Miner's lettuce / Indian lettuce / Winter purslane

Plant family

Purslane family (Portulacaceae)

Season Overview

Details

Light requirement

Shady

Water requirement

Moist

Soil

Light (sandy)

Nutrient requirement

Low

Plant distance

15 cm

Row spacing

20 cm

Seeding depth

1 cm

Instructions

The season for this plant has not yet begun. The following instructions are for the beginning season.

End of July

Sowing

End of July

Pest protection

End of July

Weeding

Every two Weeks

Description

The "common tellweed" or "postelein" (Claytonia perfoliata) is a plant species from the family of the spring weeds (Montiaceae). It is cultivated in Central Europe, is hardy and is therefore sometimes used as a "modern" winter vegetable.

Growing tips

Postelein seeds only germinate at a temperature below 12 °C and are therefore sown in rows 15-20 cm apart between September and March (hence the name "winter purslane"). Most commercially available postelein comes from greenhouse cultivation. Even if the plants can tolerate some cold, you should protect them from heavy frost with a garden fleece. Postelein is fairly undemanding during cultivation. To harvest, cut the leaves and stems (preferably still young) not too low above the ground. This allows the Postelein to sprout again and several harvests are possible.