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zxcvbob · 07-06-2010, 12:04 AM posted to rec.gardens.edible

wrote:
zxcvbob wrote:

I have purslane weeds and sunfowers and volunteer tomatoes coming up
I leave the native purslane AKA "rose moss/moss rose" that
volunteers in my raised beds. It thrive only in those spots where
sunlight penetrates and any of _that_ is too much so the purslane is a
living mulch which also retrieves nutrients that might otherwise be
lost. Have tomato volunteers in kitchen compost but nothing will come of
them; except compost, of course!

The purslane I have doesn't seem to bloom, although obviously it
does because it gets seedy. I see flower buds and seed pods but no
blooms, so they must be tiny and yellow-green. I pull some of the
purslane if it gets in the way, but mostly i leave it. I eat some
of it because it's supposed to be really healthful, and it doesn't
taste objectionable -- but it's not very good.

I transplanted one of the volunteer tomatoes (probably a "Porter"
variety) and gave it a drink of liquid fertilizer and put a cage
around it. The others, I'll delay pulling them up in case on of my
"real" tomato plants dies, so I'll have a spare. It will probably
catch up with the ones I set out last week. (Stupice and Roma. The
Better Boys were set out 2 1/2 weeks ago during a hot spell and are
growing pretty good.)

Bob