poppy seedloing help

Hi everyone,
I had numerous packages of poppy seeds, all different kinds. I started them in pots and now they are about 1 1/2 inches tall. Now what do I do with them? if I plant them in my beds will they bloom this year. or will they come back next year?
I've always love poppies and would love to get them going in my gardens,
Thanks, Sue

This message was edited Jun 13, 2016 10:10 AM

Are they annual or perennial poppies? When did you sow the seeds? My experience is that they don't transplant well. I direct sow them (toss) in the fall/winter. You can do the same in your area and the seeds will germinate in the spring or you can direct sow them in early spring. My experience has been that they don't like the heat.

I'm not sure if yours are old enough to bloom this year. Hopefully somebody from your area will respond with a better answer, but Ive seen pictures on here of poppies blooming this year that far north.

Hi glamourpuss, I bought poppy plants for years and I never had luck with them,so I tried another way. I have been lucky with poppies in my zone by sowing them on the mounds of snow and when the snow melted they germinated where they settled . I read that in a gardening article. Now they keep reseeding for me all over my garden ,and you can also scatter seeds thorough out the garden if you like .Some may germinate for you.

they are perennial poppies, that's for the ideas. I'm just going to find a spot and plant them all together and see what happens.

As a guideline, chances of survival are usually best when seedlings have at least two sets of true leaves. I'd suggest planting them as far apart as the packet suggests for final placement after thinning. Dig the hole and fill with water then drain so that the root zone is very moist for the fine, thready poppy roots. Transplant gently, disturbing roots as little as possible. Shade the seedlings from bright sun and keep watered until you see new growth, then remove all but the strongest plants. I've also had better luck seeding them directly on the late winter snow but it's harder to get location exact that way, more important with perennial poppies than the annual varieties. Hope you'll post again with results so we all can learn. Good luck!