Saving Seeds

[Samurailord]

Hi

I have some really nice, well established poppies in my front garden, and I would like to grow some more on my allotment (once I get the go-ahead).

I have got a few seedpods from this year's flowering - what is the best way to save the seeds from them?

Do I keep them on the plant to dry naturally, can I cut them off and dry on a sunny windowsill, or is there a better way?

Any advice would be much appreciated.

Thanks

Andy

[Hazel at the Hill]

If I am saving poppy seeds, I let the heads alone to go really ripe/dry/crispy on the plants, giving them a quick wobble every time I go past.

When they make a rattle sound and chuck a load of seeds out I know that they are ready and snip the heads off to put in a paper bag over winter in the attic room and shake the lot out in the Spring for planting.

As there are a zillion seeds in each head, the ones that I have inadvertently shaken out in situ will grow next year, and I save the rest of the seed for sowing elsewhere. And I can then tidy up the plot by pulling up the spent plant as I know I have seed safely sown in the soil all ready to go next year.

Everyone's a winner!

[Paulottie]

Opium poppies (annual with cabbagy leaves)....very easy to save seed....as above.

Oriental poppies (perennial with hairy leaves) don't seem to seed about. Must be possible as I see the seed for sale

[donnakebab]

Great minds think alike Andy. A friend of mine on our site has given me some poppy seedlings and I am keeping my fingers crossed that they survive the transplanting. If not she will give me some seeds at the end of the season. She has some lovely fox gloves too, and they produce loads of tiny seeds.

[Samurailord]

My poppies are the Oriental perennial type and have been quite successful in self-seeding.

I started with a single plant a few years back, now I have a huge clump of them, about three feet across.

I have had to cut down a few this week as the torrential rain flattened them across the path and they were in the way, so I will try to dry those heads on the windowsill, but the ones further in I will leave and see if they will dry to a 'rattle' later on

[Two_Sheds]

My poppies are the Oriental perennial type

How to propagate oriental poppies - Projects: Planting - gardenersworld.com