Hi all. I have several packages of poppy seeds. I have never tried poppies from seed before. The seeds are sooo tiny! The packages say they're easiest to start outdoors, but...we have snails and they mow down any new tasty seedlings, except the weeds for some reason. I'm afraid to waste all my seeds. I really love the poppy flowers and wanted to have a lot in the yard this year. I have some oriental, california, and breadseed poppy that I can harvest the seed pods from and use the seeds in baking. Any advice for poppies? Should I just try them indoors and see what happens?
hey mellisa. i tried some kinds of poppies but not the annual ones that are easier to have. i tried some perennials. anyway, i decided never to try small seeds just sprinkled on top of the soil. at least, here, the soil gets really hard after you water the soil. so... very poor results with seeds that way. now i put all my seeds in different containers with potting mix. or maybe u could do it like this... have the spot in the garden where you was to sprinkle the seeds and cover that spot with a thin layer of good soil, that doesn't just turn into a crust when the sun comes up. it's just an idea. not an expert... so...
I have tried growing different types of perineal poppies, starting them indoors and out--The majority of the ones that I started indoors and then transplanted outside after frost all died. I don't know what it is with poppies and transplanting, but I have never had a great deal of luck. The "Oriental Poppies" are annuals and I have not had any problem transplanting them at all, in fact, I prefer starting them indoors and waiting until they have large root systems before planting them outside. I can't say that I understand poppies, I have just learned to respond to what they do or don't do. I do not know if the successes and failures have had have to do with my technique or the soil or weather where I live...but I have learned what is successful here. A couple of tips that I have found helpful: (1) dig-over the ground where you intend planting the poppies (they seem to do best on newly disturbed ground). (2) After sprinkling the seeds over the tilled soil in the bed that you have prepared, cover them very,very,very thinly with some compost. --I know that this is not commonly done and one can read on the back of some seed packs that there is no mention of covering them...but here I have found that if I do not do this "dusting" of compost that birds and/or mice find the tiny seeds and eat them. I have not noticed that the slugs have bothered young pappy plants here, but you may have a different type of snail/slug there. I wish you lotsa luck with those poppies--they are such a nice addition to any garden.
now sjoerd, that is bad news for me. i have some meconopsis, blue poppy and other kinds of poppies and i planted all the seeds in a tray. some are starting to come up. if you tell me they will all die once transplanted in the garden.... then... (
No, No Calin, the Meconopsis are a different kettle of fish. Please excuse me for being unclear. Raising them in trays is, as far as I know, the BEST way to do those. They are perineals (like the Orientals) and the perineal sorts always seem to do ok with transplanting in my experience. Once again, sorry for giving you the wrong idea.
cool sjoerd, no prob. anyway i planted them and they are just starting to pop up. really excited about them, especially the blue ones. i hope i get to see them bloom calin
Will follow this thread. None of my poppy seeds germinated last year. I am trying them indoors this year - no luck yet
poppies hi all I do is sprinkle seeds all over the earth and then throw over a small covering of compost and mine usually grow.
Thanks for the information all. I'm doing Jelly Bean California Poppies this year. I will try them indoors too.
am really excited... out of the 4 kinds of poppies... three came up. one is still lazy and sleeping. one kind grows really thin and tall stems...and already falling to the soil mix level, so i am not sure they're gonna make it till i can transplant them outside. other two... meconopsis both i think... look much better. thicker and stronger... although in the same pot. obviously different kinds of poppies.
Since I harvest most of my poppy seed I usually just broadcast the seeds where I want them to grow around Thanksgiving. I broadcasted some more (just rec'd in trade)yesterday too! The ones I don't harvest on time will self-sow; many of them germinate during the cool fall weather where they winter over until spring and resume growth. BTW the native California Poppy (Eschscholzia californica) are NOT an edible type. Also I don't have snails, but I do have slugs and earwigs and I've never seen either go after poppy but plenty of other tasty seedlings. Regardless, it doesn't matter if you broadcast the seed or not, it's the seedlings they are after. So whichever way you start them you will need to protect them once they are up or planted out. You could crush up egg shells really good and sprinkle them around if you don't mind the look for a while. Also I like to leave off/pull back the mulch (in my case straw/leaves,dry grass clippings) until most of my seedlings are big enough to handle a little damage. Mulch is perfect hiding material for such pests. As far as transplanting poppies, it works well if you do so when they are no bigger than the 2nd true-leaf stage...yes, very small!
MY ADVICE ON POPPYS, Only outdoors. They do their own thing right on top of the soil. I have a small area for poppys alove and I just throw all types including californias on top of the soil........The californias are gorgous.. There are many varietys an colors.. Try them all.. I love poppys. bali :twisted:
