We were here:
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1149346/#new
Annual Poppies #2
Ahhh. So much faster. Off to buy more seeds. all kinds.
Going to sow the ones i save from last year this weekend. Good idea to start a new thread.
I bought about eight packets of seeds. All kinds and have maybe three of them sown. No container is safe in my house now. Plastic ones that is. I am trying things I usually buy as plants in the spring.
I have seed that has been in the fridge, not sure if I am going to sow outside this weekend or start inside under lights....
Good luck everyone
I have divided the poppies that were in my fridge for a week. Both varieties came with plenty of seeds and I just was itching to do the "milk bottle guardian" thing. so a few seeds for experiment.
I used plant stem supports to keep the bottles from rotateing in the wind and undoing the seeds.
Good idea Ge1836. These were all planted at the same time fall 2010 I believe. Three Super poppies. The one on the left must be on steroids. LOL
My sowing today was annual poppies.
Yours are Orientals I believe.
I wonder if the same sowing method would apply to OP's
Never tried O/P seeds. I see them in Menards and elsewhere.
I had read some material on Super Poppies and believe the "super" referrs to thicker petals and sturdier stems. My regular OP's bloom and then a day later petals are eithe blown off in the wind or they begin to shred. This might be common for regular Orientals ,prompting the hybredizing of sturdier versions.
I will definitely know more this year, since they have been here going on two springs. Going to save some seed of each variety to plant next spring and see what happens.
Good luck,report your results.
Hazel: take pictures!
please
I WILL!!!
Hazel: another note, I have several Oriental Poppies in milk jugs for winter sowing. I WS them Feb. 5th. I planted the following Oriental Poppies: Beauty of Livermore, Giant Red, Red, & Victoria Louise.
As of today, Feb. 29th, I have a few Sprouts of Beauty of Livermore and Victoria Louise.
I may do a few Deno method just to see if the other seeds are viable. However, the seeds are about 1 year old, so they should all sprout. Any comments?
Hubbie planted same seeds outside about the same time and none have sprouted outside.
I also planted Oriental Poppies outside last Spring, 2011. I did nothing to the area where I planted the seeds. I "think" I may have some Oriental Poppies that grew last year and hopefully will bloom this year. (fingers crossed).
I will update.
Birder, I have never tried O/P seeds so I am not able to comment on the Do's and Don't. I got some of my O/P from Amanda at gracefulgardens.com. Selection is not that huge but her prices are great. Did get ( Super Poppy) two set of multiples from Heronswood and one from Jung Seed. The loner from Jung didn't bloom for me yet. I am hoping for some action this year. Good luck with the seed experiment. Mike
I started some oriental poppies from seeds this year---patty's plum and beauty of livermore. This was a first for me. I sowed them on top of regular potting soil, and placed them in a cold frame for one month. Then I moved them into my greenhouse, where about 50% have germinated so far. I keep my greenhouse at a minimum temp of 55, and it can get as warm as 90 on a sunny day. I have lots more seed sowing to do. I'm pretty much on schedule though. I start about 1500 plants from seed every year. Mostly annual flowers. Some veggies (onions are my favorite). And lots of perennials, too.
WOW Thats ambitious. Must be beautiful in season.
1500 different plants or 1500 containers or 1500 seeds??? I can't imagine where to put them all or having that many containers. Are you using flats?
1500 plants in (3 and 1/2 inch containers.) My yard seems to swallow up all of those plants no problem. I start the seeds in cells in flats, and then transplant them into 3 and 1/2 inch containers when they have 4 true leaves. I have a 10 x 15 greenhouse and a smaller coldframe greenhouse. But both of those get extremely crowded. I can barely walk in the greenhouse right now, and most of the seedlings are still just in cells. But I enjoy the chaos. I start about 10-25 of each thing (i.e., 25 marigolds, etc). I'm a seed addict. I love getting a plant for pennies.
I can see how it would develop. If I had a greenhouse, other than my garage which I will be setting up with growlights in a week or so, I would go nuts also. I can't plant out til June 1 so don't want to start too early as the plants get pretty skinny.
My average last frost date is also late, around mid-May. I sometimes get into trouble putting things out a little early. But I'm getting better at figuring out what can really handle the frost and what can't from trial and error mainly. I used to do this all indoors---watering was difficult. The hose in the greenhouse has helped so much. I worry about my greenhouse eventually developing an infection or something. But nothing yet. There are some automatic vents to help with air circulation and my heater also has a fan. Probably my biggest expense now is paying for heat. My husband's jaw dropped a little with the January electric bill. But having these enormous bougainvilleas blooming in my sunroom right now (moved them inside the house) was worth the cost to heat it for me!! I overwintered them in the greenhouse before moving them inside (I recently ran out of space for them out there). Sorry----I totally went off topic there.
Back to poppies......second pic is Hungarian blue breadseed poppy. I really loved those last year.
I love your poppy. I have some like that. They run from dark like Lauren's Grape, to light like yours. Some are singles and some doubles. Oh, and one is black. It continues to amaze me. You are a zone 8b and mid May is your last freeze (more or less) date. Mine is supposed to be June 1, but I can usually get away for May 15th. And yet I am definitely a zone 5b. Some zone 5 stuff grows here and some doesn't. Like hellebores. I had them for two years and then they died. Can't keep Rose Campion alive for love nor money. And I really love it. Not sure if it is a temp problem or a soil/moisture problem. Maybe I could try winter sowing some. that might hardy them up.
I mentioned trying to heat my 3000 gallon fish pond one year and I could almost see the words forming on my husband's lips _ NFW!!! followed by "I want a divorce" followed by "I wonder if I could just throw you in the pond with the fish." lol We actually have quite a spike in our electric each winter from the deicers and the pump we leave in the pond to circulate water. I couldn never manage it all without him.
Talk about off topic!
And my wife think I am crazy! LOL ! May-15 is our avg last frost date here in the Chicagoland area. I haven't started any indoor seeds yet. I have some daylily seedlings that I planted last year, but didn't have time to put them in the ground. Brought them back in for the winter. I am currently using a shelf that I set up some grow lights on in the basement. I would love to have a 12x12 or there about greenhouse. Can't wait to win the lottery. FUNNY!
Kosk, you have your hands full. If you have the energy and the help, by all means enjoy it. All my help are now grown and gone. Nice shot of the poppies. Mike
I resent that remark!! :) Naw. D thinks I am nutty also. But he humors me. I have no room for a greenhouse on my lot and thought that wintersowing might be the answer. So, do you think I jumped the gun putting seeds out when it is 20-35F. I have one of those portable four shelf things I got at Walmart for $49. Has a clear covering over it with a zip open front. I have to move it before the March winds come though. I am afraid it will get blown over even with the gallon jugs in the bottom shelves and flats on top.
I have given up on my grown daughter helping with gardening. At least I can pay her boyfriend(s) to help with the heavy stuff. So she is of some use.
This message was edited Mar 2, 2012 2:59 PM
Kosk: very pretty poppies. What are the poppies in the first picture? Or is the same as the second picture?
Thanks! First pic are the bougainvilleas I went off-topic about....and which cost me a few hundred dollars in electricity to over-winter in my greenhouse. But worth it to me, ha ha. Now they are inside my house. They were happier in the greenhouse---dropping their blooms faster indoors, so I think they prefer a more humid environment (like Hawaii!)
Oberon you should tie down the shelving before the winds get there. I would hate to see you loose all those valuable seeds.
You and me both. My Containers got rolled last year and I don't want a repeat.
OH gosh! I misunderstood you. I knew the first picture didn't look like poppies--but I thought maybe it was some kind of poppy I did not know about!! How silly of me. I see they are bougs. I kept one in my house over winter in very bright south sun, and it bloomed for me. They are dropping flowers probably because of a change in environment. Plants get so picky!
Ge how are the milkjugs holding up so far? It's great to see them in a picture. We got a foot of snow here wed. so now I have to wait for it to melt before I can sow poppies.
We are haveing fierce winds.70 mph gusts. The jugs are still in place. I will check for germination in another week.
I have germinated roy al wedding and allegro this year using the WS technique. After germination I bring them in and put thyem under lights. They are thriving.
I also germinated peony flowered annuals both in the basement under lights and by wintersowing. The ones I germinated under lights were moved on up to 2 inch cell pacs then transplanted out into the garden this week. They are doing well.
John
I'm so excited, I found some of the poppy seeds that I sprinkled in a pot and on the ground have germinated. they are White Cloud and Fire and Snow, peony poppies :~).
Good for you Cem9165.John how far/close was the tornado to you? Mike
Mike ..Henryville is about 20 miles north of us (Indiana). We used to picnic in the forrestry there.
The tornadoes in Ky were about 50 miles from us.
Those poor people really have a bad situation.
John
Hey Mike and John, the tornado touched down to the west of us in Paulding county, about 50 miles away. However, the news showed the street which my subdivision is off of and an area called Shakerag, down to the street, and showed that we had circulation in our area, but it didn't touch down here thank God. We had the lightening, wind, and rain, but no damage. We spent about 45 minutes in the basement last night, and my DH couldn't believe I was worried about the plants and trees outside. My big concern was not only the tornado, but the debris flying about and the damage it would have caused to the garden. We've had tornado debris fall in our yard when we had bad storms several years ago, and have lost trees due to high winds in the past.
John, I'm glad that you and your family are safe. Annette
Glad you are safe. It's so scary watching the news.
Do peony poppy transplant well?
Kathy