Portulacca

Question

I have two hanging baskets of Porulacca, can I keep them in the basement or garage over the winter months. (Pennsylvania)?

Answer 1

Portulaca is an annual which means it flowers, produces seed and dies in one season. It is easy to collect portulaca seed and there is a good chance that you will have seed sprouting under your hanging basket’s location. If you have a hybrid variety, you will lose some of the vibrant color you had this year. I grew portulaca for several years by collecting seed. Each year I had more yellow flowers than the year before. It could be that yellow seeds are more vigorous or that the hybrid was reverting back to the original plant. If you have seed to collect, keep it in a dry, cool place. You can simply scatter the seed next spring where you want it to grow. Most tiny seeds need light to germinate so don’t cover them, just lightly press so there is good contact between seed and soil.