Planting

• Plant portulaca plants in an area where they will receive direct light for at least half the day. These plants are native to Brazil, and so the heat and light provided by the sun is necessary for healthy growth. It should be planted in soil that drains well, as its origins in the hot, dry climate of Brazil has made it extremely susceptible to root rot and other damages from over-watering.
  
  Portulaca can grow in hardiness zones five through 10, according to the Arbor Day Foundation zoning maps. It will prosper in areas where the average annual low varies from negative 10 degrees Fahrenheit to 50 degrees Fahrenheit. The plant can be sown any time after the threat of freeze has ceased for the season.
  
  Seeds for portulaca plants are minuscule, so it might help you to mix a bunch of seeds in with sand, then spread them over the area of the garden on which you want the ground cover to grow.
  
  

Continued Care

• Water the seeds so that the soil is moist, but not wet. If it rains, do not water your portulaca plants, as they can easily suffer from root rot.
  
  Moss rose resists most disease and insect infestations naturally. The only insect from which moss rose may suffer is the aphid. If you find signs of an insect infestation, spray water directly onto the plants next time you water to wash them away. Mix a teaspoon of dish detergent into a quart of water in a spray bottle and spray onto the plants if the insects persist; the detergent will kill the bugs, but not the plants.
  
  Because portulaca propagates so easily (it seeds itself in warm conditions, and cuttings from the plant can be planted to grow into the flower), it can get out of control in your garden and cover more ground than you originally hoped. Keep moss rose trimmed back in the area you want to cover to make sure it does not have its own way with your garden.