At the present time, there is an incrediblethe number of all kinds of colors, to see which on your site or at least on the window is the dream of any gardener. You go into the store of seeds, and your eyes run, you want to take both, and the third ... One of the most popular and beautiful plants is portalak. What are the characteristics of this flower and what is necessary for growing harbor from seeds at home?
History of the plant
The unusual and mysterious name of the flower came fromLatin word portula, which translates into Russian as a "collar". By the way, in English there is a word portal, which means "input" and is clearly akin to Latin. The fact is that in its appearance, the open seed box of the portaloque very much resembles a gate. That is why, during the observations of the plant, European breeders gave him that name.
The homeland of Portolac is the AmericanContinent, where for a long time the flower lived a savage. In the Middle Ages, its seeds came to Europe, where at first it was not cultivated at all, being considered a weed (however, this attitude towards portalak is still present in some European countries). He actively grows in places with a warm climate, because he is very fond of warmth, despite being generally unpretentious - otherwise he would not appear everywhere, like an ordinary field plant.
The value of a plant
Portulacus is really very handsome, but love himgardeners, truck farmers not only and not so much for beauty, but for the opportunity to enjoy it for a long time - after all the plant blooms all summer, from June to August itself.
In addition, the medicinal properties are highly valuedPortolac. Still Hippocrates with his supporters used it as an antidote to snake bites, healed with the help of a miraculous plant and severe wounds, and even insomnia. And the Arabs, learning about it in the Middle Ages, considered it a blessed flower. The British, in particular, fell in love with the seahorse, but not as a garden plant, but as a garden plant. Portulacus can really be consumed, this will be described below. In the meantime, it only needs to be said that at least the genus Portulak has, according to various sources, from one hundred to two hundred varieties, the main of them are only two: the large-flowered porcelain, to which most of the varieties and hybrids of the plant belong, and the gardener (or vegetable, drug).
Where it grows
You can raise a seaport anywhere - at home inA pot that can later be decorated with a loggia or hallway; in the open ground at the dacha - it will become an excellent element of the garden bed, covering the soil with a carpet of brightly colored buds and leaves. The most common species for growing from seeds is the large-flowered porcelain. Some generally believe that it is only planted in orchards, but this opinion is erroneous.
In a natural environment, the seagull prefers places near water bodies where there is wet sandy land. However, the flower is quite unpretentious and can sprout almost anywhere.
Appearance
A distinctive feature of the Portolac (by the way, thisa perennial plant, which is grown as a one-year-old because of the cold winter) is its stem: it is very long, creeping along the ground, reaching up to twenty centimeters in height. In part, it resembles a spindle: branched, brown and hollow inside. The leaves are small, juicy, saturated green, sometimes with a red tinge, fleshy, shaped like a small cylinder.
Blossoms of a naval color, as already mentioned, onDuring the whole summer, the shades of its buds in the form of a cup are distinguished by an incredible variety: white, cream, yellow, pink, red, etc. Some varieties of portolac (for example, Double Mix) have double flowers. Such varieties are considered the most beautiful, but they are not grown very often and this is strange. Growing out of the seeds of a double-breasted terry is no more difficult than the ordinary one.
Species and plant varieties
As mentioned above, the main varietiesportolaka two - for beauty and for food or as a medicine. About the most important garden harbor - large-flowered - has already been said before. Many ornamental varieties have been developed, for example, Belotvetkovy. As you can understand from the name, the buds of this plant are white, and also terry ones. A lush, multi-layered flower of a red-cherry hue has Cherry varieties, but Claudbiter's buds are ordinary, but very large.
As for the drug's portolac,outwardly, he is practically no different from his decorative fellow, only slightly higher, and the flowers he has only one shade - light yellow. In his young stems and leaves, an incredible amount of useful minerals, proteins, vitamins. It is used as a means of quenching thirst, it tastes sour and slightly spicy. Portulac is added to soups and salads, make from it sauces, pickled with meat and garlic. Vegetable harbor porridge grows everywhere, like a real weed.
Portulac: growing from seeds
How to plant a plant (in the ground or throughseedlings) depends on the region of your residence, as well as the type of soils. Terms of sowing are also individual. If it is a warm south, then it is possible to carry out the procedure straight into the open ground. But most often, if, of course, you want the plant to blossom in June, it is still recommended to cultivate the porcupine from the seeds. When to plant it? Do this not later than March, and even better - in February. However, some people hold a different opinion, believing that the most optimal time for sowing portolaka is April. This is due to the fact that when planting seeds in April they will not have to be illuminated with artificial light - the day will be long enough. However, in this case there is a possibility that in June the plant will not have time to blossom.
The primer should be light, air-permeable andwater. In this case, a universal mixture for growing portolac from seeds is not suitable, since it contains peat. It is not favorable for portolac, since it significantly slows the growth of seedlings. It is possible to make suitable for the cultivation of the colors of the pearl-lace from the seeds of the earth itself, there is nothing difficult in this. You just need to mix ordinary garden soil and sand in a ratio of four to one.
Before pouring into a container, where it will growporcelain, earth, it is necessary to add small gravel to the very bottom. By the way, the prepared soil for growing portolak from seeds at home should first be burned, and only then you can put seeds in it. Of course, they sow them in the moistened soil, but do not water the ground with tap water, it is better to use for this purpose a permanent one.
Seeds are spread over the surface of the earthas follows: you need to sustain a distance of 1 cm between them, and putting them in the soil, you need to slightly push them into it. Since portolak is very fond of warmth (this has already been said about earlier), it is possible to make a kind of mini-greenhouse for the future seedling, covering the containers with seeds with a film. But do not think that under the film they must be at all times! Once a day, seeds should be ventilated, removing polyethylene and allowing them to breathe. In addition, if the land is dry, it must be moistened to safely cultivate the porcupine from the seeds. By the way, the containers with the plant should be in a warm place with a temperature of at least twenty degrees of heat. It is important to remember that when growing houses of a seahorse, you must carefully take care of it, because with a lack of moisture, heat, light, the shoots will be sluggish, weak, thin. Understand that the plant has little light, it is not difficult - it will actively extend upward.
When the first shoots appear (this will not happenearlier than in one or two weeks), the film can be removed, and the seedlings put on the windowsill. When the second real leaf grows, the future flowers should be dived into small pots. Every week they should be fed. Do not forget about the careful watering. It is best to do this with a spray gun - this will minimize the risk of sprouting sprouts, which often happens to inexperienced growers when growing portolacas from seeds.
When to plant a plant in the open ground? The best time for disembarkation occurs when the threat of recurrent frosts passes - not earlier than the middle, and even the end of May.
Landing in open ground
Cultivation from the seeds of a harbor porter, as,however, and ordinary, implies hardening of seedlings before moving it to the street, into open soil. To make similar manipulations with a flower follows approximately two weeks before the expected date of "moving". Hardening is easy and simple - the seedlings need to be taken out for a while to fresh air, gradually increasing the time of its stay there.
Planting a naval carrier in the ground, you should think aboutcarefully, in which place it will grow. Since the flower loves warmth, it is better to choose for it a sunny area with a lot of light, then it will bloom truly abundantly and will delight the eye until September itself. The distance between the shoots should be kept at twenty centimeters, and until the sprouts grow, you should regularly weed and loosen the flower bed.
Do not forget about watering, but you need toremember that although a plant and loves moisture, it does not endure its surplus. If you pour a flower, then it is fraught with the emergence of various diseases that can lead at best to the loss of a beautiful appearance, and at worst to the death of the whole plant. Fertilizing too much is not required, but two or three additional fertilizing per season will not interfere - it contributes to a longer and lush bloom. In general, the plant does not require special care - only to give water.
Cultivation of the porcupine from the seeds from its garden
This option is quite possible, if someone alreadygrew a seagull on the site, and does not want to spend money on the purchase of new seeds or does not see the point. However, this method is more suitable for non-marble varieties, since terry hybrids produce much less seeds, and even grow much worse.
In the event that a decision is made to tryto grow a sea buckthorn from their own seeds, they should be collected as far as education is concerned. As soon as the box has turned yellow, you should rip it and dry it on paper. If you miss this moment, the boxes simply crack, and there will be nothing to collect.
Differences in varieties
Above described is the procedure for growing portolac.However, are there any differences in this process, when it comes to different grades? What is required, for example, to grow seedlings from a harbor porpoise? When to plant it in a pot, and when - to open ground? As well as an ordinary, double-headed porcelain planted on seedlings in late February - early March, and in the land - not before the end of May. Growing out of the seeds of a double pink portolac (as well as white, red, yellow) means regular watering, fertilizing with a frequency of once a month, weeding until the sprouting stage. Thus, care for a terry flower does not differ in principle.
And what about the cultivation of the seeds of Portolaca"Scheherazade"? When to plant it and how to care for it? Before answering these questions, it should be said that "Scheherazade" is a non-brand variety. Its flowers are small, in diameter reach no more than four centimeters. The peculiarity of this variety is that it does not begin to bloom until July. And in all other respects it is the same as the others, and the cultivation of Shakhrezada's porcelain from seeds is no different from the method described above.
Diseases of Portulaca
While cultivating any plant, it is necessarybe sure to know what diseases it is exposed to so as not to be trapped. Above it has been repeatedly said that the port-lantern is very unpretentious and does not require excessive mental and physical expenses. This also applies to diseases - the plant is very resistant to various pathogens and almost does not get sick. So, and worry about him once again is not worth it.
The only serious threat to Portolaccan be a mushroom Albugo, because of which the shoots of the plant change their shape, and on the leaves appear small spots. This, though unpleasant, but not deadly and easy to treat. Eliminate the fungus and its consequences if you use for this purpose with absolutely any fungicide, in which copper is indicated. Well, and to remove the damaged parts of the plant, of course, is worth it.
Interesting Facts
- Russian gardeners call portalak "rugs", as they carpet a multicolored carpet on the ground.
- Each flower of the Portuguese only lives one day.
- Large-flowered purple can only be opened by the sun.
- The flowers of the plant resemble a tea rose.
- Portulacus gained immense popularity as a healing agent after only those who ate this plant survived during scurvy in California in the nineteenth century.
- Another name for the garden harbor is dandur.
- There is another version of the origin of the nameflower. True, it refers only to the garden variety of plants. According to her, the name originated not from the Latin portula, but from the pulli pied, which means "chicken leg". The thing is that the branches of the plant are similar to the foot of this poultry.
- Modern doctors recommend a medicinal portalak to patients with diabetes mellitus.
- Some believe that the motherland of the medicinal port-latch was originally India, and from there the plant penetrated into America and spread later throughout the world.
- The garden portland has a lot of popular names. Among them, in addition to the already mentioned "chicken leg", "flea" and "pine."
- The vegetable garden is low calorie, which means that it can be used in diets for weight loss.
Portulac in any form - the plant is trulyamazing, you can even say a unique one of its kind. It is not for nothing that it appears more and more often on garden plots and balconies all over Russia. Its beauty is really unique!
