Portulaca is one of the easiest flowering plants to grow during summer and it's very easy to propagate this plant. Most of the time you will succeed easily. I have already shared a complete guide on the pollination of table rose. It is easy to grow but sometimes it may cause some problems. No blooming or less flowering is a common problem with portulaca.
Why my table rose is not flowering
There are different reasons your moss rose is having very less flowering or no flowering at all. Will discuss the main reasons here.
Sunlight
Sunlight is essential for flowering in Portulaca. It requires at least
6-8 hours of bright sunlight. Portulaca can be grown indoors but for proper blooming it needs heat and sunlight. If you try to grow them in a shady area, they will fail to produce flowers and the flowers they do have likely won't open.
Watering
Too much water in the soil can cause root rot in portulaca. Excess water is another important reason for low flowering. Also, make sure to give sufficient water for the plant to grow.
Maintenance
Deadheading may not be practical when portulaca are in full bloom, but removing old flowers are very effective for stimulating new blooms on a poorly blooming plant.
Fertilization
It is true that portulaca is succulent and it doesn’t require much fertilization. Still, excess nitrogen or deficiency of Phosphorus can lead to reduced flowering in portulaca. All this depends on the consistency of your soil. Feed the plant with cow manure and bone meal to boost the flowering.
Pruning of Portulaca
Table rose requires light pruning which can be done at the early stages of spring season. remove the stems which are dead or diseased. Removing the dead stems will improve the growth of new stems and will lead to bushy stems. Make sure to remove diseased stems from the start and apply fungicide to stop spreading the disease. If the entire plant got affected, keep it away from other plants to stop spreading.
Propagating Portulaca
It can be propagated via seeds and cuttings. Like any other succulent plant, table rose also can be propagated very easily. The most common way of propagation is via cuttings.
To propagate portulaca from seed, Prepare the soil by digging into the planting bed 4 to 6 inches, turning the soil and breaking up any large clods of dirt. Add a 1-inch layer of organic compost and a 2-inch layer of sand and mix with the existing top soil.
Rake the seed bed until it is level, and scatter a thin layer of seeds on top of the soil. Do not cover the seeds. Water the bed with a fine mist until it is moist, but not soggy.
Water the portulaca sparingly, but deeply. Once a week should be sufficient.These plants are susceptible to root rot, so don't over-water them.
Cut mature stems using a sharp clean knife from the mother plant. The cutting should be at least 4 inches in length and include at least one leaf node.
Remove all leaves and flowers from the cuttings. You can either plant it in a port or directly in the soil. If you have a large garden, you can place it directly in the soil and it will grow fully within an area. This will give an awesome beauty to your garden.
Choose an area in your garden that gets sun all day. The portulaca will thrive where it gets lots of heat and sunlight.
Prepare the soil with sand, cow manure, bone meal. Place the cuttings in the soil and press firmly around the base of the cutting to make sure it has good contact with the soil. Water well and then don't water again until the top 2 inches of soil are dry.Plant will get roots within one week, at which point they can be cared for as typical moss roses.Water the plant twice a week.
Make sure to keep the plants in shade during monsoon as it's not tolerant to over watering. Moss roses really dislike wet or soggy soil, and being planted in a medium that retains too much moisture will cause them to cease blooming.