You didn't tell us if these are Breadseed/Opium poppies, Corn/Shirley poppies or California poppies.

Some just scatter them where they fall when the pods are dry and it works for them.

I gather the pods, shake the seeds through a colander, put them in little paper envelopes and wait until November to scatter them.

In the overall scheme of things, much depends on what happens in your beds between now and fall. Will you be digging and planting a lot and pulling other plants as they finish blooming? Are the beds heavily mulched?

Nell

These poppies are a mixture of all of the above. Last fall I planted lots and lots of seeds.
You are right about possible disturbance of beds: I usually plant more bulbs, add compost, etc. Better off saving the seed.
Thank you Nell!

Natalie

My favorite trick is to mulch over seeds that have been scattered earlier in the season. I also save the seed, refrigerate it and scatter it in September or October.

I gather the seeds after the pods dry. I don't find it necessary to scatter seeds in my garden because enough fall on the ground before I collect the pods. Some fall to the ground as I collect the pods. I save the seeds and give them to my friends. It is not necessary to refigerate the seeds. The friend who originally gave me the seeds told me to scatter them on top of the snow in winter. I've done this and it works well. I tell my friends to do the same.

wvbetsy,
It's probably not necessary to refrigerate them, but since it's hot and humid in my garden shed I store them in the fridge to maintain a constant temperature and keep the humidity low. It's just the most convenient place....I'll be sure to see them every time I open the door. :)

If you mulch the seeds, doesn't it suffocate them?

Just posted on Nell's Heat Zone thread, but I'll do it here too. Had no clue poppies would grow in the deep south. I get that the seeds need to be sown in the fall. Which varieties do best?

I am not in the deep South but to ensure I had a lot of poppies, I purchased corn poppy seeds in bulk-thousands of shades of red, pink, picotee, salmon, white, peach, etc. Although it is hot here now, I have hundreds of blossoms in my front flower bed. I like the corn poppies for bouquets and landscaping. I like the lettuce leaf poppies for the seed heads for bouquets--the actual flowers do not last a long time and the foliage is huge so not as attractive for landscaping. I have those in my cutting garden.

I threw mine down in January; however, to bloom earlier next year, this year I will throw down in Autumn so they are in full swing before it becomes too hot.

Also, corn poppies do not take well to crowding so it is important to thin them as they start popping up. Thinning is so difficult for me and I did not do a great job this year. If thinned, the blossoms will be large! I also cut mine every day or other day so that they will not go to seed but continue blooming.

Teresa

Teresa, I just visited Wildseed Farm and requested a catalog. I'm leaning toward the corn poppies. Thanks for the thinning tip!