For the last two seasons, I have been trying to save seed from this poppy a friend gave me a few years back. I wait until the seed pod dries. My problem might be how I store the seeds. I don't refrigate, maybe I should. This year I got three "self seeding" plants and I would like to try again and save the seeds. Any suggestion?
Thanks
Poppy seeds are pretty tough. What kind of problems are you having with the seeds?
They just don't germinate. I use a seed soil that I purcased from my local nursery. Other seeds will, but I just don't have any luck with the poppy shown above. I have purchased other poppy seeds (black) and used the same seed soil and they grew. I must not store them correctly.
The seed pod is brown when you harvest the seeds?
Yes, and I can hear them inside the pod, so I know they are dry...
Well, I wish I had something helpful to say. I don't understand what could be going wrong.
I'm pretty sure poppies like cold stratification... that's what makes them good candidates for fall sowing, wintersowing, and just plain volunteer re-seeding. If you are saving the seeds and trying to germinate them in the spring, without letting them get any cold or freezing temps, maybe that's the problem? You might try storing the seeds in the fridge, or even putting a container with sown seeds into the fridge for stratification...
They don't need cold stratification. They're annuals. But they do like cool temps for germination. The closer it gets to 80F/27C, the less germination there will be, until you get none at that temp. You can plant them outside at the same time as you would start peas in your area. They like coolness.
Alternatively, you can actually throw them on the snow in late winter and they will germinate, but this is wasteful of seed, IMO. It does work, though. I have done it with both this poppy and with California poppy.
I don't think being annuals necessarily means anything in terms of seed germination requirements...
But you're right. Tom Clothier's site says 60 degrees for germination, not cold stratification. I do know people wintersow poppies successfully, and I've heard the same thing about sowing them on top of the snow.
mnorberry, do the seeds from this poppy look similar to seeds you've purchased? (that is, do you think they're mature?) If so, I'd dry them for a couple of weeks, store them in the fridge, and try again. We'll all cross our fingers for you next spring!
Well, I have never seen "cold stratification" used in reference to an annual seed, only to perennial or biennial seeds. As far as I know, no annual needs cold stratification to germinate. I guess you could do it, but why? They germinate fine without it.
I've never really thought about annuals & cold stratification, just figured that if some perennial seeds needed it (perhaps to make sure the seeds wouldn't germinate until the following growing season), then maybe some annual seeds did also.
There are a couple of annuals with large seeds (morning glories, four o'clocks) that germinate better when they're nicked and soaked, and I've heard people suggest that they are good candidates for wintersowing because the freeze/thaw of cold stratification can accomplish the equivalent of nicking the seed coat. I've nicked them, and I've wintersowed them, and both methods have worked for me.
And it may be that cool temperatures are all that's required, but some folks swear by cold stratification for poppies (generally by fall/winter sowing, but I've also seen people suggest using the fridge or freezer)... I seem to have trouble with poppies anyway, so I'm not a good source for advice on them, but at least it seems like putting the seeds in the fridge couldn't hurt.
Penzey's (a mail order herb/spice company) suggests storing their poppy seeds in the fridge or freoppezer because of the high oil content, so maybe room temp storage of poppy seeds could have issues with freshness/germination.
That's a good point about room temperature storage. I have noticed that my poppy seeds will start to go off after about a year at room temp. I have noticed that the smell of the seeds changes.
Someone was mentioning using uncooked rice instead of silica gel when storing seeds in the fridge. I think that's a really good idea. I read that getting seeds too dry in storage can cause them to enter deep dormancy, and then they will be really hard to germinate. I always had a heavy hand with the silica gel until reading that.
I wintersowed them with great success in 2001. They germinated in winter, stayed very tiny, and I think I transplanted into the ground in late March or early April.
Karen
I am located east of Seattle, so I am in a much cooler zone than Mnorberry.
I break open the pods when they are ripe & cast the seed on the soil. They germinate prolifically - to the point of too many.
A good friend collects & stores the seed in plastic zip-lock bags with a silica gel packet. He gave me seed from 6 years ago - I sowed it (loosely speaking) & had way too many seedlings. Pulled what I did not want & let the rest do their thing. This was mid June - they are now pushing 3' & some are beginning to flower. Those that germinated early spring from the seed of last year's crop are taller, which I expected.
I know that Poppies prefer well drained soil - I have sowed them directly into a gravel pathway with excellent results. Perhaps it is because of our cooler temps - I don't know. This has worked for the P. somniferums, rhoeas & nudicaule. The picture looks like a somnif.
Don't know if this muddies the waters or is helpful!
Well I have been saving seeds from my poppies. Right now I have some pink (pictured), red and a deep purple (purchased seeds which they called black). I have been storing them in the refrig. My next question: Is there other colors (example white) that is the same as the picture. Double/or triples (like a pom pom)?
Thanks
That's called a peony-type poppy, and they come in white, red, pink, rose, and purple, as well as white/rose.
Does anyone know where I can purchase other colors?
Thanks
If you search for "peony poppy" in PlantFiles, you'll find some different varieties. There's a useful link that pops up near the top of the page for a cultivar to tell you which vendors offer it. For example, this white one is offered by 5 vendors: http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/54231/
Check out the vendors in the Garden Watchdog, of course.
You might also Google and see if anybody is offering a mixed packet of seeds. A lot of companies might not have new catalogs out until early 2008, so don't be discouraged if you don't get a lot of search engine hits on it.
OK, got curious & googled... Park Seed has 5 different colors, and they offer them separately, in a mixed packet, or as a collection. Always check the Watchdog, but I've had good dealings with Park's in the past. http://www.parkseed.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/StoreCatalogDisplay?storeId=10101&catalogId=10101&langId=-1&mainPage=prod2working&ItemId=90058&PrevMainPage=advsearchresults&scChannel=Popular&SearchText=p16.v226;p16.v230&OfferCode=TH1
Found them and ordered this morning, Thanks
I've grown lots of the somniferum poppies. They are my favorites! The foliage and buds are lovely, as well as the blooms, and afterward, the big pods offer garden interest, as well. These poppies come in every color you can imagine, some the peony types, some singles that resemble tulips, and some with serated edges on the petals, both double and single, the doubles resembling large carnations.
I collect seed and start them indoors every spring. I can't recall if I cover the seed, but Tom Clothier specifies darkness. When I sow seeds, they go under my lights, so I place a piece of cardboard over those that need darkness, checking on them for germination before uncovering them. I transplant to cell packs when they get their first true leaves or shortly thereafter. I get excellent germination, and I don't refrigerate or freeze the seeds, or stratify in any way. As for temperature, they probably don't get up to 70 degrees on my shelves in the basement, but temperature doesn't seem to be a problem.
Not all peony types come back as doubles from seed. You may just get a single petaled flower. Also, if grown beside other colors and types, they could easily cross pollinate. I try to grow three plants of each type in big pots on opposite sides of my yard to reduce the chance of cross pollination. The only peony poppy I've found to be reliably double from collected seed was Flemish Antique. It is a lovely creamy white with red burnished petals. It really looks like a peony bloom. http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/51512/
Hi mnorberry
I have been storing my poppyseeds in the refrig always. I have a book "Park´s success with seeds" from USA I think, the best book for sowing seeds in the world :o) . I can reed that Papaver oriental shall not be covered as they need light to germinate. Other papaver like to germinate in darkness, so cover the seeds with soil or black plastic if you sow indoors in spring, and outdoors make sure seed is completely covered. If you sow indoors, when moving to the garden be extreme carefully because they not like to be transplanted. And I have alway follow this directions with success.
I have a lot of peony poppies, pink (but not like yours beauty) lilac, dark-vinered, Flemish Antique, white I be happy to share some seeds with you, please mail me.
regards from Sylvia
