This is the best site to find out how to grow anything. Poppies are very easy to grow. You can direct sow, start inside, or use the Winter Sowing method (see winter sowing forum). I recommend winter sowing because you get the best germination using it.

If you're in Western Oregon, I'd direct sow. Loosen up the ground a little before it gets too wet, then stagger your scattering the seeds between next month and March...I usually sow about 3 times for a longer succession of bloom. Nothing special needed, just toss them where you'd like them to grow.

Last year my best bloomers were the seeds that germinated in November. The seedlings made it through freezes, light snow, hail, rain and bloomed at about 4' tall with huge double flowers in Spring. Unfortunately my plants had cross pollinated and the flowers were pink when I'd expected purple from my saved seeds :)

Annual or Perennials?

Well I don't know. I'm considering the oriental poppy,(papaver somniferum)
I beleive it's an annual? Has anyone ever grown them inside under HID lights? I've read that they do not like to be transplanted.
Thanks for the input. Appreciate it!

Oriental poppies are perennial, papaver somniferum is an annual.

Again, if you are on Oregon's west side, you can start these indoors and put yourself to the trouble of transplanting, but there's no reason to give somniferum the space, lights, or attention. They pretty much take care of themselves direct sown outdoors.

Thanks for the inf. appreciate it....

I realize you posted this last September, and here it is March, but how are your Poppies doing? They should be germinating soon. Here in zone 7 NC, mine that were sown last Fall germinated in situ yesterday. It is said that they need freezing and thawing in moist soil to germinate, but I have my doubts. I sowed some annual Peony Poppy/Papaver somniferum last July and they germinated in September. They remained as green seedlings all Winter, which was nice to see. Also, they dont take to transplanting well, and surely die if roots are disturbed. The seedlings have grown to about 6 inches tall right now.

"they dont take to transplanting well, and surely die if roots are disturbed"

Just an FYI -- a lot of the folks on the Winter Sowing forum have found out they transplant beautifully if you do it when they're very small :)

I don't even want to count the number of packets of seed I've wasted direct sowing them over and over without a single sprout. I wintersowed half a packet of Shirley poppies about 4 days ago and lots and lots of them are beginning to sprout now :)

Kristin

whatever the species , do direct seed in Oregon . Seeds are plentful and cheap for poppies , because they are just so good at producing it .seed wheneven you feel like it , stagger the sowing as mentioned above , buy loads of seed at a discount , this is one easy fella to grow . remember to do waste areas a well , nooks amd cranny's ,cracks in the walk graveled areas ( especially graveled areas )do not bury the seed , and be rather spare , remember 6,000,000 to a pound and most will grow . i've grown many dozens of varieties (more) all are quite easy , even those Himaylan blues require little coaching if direct seeded in the PNW .enjoy

I'm in zone 5. I would like to start some poppies in a small flower bed at the southeast side of our house. I would like to direct sow them but am afraid they will either wash away with the rains we have been having or get blown away with the wind. Any suggestions?

I usually winter sow my poppies, using those little jiffy compressed circles of peat moss, or whatever it is they're made of. I find they're good for those plants that don't like root disturbance. You just plant the little root ball when they're bigger. You can direct sow too, I've had success with annual poppies direct sown. I've started them indoors too, and found this to be the least successful. Poppies are one of the easiest plants to grow, as long as they have lots of sun.

Thanks. I think I will use those jiffy circles. For some reason I just didn't think of them. About how many seeds did you use for each circle?

hpny2 question,
I have used the jiffy peat moss for my poppies and they have sprouted. They are now about 1/4" high. What do I do from here, they appear so fragile.

The trick to direct-sown poppies in my garden is to water the garden twice a day till they germinate...never let the soil dry out. They don't blow away.

I also sow them in flats outdoors in early spring. I dig little plugs of them and carefully drop them into a tiny hole in the soil. After they 'take,' I thin the plugs to one plant. They do very well that way. Poppies like it cool.