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Every year I get enormous pleasure from my blood red peony poppy. It self sows around my garden, popping up in odd corners, often flowering where I don’t want it, but I try to leave it in place at least until it flowers. I then hoick it out leaving room to plant something else. At least one plant is left to set seed, and there are thousands. I sprinkle these around the garden, thus ensuring that the whole process will be repeated next year. This year there are some lovely poppies available to grow from a number of seed suppliers, but if you want to plant them then it’s important to know how. Once you’ve grown them and let them drop seed, you may find yours self-sow too.Poppy seeds need light to grow. So don’t bury them, sprinkle them on the surface. Plant them in temperate regions any time from now until early spring. They need the cool weather for germination and growth. Choose a position in full sun with moist well-drained soil. Water the soil before planting, if it’s not already moist. Then broadcast or sprinkle the very fine, almost dust-like seed over the soil. Don’t bury it by raking soil over the top, just leave it, as I said, the seed needs light to germinate. The trick now is to keep the soil moist for the up to two weeks it takes for germination. Use a watering can or hose with a soft, fine spray. A strong spray will just blast the seed away.Once you see tiny seedlings emerging, make sure the soil maintains some moisture, and pull out any competing weeds. When seedlings are a decent size, thin to about 20cm between plants. Water every few weeks with worm juice, compost tea or other organic liquid fertiliser. This way you’ll get bigger plants and more flowers. While the peony poppies are many petalled beauties, it’s worth remembering that simple, single flowers are much easier for bees and other beneficial insects to access to collect essential nectar and pollen. So if you want to grow the big, blowsy peony poppies, add in a few simpler flowers like Flanders, Shirley, Iceland and ladybird poppies too. Suppliers of poppy seed include Lambley , Diggers and Australian Seed . As well as the common names, you can also look for these poppies using their botanical names. Hunt for Papaver commutatum, P. paeoniflorum, P. nudicaule, P. rhoeas First published: May 2019
These annual and perennial flowering plants have striking similarities, but a surprising range of colours and growth habits. It is easy to grow poppies from seeds. In the right setting, they grow and then self-sow with abandon, without becoming weedy. They will thrive for years at a time in surprising spots, like a crack in the driveway. Latin Difficulty Season & Zone Timing Poppies are famously difficult to transplant, so starting them indoors is not recommended. If absolutely necessary, use peat or coir pots, and maintain a soil temperature of 12°C (55°F). Seeds will sprout in 20-30 days. Starting Growing For the largest heads on Papaver somniferum, sow seeds in the fall or early winter. Thin plants to allow them some space, and keep the area weeded as plants grow larger. Grow this variety in full sun in well-drained, but ordinary garden soil. If spring and summer are cool and damp, or plants are over-crowded, expect smaller seed heads.
If you love the look of poppies, try growing them, too. - by Better Homes and Gardens Look for the traditional favourite, Flanders Red, or for more colour variety, try Iceland poppies, which come in yellow, gold, pink, salmon, orange and white. They’re both easy to grow from seed and if you sow them now, you can expect a beautiful show in your garden come spring.
Poppies grow well across most climates. In temperate climates, you can sow the seeds right through the autumn months. In cool and cold climates, sow seeds from summer to early autumn, and in warm tropical and subtropical climates, sow from early autumn to winter.
Choose a warm, sunny position with protection from strong winds. SoilThese flowers grow best in loose, well-drained soil. For best results, prepare the bed well a few weeks prior to planting by enriching with plenty of well-rotted manure or compost and forking in well.
Disclaimer: this post contains affiliate links. See my disclosure policy for more information. 8 Tips for How to Grow Poppies1. Start poppy seeds in the gardenIf you have purchased poppies from a local nursery and been disappointed with the results, try planting poppies from seed instead. I use poppy seeds from Botanical Interests. I’ve had the most success starting poppies directly in the garden. Poppy seeds sproutingPlant seeds directly in the garden when the soil has warmed to around 65℉ – 75℉. Start poppies from seed by firmly putting a few seeds on the soil; do not cover with additional soil. Poppy seeds need light to germinate. Space plants 6” to 12” apart (depending on the variety) to maximize air circulation and reduce powdery mildew. Many years, poppies reseed from the previous year’s plantings. I also treat poppies as a wildflower and lightly sprinkle seeds in the fall. Read this article to learn more about how to grow wildflowers. California poppies and linaria in my yard2. Plant poppies in the right locationPoppies need at least 6 hours of sun. Some varieties of poppies grow very large, up to 5 feet tall. Plan accordingly and plant poppies where they will have room to grow. Many varieties of poppies reseed easily. Plant poppies in an area you don’t mind having them return to each year. Poppy bloom forming on container grown poppy plant3. Plant different varieties of poppy seeds
4. Plant poppies at the right timeIn areas with cold winters, sow poppy seeds in the spring. In warmer areas (like Arizona), sow seeds beginning in late fall (October – January). Seedlings will emerge in the spring. Learn to identify what young seedlings look like and remove weeds. California poppy seedlings5. Be sure to thin seedlingsBecause poppy seeds are so small, there are often abundant seedlings even when carefully sown. If left to grow, they will choke each other out. When plants are too close together, there is often inadequate air flow and they are more susceptible to pests and disease. Thin seedlings (6” to 9” apart depending on the variety) when seedlings are young for best results. Allow remaining plants to grow undisturbed. Poppy seedlings too close together that need to be thinned6. Care for poppies as they growProvide fertile soil and adequate water for germination, and then poppies are relatively easy to care for. Stake larger varieties if desired, and water poppies during dry spells. 7. Harvest flowers often to encourage more bloomsThe larger-stemmed varieties of poppies make a beautiful cut flower. Cut stems nearly down to the ground just as blooms begins to crack open; poppies continue to open and develop once harvested. Remove all leaves from stem, and place in water. Blooms will last about 5 days in a vase. Sear cut ends in hot water or with a match for longest lasting blooms. Use beautiful seed pods (fresh or dried) in cut flower arrangements. Harvest seed pods as soon as the petals fall off. Poppy seed pods8. Save poppy seeds to plant next seasonAt the end of the season, don’t cut the largest, prettiest flowers. Beautiful seed pods form after the petals fall off. Leave these on the plant until you see them “pop” and holes form under the rim of the plant. Poppy seed pods before “popping” Poppy seed pod after “popping” (on the left)California poppy seeds form on a long stem. Pick the stems off the plant when it browns, but before it opens and releases seeds. California poppies California poppy seed pods California poppy seed pods after bursting California poppy seeds collected from seed podsStore harvested seeds in a paper sack until dried. Learn more about how to save seeds in this article. If you enjoyed this post about how to grow poppies, please share it: |