Pruslane

 

Purslane is a prolific seed producer. Even a small plant (2-3 inches in diameter) will have started to produce seeds. The fleshy leaves of purslane also make the plant resistant to drying out. Therefore, hoeing or pulling the plants out and leaving them on the ground to dry out often does not work because the plant will reroot into the soil and keep growing.

 

There are several ways to begin managing the purslane problem. One, use a herbicde, often. Spray often enough, so that no seedlings are allowed to set seed.This will require a spray about every two weeks, especially during the summer months. Use very low pressure and a coarse (large droplets) spray so there is minimal drift. Two, use cultivation. Cultivate the infested areas every week. Keep the soil disturbed, so the seedlings cannot become established and plants that are present cannot reroot into the soil. Large plants should be gathered up and placed in the green waste container. The important message here is that with herbicide or cultivation seedlings should be killed before they set seed. This has to be done so that you stop adding new seed to the “seed bank.” Three, cover the infested areas with black plastic. The warmth and moisture under the plastic will allow some seeds to germinate, and the seedlings will die due to lack of light. If you can leave the plastic down permanently or at least for several months, the purslane problem will be greatly reduced. Four, harvest the purslane and eat it. Young purslane makes an excellent salad. Again, however, it must be harvested before it sets seed. Five, use a preemergence weed killer. These compounds prevent seed germination or kill the seed immediately as it begins to germinate. Herbicide products can be used as preemergence. Remember, these products kill seeds, so you must use transplants (seedlings) in areas that have been treated with preemergent herbicides.

 

As with all plant protection products, read the label to make sure the product is registered for the use you wish. Then use the compound according to label directions for best results.

 

As you can see by the above discussion, purslane infestations present a difficult management problem. Frequent and intensive attention to control is the only way to reduce the problem. Not allowing the plant to reproduce (set seed) is critical to your ultimate success.