Hey. I'm in Georgia 7b. I was wondering if it would be a benefit to germination if I planted my poppy seeds today so that they would have the next 3 nights of really cold weather before it warmed up. And should I just sprinkle them and press into the dirt so they are uncovered and get the light? I've heard mixed info. on sowing and was hoping I could use this dreaded cold front for something good. I've never grown poppies and have heard so much bad info., I'm afraid I won't be successful. I need and elementary A,B,C plan for Dummies! I love them so much!
Also, I have some of the opium poppies as well (didn't know until I had purchased from ebay - they have the BEST pods!). Anyway, I just want to make absolute sure that I won't be in any trouble from growing these. Believe it or not, I have an ex- narcotics cop across the street from me! HA HA. Nice neighbor, but don't want him to have to drive by these each day and them start "keeping an eye on me". LOL.
Please help!
Thanks in advance,
Catherine
NEED POPPY EXPERT... QUICK :) 7b
Is there no one to help me with this?
Catherine
Catherine, I have no idea what growing conditions are in your area, but with regard to Poppies I scatter them anywhere, anytime. Meconopsis is the exception. Poppies seem to be very hardy and acclimate well. Try as many varieties as you can and see which will do best for you.
I don't know anything about them eiter but I would just toss some into my flowerbeds now especially if you are having the same cold wet snowy weather I am having. My mother just put some in her beds yesterday. Can't hurt to try. The wet and warming will work them into the soil. As for the opium poppies, I have read someplace you are safe as long as you are growing them for the beautiful flowers, not for the drug purposes. Most likely, they would never notice or be able to tell the difference anyway. A few of them in the flowerbeds is nothing.. you would have to have a field to make a difference.
My opinion and knowledge from reading about them before i got my seeds. Mine are now about 1/2 inch high and are under snow! don't know if they will survive. Across from my parents 3 miles away... they are blooming! the blooming ones are self seeded after they bloomed last year.
Tammie
I put out poppy seed for several years till they finally showed up. I put some seed out on the snow this year and lots showed up. I had heard they did well if you sow them that way.
I have picture here of one with some Dame's Rocket in purple behind it. I'd love to know what others plant with their poppies.
I sowed my poppy seeds this past week and hope to see better results than last year. I didn't press them into the soil, just sprinkled on top after raking the soil. Now with the rain we just got, I expect to see tiny seedlings any time now.
I waited until late May last year and then a bad drought hit - no poppies last year. The experts advise fall sowing in GA but spring should be okay.
I have sowed bachelor buttons and larkspur with my poppies before.
Larkspur always went well with poppies at our last place. I sowed bachelor buttons, larkspur, ice plant, and moss rose along with the poppies. Hopefully some of this will come up.
I always liked the blue bachelor buttons with the poppies.
Do you find that the larkspur and bachelor buttons reseed or do you have to put seed out in the fall?
How about color combos?
The bachelor buttons usually reseed.I usually will sow the seeds along with my poppies in the late Fall.
Do you thin your poppies out? I have one spot that is just thick with tiny plants. I even have some escapees outside of the raised bed. Do they transplant well or peter out if transplanted?
Since I've had some for several years now I have plants showing up in odd spots far from the original bed.
I usually thin the small seedlings out if over crowded.Poppies I find don"t like having their roots disturbed.
The only ones lest for me to grow are somniferums the deer eat all the others.corn poppies,california,orientals etc etc. I put seeds in the freezer then sew them in late fall. They grow like weeds even kinda look like weeds untill they bloom.I thin them out also when I transplant them I make sure and scoop lots of dirt so they dont know they have been moved.
Here in the mid Mississippi are we have to sow our poppies (annuals) in October, and yes - we do it each year. Some will come up from last year's seeds but if the soil has been disturbed at all then I only have a few. To really have a "show" I have to reseed.That is no bother since you just throw them out - no "planting" required! Couldn't be easier!
And, as stated above, yes it is best to thin them out when they are very young. Those I didn't thin out ( they need to be about a foot apart at least to really do well here) are only a few inches high. What a difference!
darlindeb, Is that waterfall in your garden? It is lovely and so are the poppies?
Susan
Just found this forum so I'm reading to catch up.
3gardeners, how did your poppies do? I live in 7a (I think) and was wondering.
~Donna
The waterfall is located in a school courtyard. I help from time to time with plants. We've had so many thunderstorms I haven't gotten by recently to get in the pond. This is a photo of what it looked like last year when blooming.
That is beautiful! Lucky school:lol:
Somehow this thread just popped up. I never saw the last entries last spring and I don't see how it popped up since there hasn't been an entry since July.
Anyway, not ONE single seed germinated! I was so disappointed, I ordered $70 worth from annies annuals, and they ASSURED me they would do fine in the summer in GA. (Now I know otherwise. Long story in "Guilty Coffessions" thread.)
I have cleaned up some skraggly angelina(sp) and am sprinkling my poppy seeds tomorrow. I have been told and read that fall/winter sowing is best in the south.
I pray, pray, pray I get some plants! I love the papery petals blowing in the breeze. I'm not much for the peony type. Their beautiful, just not something I HAVE to have in my garden.
Wish me luck.
My 11 yr. old daughter seems to have been born under a lucky star, maybe I'll have her sprinkle them!
3gardeners, I've experimented quite a bit with poppies to figure out how to deal with them here. I've found if I sow later than early-mid March I don't see much from them, if anything. One time I sowed in April and had poppies show up a year and a half later. Now I sow either in fall or late winter as it seems they need the cold to germinate well. In your zone, I think sowing any time during the winter would work well. Did you get some sown at the first of the month? You may start seeing germination soon. My fall sown poppies formed little rosettes of foliage that just sat there all winter unharmed.
Neal
How long does it take for poppy seed to germinate?
I sowed some seeds three weeks ago and nothing
has came up.
I threw some out about a week ago, along with and small gardeners prayer.
The $70 on poppie plants from Annie's Annuals that I wasted last year has kept me away from ALL poppy plant orders.
It's seed or nothing.
I'll keep an eye out for rosettes :)
Anybody know when to scatter the seeds in PA? I am in zone 6. I have my seeds in the refrigerator. Let me know & Thanks. Buttoneer
Buttoneer, I'm in zone 6, and have had success sowing in fall and early spring. I think early March would be your best bet. Good luck!
Neal
Thank you. Should I be keeping them in the refrig or the freezer? I have them in the refrig now. Thanks for your help
I keep mine in the freezer.
Did you ever try putting them in polymer crystals that fill up with water?
I've never tried polymer crystals. While I've considered using them for some things, I would not use them for poppies; they don't like to be too wet and actually prefer to be on the dry side.
Will that hurt the poppy seeds (in the freezer?) will they still grow if I keep them in the refrig? I don't want to kill them (i.e. in the freezer). Let me know & th anks.
I keep all my seed in the freezer,except tropicals. Have done it for years with no problems.