Oriental poppy from seed

[mapcr77]

I'd like to grow some oriental poppies, are they easy to grow from seed or am I better off buying the plants? (Gardener's world mag has an offer of three oriental poppies for £2.95p&p, which is why i'm asking)

many thanks!

[zazen999]

Oh man - how many packets have we tried to grow, in how many different ways...if you get any that:
a - germinate and
b - are actually Oriental Poppies when they flower

give me a shout.

I am yet to be convinced that they exist, and aren't a joke played by the seed manufacturers to buy 50 wild poppy seeds at extortionate prices.

Incidentally, we grow all sorts of poppies, and collect the seeds every year...so we don't need another packet of wild poppies thanks - what I want is the ones that are supposedly on the front of the packet!

Having said that, we also don't have any luck with plants that are sent through the post.

I guess I am no help at all!!!

[Flummery]

I've only once grown an oriental poppy from seed - I got so many I gave them to everyone who stood still for long enough - and yes, they were what was on the packet - lovely sumptuous red with black markings and they are perennial too. Fabulous they were. I'd have a go.

[Madasafish]

I have plants in my garden grown from seed 20 years ago:-)

[Ethansmum]

Thanks for posting, I was wondering about getting those myself.

Just like Zazen999 I bought an expensive packet of seeds this year. It supposedly contained 45 seeds (I know they are small but honestly, there couldn't have been more than 20 seeds in there!). They have yet to germinate.

The Gardeners world ones are bare roots so I'm hoping they would be okay.

[rustylady]

Have grown oriental poppies from seed (T & M salmon colour - can't remember the variety but they are beautiful) However, if you want a specific colour I would advise you to buy plant(s)

[mapcr77]

Thanks all for your replies, for 3 quid I might as well give it a go, seems to be around the same price as a packet of seeds anyway!

[bubblewrap]

I have a jam jar of oriental poppy seeds got from last years "crop"
Poppies like freshly tilled soil.
As the seeds are small it is easier to mix the seeds with sand for sowing purposes.

[Ethansmum]

Can I sow the seeds on a pot rather than straight into the ground? I've got to dig up the flower beds first so I thought I would grow them in pots then plant them out.

[Flummery]

I grew mine initially in a pot and dibbed them into their own pots when big enough.

[Palustris]

I grew them from seed about 12 years ago and I am still pouring weed killer on the area where I planted them out in Nursery beds to see what colour I got, so be warned.