Summer purslane
Summer purslane
This image was created with AI from described plant characteristics and growing advice. It shows a possible situation and is not a photograph of a verified cultivar.
- Botanical name
- Portulaca oleracea
- Botanical species
- Portulaca oleracea
- Season
- Warm summer crop
- Growing forms
- Direct sow or start in small groups in trays
This growing advice helps you choose. Your variety, growth stage, weather and conditions in your space determine the actual timing.
Sowing under cover and raising seedlings
Sow in warmth for summer leaves · Summer purslane
Spring, warm and bright; follow species guidanceSow in a tray for an organised start.
- Germination and temperature
- Germinate in warmth according to the packet; avoid a cold, wet start.
- After emergence
- Give seedlings light immediately after emergence. A dark loft needs suitable grow lights; warmth alone is insufficient. Ventilate and keep the compost moist without saturating it.
- Pricking out and potting on
- Sow shallowly. Use small tray groups or thin a direct sowing according to product guidance.
- Hardening off and planting out
- Gradually acclimatise indoor-raised plants to sun, wind and outdoor temperatures; shelter them again on cold nights. Plant out tray groups when soil is warm and weather frost-free.
Summer purslane, ice plant and winter purslane are different plants. Do not apply a winter sowing schedule to a summer crop.
Sources and use
De Bolster · Zomerpostelein telen ↗Nederlandse producent of teeltbron; de rasinstructie blijft leidend.
De Bolster · Zomerpostelein (Portulaca oleracea) ↗Nederlandse producent of teeltbron; de rasinstructie blijft leidend.
Guideline periods for the Netherlands and Flanders. Check the variety, available light, soil and measured temperatures. Greenhouse heating does not guarantee enough winter light.
A different flavour, a different harvest.
Choose by more than the name. Discover how these varieties and crop types taste, what you can use them for and what growing them involves.
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This image was created with AI from described plant characteristics and growing advice. It shows a possible situation and is not a photograph of a verified cultivar.
Summer purslane
Summer purslane is a fast warmth-loving leafy vegetable with light green fleshy leaves. It is botanically different from winter purslane.
Choose this species for leaves during a warm summer period. An early sowing in cold conditions is not a reliable substitute for winter purslane.
Flavour, kitchen and growing
How does it taste?
A producer consulted later describes a fresh, sour flavour at species level. The Feggies offering has no separately named variety aroma.
This flavour description applies to the crop; there is no separate tasting result for this variety.In the kitchen
Use young produce raw or briefly wilt it in cooking. Fine leaves suit small, fresh portions.
A space in the garden
Sow only with sufficient warmth; mix fine seeds with sand if desired for better distribution. Keep the germination layer moist.
Harvesting
Cut young leaves and leave some growing base if you want a second harvest. Avoid unwanted seed spread by leaving the plants standing too long.
Read the source notes →Choose your way to grow
From a garden bed to a suitable pot or support: give your plant a place that suits your garden and the care you can provide.
This image was created with AI from described plant characteristics and growing advice. It shows a possible situation and is not a photograph of a verified cultivar.
Sow directly in a warm bed
Wait for sufficient soil warmth; sow fine seeds thinly; keep the surface moist and cut young greens.
- Wait for sufficient soil warmth.
- Sow fine seeds thinly.
- Keep the surface moist and cut young greens.
For a simple, young cut harvest once soil is warm enough.
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This image was created with AI from described plant characteristics and growing advice. It shows a possible situation and is not a photograph of a verified cultivar.
Start in warm trays and plant out
Sow a few fine seeds per pot; keep the tray warm and light; plant rootballs out and cut young leaves.
- Sow a few fine seeds per pot.
- Keep the tray warm and light.
- Plant out rootballs and cut young leaves.
For a controlled start in groups that later move to their final growing position.
Tick off your supplies →Choose by flavour, shape and use
Summer purslane: Quick, warmth-loving leaf vegetable with light green, fleshy leaves, botanically different from winter purslane. Use young harvests raw or wilt briefly in cooked dishes. Fine leaves suit small fresh portions.
A producer consulted later describes a fresh, sour flavour at species level. The Feggies offering has no separately named variety aroma.
A low, fleshy summer plant
Summer purslane is Portulaca oleracea. The plant grows low, with fleshy stems and small, firm leaves. It looks different from winter purslane’s round upper leaves and ice plant’s sparkling bladders. Record the distinction when choosing seeds, so an attractive photo later really does match the intended warm-summer crop.
Wait for real warmth
De Bolster recommends warm starts, generally outdoor sowing in the second half of May. Choose sun and shelter and assess real weather. Warm beds give small summer cuts; tray starts clarify emergence. Similar Dutch names do not justify copying cold winter-purslane schedules.
Direct sowing or growing in small groups
Small seed mixes with sand for even direct sowing. The producer also describes seed groups in tray cells for later planting. Keep starts moist and visible. Label pots and rows identically to compare methods without confusing seed differences with method effects.
Moisture-retentive and accessible
Use prepared soil and keep starts moist. Retain root-zone access after low stems spread. Containers need targeted-watering margins. Check drainage first; more water above wet pot bases does not reliably fix uneven starts.
Combine warmth with observation
Check growth, soil moisture and spacing between plants regularly. The growing guide highlights air circulation for sheltered growing. Make a small, manageable patch where you can follow the plants. Fleshy leaves are a recognisable species characteristic but do not tell you how much water is at the bottom of a container. Assess the root zone separately.
Warm bed or tray start
Warm beds suit direct sowing and simple short cutting crops. Tray starts suit small controlled raising before transplanting. Show young groups clearly in the latter example: trays are starting methods, not full-season permanent tiny cells.
Cut young and assess regrowth
The producer describes a quick young harvest in warm conditions. Assess leaf and stalk tenderness before cutting. Leave the base if you want to try regrowth and check whether a following cut is useful. Deliberately end the crop if you do not want seed spread; the guide describes easy self-seeding as a characteristic.
Fleshy texture in a small dish
Summer purslane is described as fresh and tangy and can be used raw or briefly cooked. Make a small first dish in which its fleshy texture remains recognisable. Compare young and more developed leaves to find your preferred harvest stage. This crop description does not support an unproven flavour difference between general seed lots or all purslane species.
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More background, sources and image information
SeedSteps editorial team · updated on 11 October 2026. The AI images illustrate species and practical growing situations; they do not prove an exact cultivar, observations from your own garden or yield.
Britse gewasadviezen worden gecombineerd met Nederlandse en Vlaamse informatie waar beschikbaar. Amerikaanse Extension-bronnen ondersteunen plantprincipes en herkenning; hun kalenderdata, lokale plaagdruk, bestrijdingsmiddelen en mestdoseringen worden niet rechtstreeks op Nederland of Vlaanderen toegepast. Vorst, bodemwarmte, standplaats en expliciete rasinformatie blijven de lokale controle. Commerciële bronnen onderbouwen uitsluitend benoemde ras- en plantkenmerken; zij zijn geen affiliate-aanbeveling.
- Zomerpostelein BiologischFeggies · accessed 2026-10-11
- Zomerpostelein (Portulaca oleracea)De Bolster · accessed 2026-10-11
- Zomerpostelein telenDe Bolster · accessed 2026-10-11
Supporting evidence by chapter: Choose by flavour, shape and use: Feggies. A low, fleshy summer plant: Feggies, De Bolster, De Bolster. Wait for real warmth: Feggies, De Bolster, De Bolster. Direct sowing or growing in small groups: Feggies, De Bolster, De Bolster. Moisture-retentive and accessible: Feggies, De Bolster, De Bolster. Combine warmth with observation: Feggies, De Bolster, De Bolster. Warm bed or tray start: Feggies, De Bolster, De Bolster. Cut young and assess regrowth: Feggies, De Bolster, De Bolster. Fleshy texture in a small dish: Feggies, De Bolster, De Bolster.