Poppy Seeds

[JennieAtkinson]

I have been sent some poppy seed heads from an Aunt in Leciester and am going to try them this year in the flower beds. Should I -

• start the seeds off in pots;
• sow direct into the ground; or
• broadcast sow ?

Or perhaps all three to be sure !

[Shortie]

Hi Jenny

I grew some last year in a wild flower mix and planted them direct in the soil around April time and they took fine. I'd also back this up with the fact that I have them growing wild out the front self seeded.

Did you know that poppy seeds can stay dormant for something like 100 years only activated by freshly turned soil (and as a result sunlight)? That's why we associate red poppies with the war - the bombs disturbed the soil which contained the dormant poppy seeds.

Sorry, as you get to know me you'll reaslise I'm fully of fairly useless info like that

[Jaxom]

Jennie A, I agree with Shorties post. One sowing of Poppy seeds will keep you in flowers for a few years if you keep on dead heading the flowers as they fade. Let just a few flowers go to seed and you may find that the Poppies take over your garden. If you ever need seed then cut a seed head just before it ripens and pop it in a paper bag and hang it up in a dry place. This should provide loads of flowers the following year.
Jax

[Lesley Jay]

Shortie I didn't know that, but that explains why poppies are all over the allotments especially newly cultivated ones.

[sewer rat]

Jennie
Do you know what kind of poppies they are - I have both Welsh (small, many headed, profuse flowering, yellow, self seeding) and oriental (large, blousy flowers, short lived, self seeding - extremely difficult to get rid off due to long and fragile tap roots). I quite like the Welsh (Meconopsis cambrica) but the orientals I have little, no, make that no time for. Unfortunately, they like my soil and spread like wildfire - always seem to miss a couple of seed pods each year !

[Nicos]

On our old plot (clay) one of the guys sprinkled poppy seeds on another guys plot for a bit of a laugh and each year there were loads of double headed poppies. Wonderful!!! I wish someone would do the same for me!!!If i were to sprinkle some ..you could bet your socks nothing would grow!!!

[Shortie]

Nicos, don't be too certain.... poppies appear anywhere!

They are lovely for some bright colour but can be a b*gger to get rid of if they get established. I have then growing out my front and they've been growing for years now as the previous owner was a bit too old to get out and do much with the front for a long time... I dug up what I could, put down weed supressing membrane AND heavy shingle stuff and they're growing through with a vegance this year already!

[JennieAtkinson]

After you all saying how prolific poppies were I thought I had better check! They are the Welsh orange poppies, so hopefully not so aggessive.

Poppies generally don't do too well here, so I thought I would give it a go. My soil is quite alkaline, unlike many parts of Shetland, so thought I might stand a better chance than friends who have also tried to grow them.

[sewer rat]

Jennie
The Welsh Poppy is ace, hope you have success growing it. If you deadhead it on a weekly basis, it should produce flowers for months on end - mine do and I love 'em for it

[Nicos]

I love the welsh poppy to...although I thought it was yellow!!!
Whatever it is....I'll leave it to grow!!

[sewer rat]

Nicos
My Welsh Poppies are yellow but they can be orange too, according to my books. The book also says both the blooms and the plants themselves are short lived - as I mantioned previously, regular deadheading prolongs the blooms and as for the plants, I haven't noticed any dying off in the four years I've been here, and if they do, they are prolific self seeders if you miss some of the deadheads

[Nicos]

I love these plants which self-flower with no help. Was told they are a weed but they seem just to exist in our gargen. If you have any orange seeds do let me know!

[SueA]

I have welsh poppies in my garden as well, they are a mixture of yellow & orange ones & pop up everywhere, even between the flags on the path. I do deadhead them to keep them going & then just leave some at the end of the season to self- seed.

[bramble]

Hi Jenny

I grew some last year in a wild flower mix and planted them direct in the soil around April time and they took fine. I'd also back this up with the fact that I have them growing wild out the front self seeded.

Did you know that poppy seeds can stay dormant for something like 100 years only activated by freshly turned soil (and as a result sunlight)? That's why we associate red poppies with the war - the bombs disturbed the soil which contained the dormant poppy seeds.

Sorry, as you get to know me you'll reaslise I'm fully of fairly useless info like that

Hi Shorty,
Not useless at all. I dug up my fathers garden after 10 years of it lying idle and overgrown. There was'nt a sign of poppies in it then.That first year i went on holidays for two weeks. When I got back I had a garden that was red with poppies and could'nt understand where they came from. Glad to have the mystery cleared up. Thanks.

[bramble]

Hi, Anybody know who sells these packets of yellow welsh seed an I have never seen them and they sould really nice. Thought i might give them a go.