Weeds like purslane can take your garden or lawn from a picture - consummate oasis to a frustrating and never - ending project . Purslane ( Portulaca oleracea ) is an yearly weed that pops up in yards during summertime months . There are a variety of strategies for removing and prevent purslane in lawns and garden , but some of the near solutions include smothering the weeds , take out or hoeing out the purslane , and in some vitrine , using post - emergent herbicides . Because purslane seeds can live on for 30 or more years before germinating , you likely wo n’t be able to fully free your yard of the weeds in one twelvemonth . But if you are diligent , you should hopefully notice few and few of these plant each summer .
While purslane is not native to North America , it ’s now establish throughout the continent , and much of the world . On the brilliant side , as long as you do n’t use any herbicide , you could eat the purslane you see develop in your garden and lawn , since it ’s alone edible and often recommended as an addition to salad . If you ’re not sure whether or not the weed in your yard is purslane , look for a low - acquire flora that spreads out from a key point . Purslane is a type of succulent and can flourish in a assortment of mise en scene , let in drought - prone areas with poor soil .
Smothering and physically removing purslane
If you ’ve identified that the weeds in your garden are indeed purslane , you have a few option for dealing with it . One of the promiscuous and best options is to just smother them with mulch . Mulch does n’t just benefit your garden by keeping dirt moist and protect plant roots from temperature changes , it is also one of thebest way to keep mourning band out of your bloom beds . Mulch is especially efficacious against purslane , as it can cause the plant to cursorily moulder and go .
If purslane is growing in random spots in your railway yard , it may not be practical to smother it with mulch . Instead , you could hear remove the plants with a hoe or small garden trowel . Just be sure to fully remove the taproot , as otherwise , the plant may develop back . Who want that ? Be aware that purslane can mark seed very quickly , so it ’s authoritative to dispatch the plants as soon as you see them , or you may have extra generations of purslane to mete out with .
Using herbicides to control purslane
While it ’s broadly safe to avert using herbicides against weeds like purslane , there are some chemical options uncommitted if your attempts to asphyxiate or manually remove purslane fail . Pre - emerging herbicide which kill seedling before they can become established , have n’t been found to work well against purslane , unfortunately . Post - egression products like Roundup contain glyphosate , which can be effective at killing the weeds eventually . But it is of import to takeprecautions when using Roundup for skunk control .
You ask to wear gloves and eye protection when using any chemical substance - based herbicide and fend off using it on airy days . It ’s also imperative to abide by all theinstructions on the Roundup weed killerpackaging and bottle . to boot , if you are seek to kill purslane that is in a garden bed , you require to be especially measured to stave off overspray — which could damage other plants . Frustratingly , even with all that work , the herbicide may not belt down the purslane until after it has already produced seeds and started the cycle afresh . Your warfare with purslane may be an on-going one .
