How to Plant Red Poppy Seeds in California
The red poppy (Papver rhoeas) is known by many names: corn poppy, Flanders poppy, American Legion poppy, and Shirley poppy. Similar in looks to the poppy varietal used to harvest opium, the red poppy is easy and quite legal to grow. This flower is an annual but self-seeds very vigorously, so California growers will be treated to a succession of blooms from spring to the first frost. Because the red poppy reseeds so well, you should not need to plant seeds in the same location more than once. Does this Spark an idea?
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Instructions
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Choose a location that gets partial shade to plant your poppies in.
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Work the garden bed with a shovel or trowel before you plant the seeds. Turn the soil over to aerate and remove any weeds that may be present so your seeds will have an easy time germinating and as little competition from weeds as possible. Rake the bed smooth.
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Once all danger of frost has passed for your area, lightly scatter the poppy seeds over the garden bed. Do not cover the seeds with soil because they need sunlight in order to germinate.
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Lightly water your garden bed so that the area is most but not soaking. Within two weeks your red poppy seeds will have begun sprouting.
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Thin poppies as they grow and continue to water them. Your poppies will top out at 2 feet high. Allow the plants to mature until the petals fall and the mature seed heads open. Poppies will reseed the next year, and in temperate areas some will germinate the same season.
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Tips & Warnings
Poppies prefer a sandy soil, making large parts of California ideal for growing the flower.
Red poppies may be grown in USDA Hardiness Zones 3 through 9. Areas in southern California, particularly inland and desert regions, may have trouble growing this flower, but most areas in northern California will support poppy growth.
