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Did you know that purslane seeds produce herb plants that are largely considered a weed - but are actually edible and medicinal at the same time? With a light lemon flavor, the leaf of the purslane is widely eaten in Europe, Asia, and Mexico, It can be used as a salad, soup, stewed or stir-fried. People from Greece fry the leaves and the stems and eat these with feta cheese. It can be eaten dried or pickled. Traditional Chinese medicine use purslane as a treatment for infections, dysentery, and as a reliever of sores cause by snake or insect bites. It can also control cardiovascular ailments and your cholesterol level.
Before buying organic purslane seeds, decide first whether you prefer green purslane or golden purslane. Though similar to the purslane found in the wild, green purslane grows larger in size. Golden purslane is similar in size, shape and appearance to the green purslane except that the leaves are tinted with the color gold and it is softer when eaten. Buy Purslane seed at any of the following in your locality: nursery, farmer’s market, health foods store, or on-line if they are not available locally.
Many farmers sell seeds in the early spring and purslane seeds are becoming more popular with them because of an increasing awareness of their benefits. Health food stores may also carry the seeds because of its high omega-3 content and its antioxidant properties. Purslane seeds for sale are also available on-line from numerous seed production companies.
How to Grow Purslane
Purslane seeds can be grown outdoors or indoors. They are ideally grown in spring after the last frost has fallen, usually towards late spring. As it requires much sunlight and thrive in the heat, select a sunny area of your garden for growing the plant. The soil should be on the sandy side with the soil having a pH of 5.5 to 7.
Before planting, the purslane seeds should be germinated first. Place the seeds in a plastic bag with soil and refrigerate for about 15 days. After the period, place the mixture in sunlight at about 21 to 20 degrees Centigrade for an average of one to three weeks since purslane seeds take that long to germinate. Thereafter, transfer the germinated seeds to your garden and plant about 14 to 60 centimeters apart, depending upon the species of the purslane seeds that you purchased.
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Author Bio Box: Patricia Wainwright
Get all the facts about seeds and gardening articles at GreenThumbArticles.com!
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