Gina,

I sprinkled mine collected in 2005 this SPRING and they were up within a week. I always sow them in spring so I don't know. Maybe they sprouted with the warm early spring and died during the Easter freeze ?

Char

Poppy seed must have adequate moisture or it won't sprout. Mine reseed every year but its hit and miss depending on how much moisture is at the surface. That is probably why the plants put out so much seed.

What kind of poppies? Oriental, California, Shirley, Iceland.........? My California poppies are up, but they aren't really poppies.

Mine are "papaver" from several different strains (colors) that sort of inter-mixed into a nice lavender shade. I don't have too many coming up this year, so am carefully letting them grow undisturbed. Ths seed that I purposely sowed hasn't come up at all! One good thing is their light green color which makes them easy to spot even when tiny.

I don't know what kind of poppies they are. Pretty red ruffly ones - lol. I'm pretty sure Alma never did anything but let them reseed over and over. Do you think they might come up next year? or are all those seeds dead now? I was weeding in there and I cant even find any of the seed pods left. I deliberately shook them all out last winter :-(

She moved now, but I can try to take a peek into her old yard and see if any of them came up this year. I could kick myself for not saving them. They were so abundant last year just from a sprinkling of seeds, I never thought they'd kill off. I didn't have *any*. :-( will the seeds try again next year?

Gina

I'm having the same kind of luck you are. The place we used to rent had the pretty red ruffly ones too (I'm pretty sure they are Shirley poppies), and I know my landlady didn't do anything with them and they just reseeded themselves year after year. Now I'm trying to get some established and I've never had any luck. Doesn't stop me from trying though, lol. This year I bought two packages from different companies and scattered them over my whole garden in the hopes that one little seed somewhere will decide to put down roots. I just put them in Thursday so it's too soon to tell what will happen. And I hope I can tell them apart from the California poppies that are coming up.

don't know what happened to them,,,,

but if you like orange ones....come over and i will dig some up for you...

jill

I think balsam girl is right on. We had a pretty dry spring. No, I don't think they will sprout next year; sorry! Later this summer I'll have a TON of seed. Try to remember to watch for my post. I sow them direct as soon as the snow melts and I'm able to rake the flowerbed out. Never had much luck winter sowing them.

I'm sorry for your loss (sob).

well, I got a very tiny crop of very teeny poppies that I stumbled upon in the big flower bed. I watered them and they've finished and are on to their salt-shaker-creation phase. I have learned now that I will keep the seed in the house! Do I have to freeze it, or just keep it in an envelope. I peeked at the old neighbor's house and there were a few that just bloomed there as well.

:)

My naturally re-seeded poppies did much better than expected this year. In spite of dry rainless weather most of them grew large and very robust. I also got 3 colors this year: the expected lavander, white, and a clump of wonderful blood-red poppies. I should get plenty of seed to save.

They are such a wonderful plant and flower. Too bad the blossoms only last a couple of days.

One thing I've noticed is that they need a good healthy early start when the weather is still cool and the ground moist. And they don't like competition from other plants and they need to be thinned or they become stunted and spindly. Given some room they grow about 3 feet tall, even in sandy soil.

Me, I probably planted them too late. :( I actually haven't had a problem with planting any other of my herbs or plants later than they say (as opposed to planting many of them indoors, as they say you should do with them on the back of the packet, I plant them as early as I can outside), everything that shouldn't have popped up has.

My California poppies have been tempermental (sp??) and have given me mixed results. Many came up about two of three milemeters from the ground, did nothing for a while, then eventually POOF!- Just disappeared. *Scratches head* Don't know why they do this. In another pot (just one) they decided to grow, and although it's small it's doing quite nicely.

I suppose I simply planted them too late myself- when it was warmer in the spring, but not as early. *Sigh*

By the way, what are those pods that come from the plant after the petals drop off of the flower? Should one wait for those to get longer, or collect the seeds?...

do you mean the green round things with the little petal-looking things on top? Those are what I call the "salt shakers". They turn brown, then holes open and the seeds sprinkle out. Wait till they turn brown and open and you'll be sure the seeds are ready. I just sprinkled them all around the flower garden last fall, but I should have brought them in and planted in the spring. I'm glad I at least got a few this year.

Gina

Well...I collect mine when dry and toss the plant, store the seeds in the frig, and sow onto bare ground in very early spring, as soon as the snow is off the bed. I have thousands! Peony-type, singles, red, peach, pink, lavender, white, purple, red & white striped. Anyone want some seed? I'm starting to collect some now, but still have weeks to go before they're all done blooming...

If you're interested, email me for details~~

Constance.

Constance, 8 years later does your offer still stand?? :D lol - nothing like resurrecting a thread from almost a decade ago :) The few poppies that were left... no more. Alma passed away and the last time I drove by the old house her flower beds were lawn :-(

I've sowed them on top of snow in April and they come up. I've also grown them by wintersowing them in milk jugs and they always come up without. Folks say that they resent transplanting, but I've never found that to be a problem. Give it a try. Good luck!

I have Papaver somniferum 'Lauren's Grape' seeds coming out of my ears. Message me if you'd like some.

'Lauren's Grape'

tj