Not usually. And it's photosynthesis that produces the energy needed to mature the seeds, not just water....
If you absolutely have to then let them go as long as you can, cut the stem long and hang upside down to dry. Preferably with something underneath or around the pods-like a stocking-to catch the seeds.

sure wish I read this post before I went and pulled the 2 heads off a neighbor's spent poppies. they are green still but weren't flowering anymore so i thought i'd take it off his hands. this guy doenst even mow the lawn so I didnt think he'd mind. ha ha. Now i'll have to steal the last one later on when it is more dried up! If I ever saw the man I'd just ask him for it.. but I think he is a recluse.....!sad really. :(

I was just going to ask the same question, some were half brown, some mostly brown, some green. Now they are all in one big pile!

But in addition to that question, I wanted to know if I could/should start the seeds now, to transplant for later. When is a good time. And, in the meantime, how do I store them? Same questions for lupine (which I did completely let dry out).

You might think I am new to this forum, and you are right, so I appreciate your patience and answers!

I've let the ratty foliage survive so that I can have the seed. Today I picked some of them. Some pods still looked a bit green, but when turned upside down, the seeds spilled out.
Saucy, don't know where you are, but herein zone 6, I throw the seed out on top of snow in Jan or Feb. We don't get much snow here, so last year it was only a couple of inches deep when I "planted". I'm storing my seed in a paper bag until then.

I'm not experienced at all in gathering poppy seeds - this is the first year I've had any grow for me! And all due to winter sowing (see the winter sowing forum).

Sure glad I found this question. Will definitely leave them alone. Some are in a pot, so can be moved out-of-sight, but others I'll just have to put up with.

Personally wouldn't transplant Saucy. I do what Chancygardener does. Throw out inthe snow anytime from Jan-April. They like light to germinate and really benefit from the cold stratification of outside sowing.

Once the pod of the poppy opens at the top, it's ready. Look at it this way, when ma nature is ready to set them free, they are good to go. Ma nature is much smarter than we are. That being said, the pods are usually brown and brittle. Makes sense huh? You'll find that same principle is true for a lot of plants - is the plant letting them go? Well then, it's time.

I have had great success winter sowing poppies. Easy instructions and support are available on the winter sowing forum - outdoor winter sowing in containers. Give it a shot.

We have had frost overnight for 3 nights in a row....alot of my poppy pods are still green, if I do have to bring them in already to dry upside down will the seeds that fall be viable? I love poppies but this is my 1st year growing them. I live in NE MN. Thanks

Can I ask the reason for sprinkling them on the snow in January rather than just shaking the pods around as soon as they are ripe? ie in late summer/autumn. I'm not familiar with your climates and am wondering why you need to store them at all rather than sowing them fresh. They self sow in my garden without any intervention.

My pods kept looking pretty green until I skipped checking them for just a few days (I thought it was just a few days).

Now they're all brown, and mostly split and empty!

I'm in south puget sound area the pacific northwest (US). We had a particulary bad bout of spider mites and powdery mildew late this summer. Pretty frustrating.
Anyways, I still have poppies blooming. I started some in april and a second planting in june. Some of the june ones bloomed by august; others are just starting. Late summer was unusually dry here. Then we started getting our usualy cool, grey and wet weather in late september. A couple of my pods which were just about ready to harvest for seed started turning green again so I pulled them and viola! all the seeds were fully germinated! Darn!!
My first Hen and Chicks plant bloomed in early september. I only got two flowers from a single plant, so I really didn't want to mess up the only seeds. I brought this plant, which was in a pot, onto my enclosed back porch. Unfortunately, the plants aren't getting enough light for the younger pods to develop. I have no supplemental light source, so I had to choose to keep the HnC pods dry.
Does anyone have any hints on how to deal with late season poppies in the pac northwest?

Poppy seeds are ready to harvest when the heads open to allow the seeds to fall out when a wind blows or you tilt the head and they start to fall out.

What Wally means is when the little "windows" around the crown of the seed pod open, seeds should be ready. Snip them off and the seeds can be shaken out just like a pepper shaker.

I live in Va. And My Friend gave me two seed pods. Still green. Can I use these seeds to plant my own poopy plants. The seeds in the pods have turned black. From what I have read that is the correct color of the seeds. Any help woukd be appreciated

Are the pods dry? Some pods stay green, but they dry out. Most of these pods talk about green pods as fresh, still forming seed pods that are squishy. If the shell of the pod is dry and the seeds are dark you're probably in good shape. If you break it open and the seeds are white and everything inside is damp...they won't grow because they haven't matured.

Don’t pick your neighbors poppy seed pods…plant your own…i’m a recluse too, but i still own my flowers and love them just the way they are!

I want good looking plants in my garden so when Poppies drop their petals I deadhead them. I dry the green seed pods and harvest the seeds for myself and others. Some years are better than others, but I always get LOTS of viable seed this way.

Are the seeds inside the green pod toxic though? I can't find that info onine. And I already cut the pod in several places trying to get opium out