In industrial poppy cultivation, you will mainly find blue poppies and gray poppies, which are used for the production of baking poppy seeds. In the home garden, on the other hand, Turkish poppies do very well. Its flowers grow up to 15 cm.

Planting poppies works best with seeds

The ideal location and the best soil

Most poppies prefer a sunny, dry location. Only the Icelandic poppy tolerates a cooler climate, as it is known from its homeland. Alpenmohn likes a coarser soil with a proportion of gravel. If the poppy does not get enough light, it will bloom only moderately or not at all. The ideal soil for poppies is well-drained and poor in nutrients.

The sowing of poppies

In most cases, poppies are propagated by seed. If the seed pods dry directly on the plant, the poppies usually smother themselves. The seeds then land widely scattered in the bed. This is exactly how you should sow the seeds. Mix in a little sand so that the fine seeds can be better distributed.

Then sprinkle some soil or sand over the seeds. However, they must not disappear under a thick layer of soil, because poppies germinate in the light. After about 10 - 20 days the first seedlings appear. Protect the seeds and later the young plants from too much moisture. They should only be slightly damp.

The propagation of poppies

Root division is also possible with some perennial varieties. To do this, expose the roots in autumn or winter and cut off one or more root pieces that are at least 8 cm long. It is best to plant these root pieces in pots so that the upper edge is level with the surface of the earth. Keep pots cool but frost-free and keep roots slightly moist.

Alternatively, you can divide the root ball into two or more large pieces. Plant these directly outdoors, while the root cuttings are not planted out until next spring. If the soil is very poor, you can add a little well-rotted compost to the prepared planting hole. Incidentally, the planting of opium poppies in the home garden is not permitted.

The best planting tips in brief:

  • warm dry location, exception: Iceland poppy
  • Better to sow at the desired location than to transplant later
  • Dig the planting hole deep enough
  • possibly put some well-rotted compost in the planting hole
  • don't water too much
  • Plant different poppy varieties for a long flowering period

tips and tricks

Ideally, you sow your poppies directly in the desired location, because the tender roots can be damaged when pricked out. Transplanting is also difficult without damaging the roots.

Category:

Herbs