long with plump, succulent leaves.. Once picked: refrigerate in a plastic bag or wrapped in a damp paper towel for up to a week.
How much does one purslane plant produce?
Roughly 0.6 kg from a 20 litre container, or about 1.5 kg in open ground. Larger containers give proportionally more, up to a point.