Purslane

Q: My vegetable garden has been invaded by purslane. What should I do? Hoe it? Leave it to cover the paths? How can I keep it out of the plants?

A: Purslane--that flat succulent weed which grows to enormous circles, and has small yellow flowers in midsummer--is an annual, like most other garden weeds. Like all annuals, purslane can appear next year only if its seeds are in the ground, ready to sprout. Eliminate its seeds and it will be gone. However, purslane seeds are not the easiest to eliminate. They are produced in enormous quantities--hundreds of thousands on a big plant--and they can liv...