I need advice one starting these from seed! I happen to find a lot for cheep! So!!!! This a plant I have never grow before. Seems to be a mite difficult to start. The heat here my work against me as well. But! I am going to try. If it does not work then I will trade the rest to someone in the right climate who can grow them. \Your input is much needed. Thanks Gayla
Hello Gayla, I do have some experience with this. But since I am not a scientist to note everything down... I can't remember much. I remember I put the seeds on top of the soil - like most poppies the seeds are small. They germinated fine, but since they rooted on top of the soil, i used a tootkpick to stick roots into the soil (not sure this was necessary or useful or advised). I have some seedlings, and I was in a hurry. I planted them all out in the garden. That spring and summer was hot and very dry, so no matter how much I watered, they just died. Even the ones in the shade. SO... there you go. They need humidity and cool temperatures. I am sure I'd do it differently... like, keep them in a pot for as long as I could... and not out in the sun and with lots of water. Again, I am not an expert, and I haven't managed to have these poppies for long enough!
I have experimented a few times with this and finally did have success. ---I first placed the seeds on a piece of paper and under a grow lamp for two weeks. ---Then I placed the seeds in a paper envelope and placed that in the fridge for six weeks. ---After that I placed them in a fine seeding soil and covered lightly with vermiculite and covered them with plastic and situated a grow light above them. In a number of days they finally germinated, and they were as fine as hairs. I was hardening them off by removing the plastic covering for periods of time during the day and night...and my cat ate them! I have not tried since, but at least I did get them to germinate. I hope that you will have great success....but you will need some patience and perseverance.
Looking them up on the Internet they say I could grow them. I have never met an annual poppy that liked to be moved. I look at all the seeds that come from the pods each year and I would suggest sprinkling as many as you can in shady moist places. Here in the PNW it is cool and damp and cloudy all spring. Good luck with this absolutely beautiful flower. Maybe you can become a resident specialist. Nothing ventured nothing gained.
