Giving guidance on growing a 9 O Clock plant and portulaca plant care help you grow your own 9 O Clock plant with better care. Get healthy blossoms in the portulaca plant by following this step by step professional guidance.
9 O Clock plant is a beautiful flowering plant belonging to the Portulacaceae family. It is native to Argentina, Uruguay and southern Brazil.
Scientific Name:
Portulaca grandiflora
Family:
Portulacaceae
Genus:
Portulaca
Species:
grandiflora
Common names of 9 O Clock plant
Rose moss, Mexican Rose, Sun rose, Rock Rose, Vietnam Rose, and Moss-Rose Purslane.
It is an annual small plant of 30 cm tall that grows very fast. Its leaves are thick and 2.5 centimeter long alternately arranged.
There are a variety of 9 O Clock plants in colors such as Red, orange, yellow white, etc. It is cultivated as domestic and for horticultural purposes.
It is grown best in temperate climates and regions. It is widely cultivated as an ornamental plant for annual weddings and as container plants.
How to grow a 9 O Clock plant?
It is necessary to keep in mind the growing season, potting mix, pot selection, and propagation, in order to grow 9 o’Clock plants. Knowing all this information will help growing portulaca plants successfully in early stages.
Growing Season
Though the Portulaca plant can be cultivated and propagated in any season except winter, it is best to cultivate in the spring season. It can also be planted in June and July.
Selection of pot
For the selection of pot for growing 9 O clock flowering plants, choose basket type containers from small to medium sized containers.
For growing new seedlings, select a 4 to 6 inches diameter garden container.
Containers should have good drainage system having 2 to 3 holes in it. Now select a place which receives at least 6 to 8 hrs direct sunlight. Place container to this place. You can also place growing containers in the southeast direction in front of living rooms which receive at least 4 to 5 hours direct sunlight.
Propagation
You can grow your own seedlings through cutting and seed germination in your garden or home as well as you can buy them from your nearest nursery or from online blogs such as sky seeds, plant.pk, etree.pk, plants universe, etc.
Propagation of portulaca by cutting is considered as the best method.
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By cutting
To propagate a portulaca plant by cutting, simply cut its shoots tips 3 to 5 inch long. You could get several cutting shoots from a single plant without damaging the mother plant.
Take cut shoots in spring for ideal growth with a sharp blade. Remove the bottom leaves that come in contact with planting media. Wash cut shoots with dilute broad spectrum fungicide.
After washing, it is considered best to put cut shoots in the bucket of water until plantation.
Use a potting mix of 30 % coco peat, 50% soil, 15 % sand and 50% compost.
Now transplant cutting in the pot by making 1 – 2 inches apart holes in plantation media.
Press by hand the pot mix to plant cut shoots in planting media and water it gently.
Keep the container under a semi shaded area till roots grow.
Maintain soil moisture on a regular basis; do not give water again until the upper layer of potting material becomes dry.
Roots develop generally within one to two weeks.
By seed germination
Purchase seeds of 9 O clock Plant from a certified or trusted seed supplier company. Germinate them in a germination tray or in a germination bed. in your home garden.
Make a germination bed in a place where there is direct sunlight in a well drained area. Dig into the germination bed 4 to 6 inches deep for germination preparation.
Add 1 inch layer of compost, two inch sand and mix it with existing topsoil. After mixing, smoothly level the germination bed and place a thin layer of seed on the topmost layer.
Water the bed with fine mist until seeds become moisten not wet.
If you cultivate a portulaca flowering plant in the germination tray, fill seedling cells with potting mixture and place a pinch of seeds into the cells. Then moist the potting media with water.
Place the germination tray at a sun -facing place.
Water 9 O clock plant sparingly but it is sufficient to water once a week. Don’t over water this plant. Excess water for these plants is susceptible to root rot.
Seeds start germinating in the first 10 – 15 days.
Benefits of nine O Clock plant
- 9 O clock plant can offer users ways of removing toxins and waste products from the body. It is also a blood cleanser, removing toxins and other waste materials through its blood vessel pores.
- The Nine O’Clock plant is very beneficial for health. Its juice is applied as a lotion to relieve snack and insect bites, burns and eczema. This is also useful in stomach aches, mouth inflammation, tooth and ear ache remedies.
- It is useful in treating harsh diseases like cirrhosis of liver with ascites, swelling and pain in pharynx and hepatitis.
- Chinese believe that it is used for the treatment of tumors. And Thai believe that nine o clock plant can treat sore throats and skin rashes
9 O clock Plant care
We do not need to provide you any special care for a nine o’clock flowering plant because it is very easy to grow.
However here are some tips to take care of it:
This plant needs enough light because in shades it does not seem to blossom. So place it where the sun shines directly.
Seedlings should be grown with proper care because their roots are delicate and can be destroyed during planting and roots become rotten due to excess water.
Add a little amount of DAP fertilizers for large flowers every month.
Potting mixtures and containers should be well drained.
Cutting and pruning should be done regularly because it promotes growth of new buds and flowers.
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