How to Grow Winter Purslane (Miner's Lettuce) Canada | Complete Growing Guide

Quick Facts

Factor	Value
Lifecycle	annual
Edible parts	leaves, stems, flowers

Growth Stages

Stage	BBCH	Notes
Sowing and cold germination	0	Sow September to March while temperatures stay below 12C (ideally 8-12C), since the seed needs a cold stimulus; sow about 1cm deep and 5cm apart in rows 10-15cm apart. Germination takes two to three weeks (Plantura).
Thinning and establishment	1	Thin direct-sown plants to about 10cm apart, or plant out from modules at the same spacing, into loose, humus-rich sandy soil in sun or semi-shade (GrowVeg, Plantura).
Rosette growth	3	Plants form a rosette of succulent basal leaves reaching about 30cm; they tolerate mild frost outdoors but crop far more reliably under a cloche or in a cold greenhouse (Plantura, GrowVeg).
Cut-and-come-again harvest and self-seeding	4	Harvest from six to eight weeks after sowing, cutting mature leaves at least 2cm above ground with a sharp knife so plants regrow, from October through to April. Flowering shoots carry the distinctive fused disc-shaped leaf; deadhead unless self-seeding is wanted (Plantura, GrowVeg).

Harvest & Storage

When to pick: Sow late summer for autumn-to-early-winter harvest, or spring for a summer crop. Cut-and-come-again -- both leaves and flowering shoots are edible.

Winter Purslane, the Salad Leaf That Crops Through Winter

The perfoliate disc

Paired upper leaves fuse into a round disc pierced by the stem, with white flowers above -- unmistakable.

Mild, succulent leaves

The slightly succulent basal leaves are mild-flavoured and cut from six to eight weeks after sowing.

Sown into the cold

Seed needs a cold stimulus, sown September to March while temperatures stay between 8 and 12C.

Filling the hungry gap

One of the hardiest salad crops there is, picking from October right through to April.

Self-seeds freely

Left alone it returns year after year -- readily enough to become invasive, so deadhead to keep it in check.

References

1. BBC Gardeners' World Magazine - Claytonia perfoliata

   country=UK

2. GBIF - GBIF Backbone Taxonomy: Claytonia perfoliata Donn ex Willd.

   country=International

3. Plantura - Winter purslane: how to grow miner's lettuce

   Originates in the western mountainous and coastal regions of North America, now established throughout the UK. Annual reaching about 30cm, forming succulent basal leaves in a rosette; younger paired leaves fuse into a disc below the flower head, the defining feature of the species. Hardy, and the succulent leaves let it survive brief dry periods. Seed needs a cold stimulus and is sown September to March while temperatures stay below 12C, ideally 8-12C. Sow about 5cm apart at 1cm deep with rows 10-15cm apart. Wants nutrient-rich, loose, humus-rich sandy earth and a semi-shady site; does not tolerate salt. Ready to harvest 6-8 weeks after sowing; cut mature leaves at least 2cm from the ground with a sharp knife, between October and April. Self-pollinates and self-seeds annually -- deadhead to prevent uncontrolled spread.

3 independent sources are cited for this crop. Where they disagree - soil pH is the clearest case - every figure is preserved rather than averaged into false precision.