How to plant poppies - the main tips and tricks

How to plant poppies - the main tips and tricks

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 home country. Alpine poppies like a coarser soil with a share of gravel. If the poppy receives too little light, it blooms only moderately or not at all. The ideal soil for poppy seeds is well-drained and poor in nutrients.

also read

  • How to care for your poppy seeds - the best tips
  • Can you plant poppies in the garden?
  • What is the best way to sow poppy seeds?

Sowing poppies

In most cases, the poppy seeds are propagated by sowing. If the seed pods dry directly on the plant, then the poppy seeds usually self-assemble. The seeds then end up scattered across the bed. This is exactly how you should sow the seeds. Mix in a little sand so that the fine seeds can be distributed better.

Then sprinkle a little soil or sand over the seeds. But they must not disappear under a thick layer of soil, because poppy seeds are a light germ. The first seedlings will appear after about 10-20 days. Protect the seeds and later the young plants from too much moisture. They should only be slightly damp.

The propagation of poppies

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

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

The best planting tips in brief:

  • warm dry location, exception: Icelandic poppy
  • better sow at the desired location than transplant later
  • Dig the planting hole deep enough
  • possibly put some well-rotted compost into the planting hole
  • do not pour too much
  • Plant different types of poppies for a long flowering period

Tips & Tricks

Ideally, sow your poppy seeds directly in the desired location, because pricking out can damage the delicate roots. Even transplanting is hardly possible without damaging the roots.