Many garden enthusiasts would like to grow their own plants from seed or propagate existing plants. This is quite easy to do with poppies. Annual varieties are easy to sow, perennials can also be propagated by division.
Corn poppies reproduce themselves from seeds
propagation by division
You can propagate the perennial cultivated forms of the poppy by dividing the rootstock. The best time for this is late autumn or winter. However, the soil should be free of frost. Then expose the roots of your poppy seeds and cut off several side shoots with the spade. These root pieces should be at least 8 cm long and not too thin if possible.
Place the root pieces in pots with potting soil high enough that the upper cut edge is flush with the soil surface and is not covered by soil. After a few weeks, the first shoots will have formed and the young plants can be planted outdoors in spring.
Sow poppies
If you would rather sow poppies instead of buying plants, then sow them straight away in their final location, as they are difficult to prick out. Scatter the seeds broadly and give only a little soil over them. To spread the seeds better, mix in some sand. This will prevent too many seeds from ending up in the same place.
Propagation by self-seeding
If you leave the blossomed inflorescences on a few plants, then your poppies will sow themselves. It germinates relatively easily and reliably. In this way you do not have to work with the seed, but you also have no influence on the location and amount of sowing. You can also remove the ripe seeds from the seed pods and sow them elsewhere.
The best propagation tips for poppies:
- easiest way of propagation: self-sowing
- Propagation by division possible
- Sowing relatively uncomplicated
- it is best to sow directly at the desired location
- light germinator
- Do not water seeds and young plants too much
tips and tricks
The easiest way to propagate poppies is self-sowing. To do this, simply leave a few spent inflorescences after the flowering period so that the seed pods can mature.