How to Grow Poppy Flowers
Poppy flowers can grow from 5 inches up to 4 feet tall. They are available in a wide variety of colors. The ideal soil temperature to grow poppy seeds is between 60 to 65 degrees F with an air temperature of 55 degrees F. Poppy flowers are typically planted in spring or fall. In areas where it snows, plant after the last snowfall; in areas where there is no snow, plant in mid-February. Poppy seeds can be planted in Zones 7 through 10 in the fall. They will bloom in early spring. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Tiller or garden fork
- Rake
- Compost
- Poppy seeds
- Fertilizer, general
- Mulch
- Scissors
- Cookie sheet
Instructions
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1
Choose an area of the yard that receives full sun, or at least six hours of sun per day, with well-drained soil. In Zone 7 and higher, poppies plants should receive some shade during the hottest part of the day.
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2
Till the garden soil and loosen 12 to 15 inches of soil. Mix 2 to 4 inches of compost with the garden soil. Rake the soil in the flower bed to make it level.
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3
Place poppy seeds 8 to 18 inches apart. Cover the poppy seeds with a thin layer of soil. Follow the spacing instructions on the seed packet for the variety of poppies you're planting.
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4
Water poppy seeds until soil is moist. Poppies need to be lightly watered, during periods when there's been no rainfall for more than a week. The soil should be slightly moistened when watering.
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5
Fertilize the poppy flowers once a month with a general purpose fertilizer. Water flower bed well after applying fertilizer.
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6
Apply mulch around the poppy flowers to prevent weeds from growing and to retain soil moisture.
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7
Remove faded poppy blooms (deadhead) to encourage growth of new blooms.
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8
Harvest the poppy seeds when the flower dies and dries up. Snip the seed pods and set on a counter or cookie sheet to dry. Pick the seeds from the seed pod and store for use later.
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Tips & Warnings
Don't deadhead poppy blooms if you want to harvest the seeds.
