Portulaca
Portulaca grows close to the ground as a ground cover
The flowers are rose like in resemblance and only open during the day. Portulaca planted in mixed colors create a splash of color all summer long.
Water : Portulaca uses a moderate to light amount of water. Avoid watering directly with a hose or spray nozzle. Always use a water breaker to soften to flow of water to these plants. If you have a lot of plants, you can use a soaker hose. I would run the hose for about 30 minutes at a time as needed. More or less water may be needed depending on the amount of sunshine the plants recieve. Portulaca, like petunias may go for days without need of water and still bounce back when they recieve water. They are reasonably drought tolerant and a good choice for dry warm summers.
Fertilizer : Portulaca require moderate amounts of fertilizer. Miracle Grow is probably the best all around fertilizer to use. You can find Miracle Grow at most Garden Centers or Garden sections of the supermarket. Follow the directions and use the normal dosage.
Pests : Some of the pest include aphids, and spider mites. If Orthene is still available, please feel free to use this according to the label, otherwise, a mixture of 1 tsp dish soap per quart of warm water sprayed on the leaves 2 times a week helps. The soap suffocates the insect. Always remember to spray where the insect/pest resides. Spider mites is not generally a problem, but it can become one if other plants aroud the allysum attract mites. If mites are found, spray the undersides of the leaves. Spider mites are hard to see, but the damage is easy to notice. You will start to see spotting on the leaves when the population increases.
