Purslane?

[George]

I've been (not-very-successfully) fighting purslane in our garden for years. Now, I hear that maybe it's a beneficial companion. ...

maybe just wishful thinking? If anyone has had any good experiences with it, I'd appreciate hearing.

Thanks, G

(I realize it's considered a delicacy in France. 'nuf said.)

[Steve Peek]

Stop fighting and start eating. I eat what little I can find and could easily sell large amounts to the local restaurants. I assure you there's a market for it if you'll just look. I know of a couple of commercial gardeners who grow it to sell. Steve

[Jim Elbrecht]

+1 on that. Purslane was absent from my garden for years and I was real happy to see it return this year.

If I were able to take the best flavor of lemon, the crunch of romaine lettuce, and a splash of the mucilaginous okra, I would 're-invent' the purslane plant.

Jim

[David Hare-Scott]

The idea of multi-planting is not new. If you need some ground cover (other than mulch) then under planting larger plants with a low growing herb will be fine as long as there is not too much root competition, or as long as you find the compromise satisfactory. It is very common to under plant ornamentals (eg roses) so why not annuals and edibles? If you have no use for one of the plants however the result is not such a good use of space. Instead of making assumptions about purslane try it in a salad and see if you like it - if your Francophobia permits :-)

There is much waffle published about 'companion planting' along the lines of "X likes Y but not Z". Except for cases of allopathy where X produces an identifiable substance that limits the growth of Z, there is little evidence to show that these likes and dislikes are anything substantial. This does not seem to be the effect that is described in the linked article but it is what many mean by 'companion planting' so before discussing you probably should find out what is intended.

David

[Billy]

Purslane contains more omega-3 fatty acids (alpha-linolenic acid in particular) than any other leafy vegetable plant.

[George]

Thanks for the replies. Just for clarity, we do eat purslane, but the 'crop' considerably exceeds our consumption. My concern is more whether it's detrimental to other plants. I don't think I understand 'weeds', despite all the time and energy that I put into removing them. Maybe that would be another post.

George