I just ordered (off eBay) these 5" cuttings 10 days ago and they have already produced a lot of side shoots! I just stuck them just barely into pots of moist potting soil mixed with a little compost and native soil, set them in a dappled sunny spot on a stone bench and watered only as needed if soil dired out. I'm amazed they are shooting out so quickly! I'm fairly new to succulents.

These are destined for two all-weather black wicker baskets that hang off our black 3-globe cast iron street lamp post out front when I think they are strong enough for full sun. The two red bougies I used to have in the lamp post baskets the last 2 years froze off (even bringing in to garage!), after the Texas ice/snow event that dropped us to 2ºF and single digits for 5 days in February. The lamp post gets full sun half the day, so hopefully that's enough sun to make these pretties happy.

@Peggy8b
It's Texas. I'm curious as to what happens to the other half day of sun? It should be enough. I got rid of every color of Portulaca except white. For that one, I let it go to seed and let those grow again the following season. It's been kept hanging under a sick oak tree that got struck by lightning a few years ago, so the container receives direct sun off and on during the day, but lots of indirect sunlight otherwise and it does well under those conditions. For a while I selected certain plants and then let them reseed, so there were red, yellow, orange and the white ones and all grew under the dappled shade of the oaks. Those actually looked and bloomed better than a bunch planted in an old wheelbarrow which got about eight hours of direct sun. However, I tended to neglect the wheelbarrow more than the others so I doubt the extra sun was the problem .

Those look great!

needrain said:@Peggy8b
It's Texas. I'm curious as to what happens to the other half day of sun? .

Well, in my second photo above, That's the house front and it faces south. To the left is my driveway flanked by my neighbors massively tall 30'-40' oak and cedar elm trees (west side of the yard). In the morning MY equally tall trees on the east side of the yard (right photo) block the morning sun somewhat. Once it's about 10am, the entire front yard is in the sun. Once the sun gets past my neighbor's trees beside the driveway, around 2pm, the driveway and that particular bed are in pretty full shade the rest of the day. But my last portulacas faced east and were shaded half the day by that house and, as you say, they still bloomed prolifically. I'm sure these will do just fine. Things out front historically have done just fine during growing season.

I rooted 5 in each pot, so they should fill the pot nicely and drip over the edges. I'll likely get more seedlings below in the ground from dropping bits, but that's OK with me. ;)

I have better luck with Portulaca umbraticola vs. P. grandiflora over the years but the few grandiflora plants I got in early May seem to be doing well. They are assorted colors, in a ground spot with maybe 4 hours of direct sun early in the day.

Here's a photo of one of a red Portulaca I did for a while. It was actually located in denser shade than the others I grew. It received some morning sun directly, but quickly was in dappled shade until about noon, but shade from both the tree and the house blocked light after that. Texas sun is bright most of the time. I think more light is reflected in the southwest areas than may be true in locations with normally more cloud cover and more shade casting foliage. I suspect the denser shade here may still give more light than we realize when it comes to producing chlorophyll. Some plants clearly like more sun, but seeing a plant actually etoliate from lack of light because it's in the shade would be really unusual. Lack of color or quantity of blooms or leaning slightly toward the area toward the strongest source of light would be more common. But on the latter, even the columnar cacti that are located in all day sun here will tilt south slightly if the containers aren't rotated regularly.

Wonderful, Donald!

purpleinopp said:I have better luck with Portulaca umbraticola vs. P. grandiflora over the years but the few grandiflora plants I got in early May seem to be doing well. They are assorted colors, in a ground spot with maybe 4 hours of direct sun early in the day.

Do you think there was a reason for one doing better than the other?

Just my thoughts that one is a stronger plant in general, and one is more of a delicate, fickle diva?

purpleinopp said:Just my thoughts that one is a stronger plant in general, and one is more of a delicate, fickle diva?

I guess I'll test that theory! I bought a moss rose a couple weeks ago.

Awesome! I put the two types within a couple of feet of each other to further test it myself.

And look at the growth in under a week from my last photo above. I like how fast this strain is growing! :

WOW!! How much sun for that spot?

Tiff,

purpleinopp said:WOW!! How much sun for that spot?

Tiffany, that stone bench gets just morning sun and is in shade rest of the day. It sits right by a cedar elm tree so even the morning sun is dappled. I caught this snap in the only hour or so the END of the bench gets full sun. I thought a shadier spot best for the "babies" before they eventually go out to hang in baskets on the front yard lamp post. Once moved out front, they will be getting 3-4 hours a day, which I hope is enough.

Beautiful, Ham!!

TY, Peggy. That helps compare. : + )

OK, one of the two pots revealed its first bloom today. Definitely salmon-colored 'as advertised'. Hopefully it will set some more blooms soon so I can hang them out on the front yard lamp post soon.

A perfect little "rose"! Beautiful sunrise/sunset tones.

Found an interesting article on Portulaca flowering habits today I thought I'd share. https://www.inspiringlandscapi.... I just yesterday moved my two pots of new portulaca cuttings to the hanging baskets on the lamp post out front. They have sturdy stems now, are overhanging the inner pot edges and are blooming regularly, although not profusely yet. I hope they like their new home. They got a nice sprinkling from the automatic watering system to start them off right. They are just inside the sprinkle pattern (height-wise) of the automatic sprinkler system. We'll see how they perform with only midday full sun. If I end up having to move them, as it's inadequate sun, well I'll just move them I guess.