Poppies

14 years ago

I have planted tons of annual poppy seeds last fall. The show is almost over, and seed heads are full of seeds that dry enough to be harvested.

Do I collect seeds, or allow nature take it's course?

I do want poppies next year, but will the seed survive hot summer (zone 7b-8a)?

Thank you.

~Natalie

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Comments (10)

ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
14 years ago
i usually just go around whacking the heads.. and distributing the seed willy nilly ....

i suggest you collect some in a regular white envelop.. a couple billion.. or a teaspoon or so.. lol ...

and scatter the rest ...

cover both bases.. as one might say ...

i doubt heat.. under about 160 degrees.. the sterilization point.. will have any impact on the seed ...

ken
natalie4b
Original Author
14 years ago
Thank you Ken!
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philosopher
14 years ago
Since we are talking poppies, I am wondering whether people are seeding shirley poppies, california poppies, or something else? I have planted shirley poppies before and really loved them. This time I planted what I think are california poppies, and they are not doing as well. It's probably been a little too humid for them here in SE WI.

Thanks for any recommendations!
ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
14 years ago
maybe because WI aint CA??? ... lol ...

not much of an answer for phil.. but it amused me.. lol ...

ken
steelskies
14 years ago
Philosopher: Humid? In Wisconsin? We are near Milwaukee, and haven't had rain in ages. Everything is brown and dead, other than what I water. Where are you?

I planted many poppy seeds and think I have 3 that are coming up. Very sad! And one of them is the plain single orange poppy that I have hundreds of and are taking over everything. I want the double pink, double purple, etc., but no luck there.
tsugajunkie z5 SE WI ♱
14 years ago
I have but one poppy, 'Lauren's Grape' (papaver somniferum) and it reseeds quite readily. I enjoy not only the flower color, but the sage green foliage as well. I spread them where I want them in the fall but they usually pop up everywhere. Right now I probably have enough seed to start a bakery!

'Lauren's Grape'

{{gwi:11745}}

tj
docmom_gw
14 years ago
tsugajunkie,
Are your Laurens's Grape Poppies the perennial type? And do you collect seed for trading? I would love to have some of those for my "purple bed" that I started this year. It's still in the development/maturation stage and I have a lot of filling in to do. I need to fill both space, and try to increase the number of plants blooming during each week as the season progresses. Let me know. Thanks.

Martha
ninecrow
14 years ago
Oh Yeah... The ol' Wack a Poppy Game... That was My Brother and I's Job when We were Little...
eahamel
14 years ago
I collect some seed but have volunteers every spring. The seeds survive in my Gulf Coast garden, and we had a really hot drought last year, well over 100Ã¯Â¿Â½F.

Steelskies, humidity doesn't mean it's rained.
tsugajunkie z5 SE WI ♱
14 years ago
Sent you an email, Martha. They are annuals. Some have been cut back here already as they browned up in the heat but most are still blooming or seed making.

And yes, it has been hot and humid with no rain here to speak of. But the heat has broken and its a glorious night tonight.

tj