I sow all poppies directly. California poppies are my favorites and I still have some blooming through our triple-digit heat.

I sow mine in November here in zone 7b and they'll emerge, but not grow until spring. I would think you could do the same in October, but since you probably get more snowfall than we do, someone in your zone will know which month is best. Early spring may be best for you.

I let this year's self-sow, but I intend to sow more in the fall to make sure that I'm not without any. I really like the 'White Linen' and 'Purple Gleam' California poppies.

Here is a link that might be useful: my purple gleam poppies

I started mine directly in the ground and some of them came up fine. I'm not sure how it would compare to starting in packs, though.

but... obviously they can be started well with direct sewn seed, since that's how they go in the wild. Take a look at these I photographed in the Antelope Valley Poppy Reserve... just ridiculous how many there were! :)

I'm going to plant more poppies next year. I think they're charming. I like them randomly coming up in my other plants.

I sow mine directly -- so that's around May.

Ianna

I am amazed at the variety available from different seed houses. Only grew them once, but they were the greatest.
I want to start them in late Summer or Fall and see if they will overwinter. The fact that some have them in the extreme heat and humidity of Summer is a surprise.

I also planted them from seed this year. I started them indoors under lights and put them out at the end of May. I have yet to see a bloom - so I am jealous. The seedlings were a bit weak and leggy, but they are relatively healthy looking little plants now - just no blooms yet. Yarrow from seed hasn't bloomed yet either, but that at least will come back next year.

The pic from the reserve is gorgeous!

How lovely they are! I used to grow Shirley poppies - but they were early and were finished blooming in June if I recall - lovely pink, apricot, dark almost red colors. I would sow them by tossing on the snow...

does anyone know if the seeds of these poppies can overwinter? If so, I would like to spread the seeds of the plants I have right now.

OK, so how does anyone afford to buy enough to direct sow around the garden? I got this tiny little envelope of "Jelly Beans" and I think it was $4.00. I have one of 'Mission Bells" too but I never started that one. I would need a bunch of those envelopes to sow that area and then if I was not sucessful and it didn't come up, I would have wasted my money and would have to buy them again.

I tried the flanders poppies too at the same time as the California poppies but only afew plants made it and the flowers are mini little things. Those really do need to be started much earlier and can't take the heat.

Newyorkrita: You afford enough seeds to direct sow around the garden by investing in and planting a pack of seeds the first year. When those first year flowers set seed, harvest daily. You'll be amazed at the amount of seed you can collect. It will be many many times over the amount of your original "investment".

Even though you collect seed daily, a sizeable amount will still evade your collection efforts and self sow.

If your original seeds were hybrids, then the 2nd generation may revert to the ordinary variety, but even the ordinary are so lovely.

Speaking of lovely reminds me of your garden. I've enjoyed seeing pictures of it in other posts. Thank you for sharing it with the rest of us.

June

I have never noticed seeds, I guess I will have to look more carefully. But I don't want them if they revert to the "wild" variety. I want the fancy ones I first planted. I am glad you like my garden :-))

Rita - there are a lot of seed sources that are $1 - $2 for poppies. I rarely pay more than $3 for a packet unless it's a huge packet of seeds.

For example, Select Seeds has 'Jelly Beans' (299 seeds for $2.79).

Diane's Seeds has 'Mission Bells' (800 seeds for $2.00)

Wow, thanks that is great. I got mine $3.95 for an envelope of 150 seeds. I will not order there again and instead check out these other sources.

I used to direct seed California poppies into the border on the river-side of my old house. Several times I did have volunteers the following Spring. Not terribly reliable in my Zone, though.

Nancy.

The write up for "Jelly Beans" at "onestoppoppyshoppe.com" says that they will self sow and you may need to plant them only once. I take this to mean that they will not revert to a wild variety; rather, you'll get more of the fancy "Jelly Beans".

Hope they self seed for you and you have many more in your garden - June

Here is a link that might be useful: About the California Poppy Seed Pod

I had some pretty ones last year that I started from seed and they didn't come back for me this year and no seedlings either. I thought zone 6 they would work out, but no luck. I may try them again. Yours are VERY pretty!

Those California Poppies I had last year lasted till fall and just bloomed and bloomed. They did self seed, I have them up all over the place where the plants were last year. We will see what colors they turn out to be when they bloom.

The link below is an article I wrote about growing these poppies in Pennsylvania. I posted a list of all the flowers in my garden that were in bloom at the same time as the California poppies. If you scroll down to the bottom of the article there are some pics of the poppies and the companion plants.

Here is a link that might be useful: Growing California Poppies in the Northeast

Rita, I sure hope my Calif. poppies turn out looking as great as yours do. They did really well in the milk jugs, got so big, I had to open the jugs up, harden them and plant them in flowerbeds..We have had so much rain and expecting more rain at least 2 days this coming week. Today, it started out really breezy but has warmed up and I've been tying up clematis vines, planting dianthus, marigold seeds, digging up a run away ice plant and planting some gladiola bulbs..hoping the Calif. poppy's start showing signs of growing. I think they need some warm sunshine for about a week at least, as I do!

I am really not much good at starting seeds. They need to be easy for me to have sucess. I just starting these in some nursery cell packs that I reused and filled with potting mix and planted. When they were bigger seedlings, in the ground they went. Once they got big enough they bloomed and just never stopped blooming. This in spite of record breaking heat spell we were having last summer.

HI,
I am just now Planting my California Poppy's and every time they get to be a small plant something eats the leaves. I see no trail for a slug or snail .
Can you please help. What can I do to stop what ever is eating them?
I plant them in a pot

Countrygirl- are there other plants you grow near the poppies that don't get eaten? How are your other seedlings faring?

Here in Sacramento, California poppies are one of the few annuals the snails and slugs don't eat- or it might be that with the iris and lilies there's so much else for the slimy things to eat they don't have to eat something they like less.