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Poppin poppies

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Hello!

Thinking about my winter garden and I want to get my poppies jumping this year. Previous attempts have had mediocre results with only a couple of plants making it through to flowering. Everything else is growing ok.

 

 So, here's what I (think I) know, correct me if I'm wrong:

It's about time to sow seeds now. 

They don't like being transplanted.

They seem a bit slow to get going.

Plants sort of lay around on the ground abit until they're halfway grown 

 

Also after any tips on soil type, ferts, watering etc that you've had success with. 

I'm on the mid-north coast NSW, growing on basically beach sand amended with some compost.

 

All tips welcome, this will be my third year trying and want to get it right this time. Thanks

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This is all theoretical advice. Not an encouragement. But the information is out there already anyway...

Sow your poppy seeds when ambient temperature hovers around 15°C. Sprinkle very lightly on top of raked soil, don't cover. Rows are easy to manage. You want to aim for at least 30cm spacing of plants. If more pop up and they get too crowded, thin out before they get too large.

They are weeds. They will grow in the poorest soil imaginable, however nitrogen in the cabbage stage will make for bigger plants, and potassium at flowering encourages blooms. Sowing in autumn will result in bigger healthier plants and faster flowers in spring. Wet weather once petals fall will dilute alkaloids. Sooty mildew and poppies go hand in hand so be prepared. Once poppies have set seed, they will come up everywhere for ever and ever, the seeds spread far and wide.

Seriously this plant is a weed, and the phrase "treat em mean" comes to mind.

 

Now for a lecture. Please be careful. I would hate for anyone to fall onto a slippery slope that can end in misery and tragedy before you realise you're even heading down. Not to mention this is a prohibited plant to begin with. It ain't no joke.

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Thanks Glaukus, just the information I was after. 

Just to be clear, these are being grown for flowers (mixed colour seed from big W) 

Cheers

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18 hours ago, Glaukus said:

. They will grow in the poorest soil imaginable

not true, they are hungry.

 

my tip is to either use sterilized soil and replant,

or to solarize your poppy area!

you poster's live where it's easy,

but at other locations,

damping off, will be an issue!

 

Edited by withdrawl clinic
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1 hour ago, withdrawl clinic said:

not true, they are hungry.

 

my tip is to either use sterilized soil and replant,

or to solarize your poppy area!

you poster's live where it's easy,

but at other locations,

damping off, will be an issue!

 

I see them growing in pure gravel, on the sides of roads...they will grow anywhere. Not to say they won't appreciate some nutrients.

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I can see I'm not going to win any arguments here! Just my personal experience. Take it or leave it!

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On 22/03/2019 at 8:57 PM, Glaukus said:

This is all theoretical advice. Not an encouragement. But the information is out there already anyway...

Sow your poppy seeds when ambient temperature hovers around 15°C. Sprinkle very lightly on top of raked soil, don't cover. Rows are easy to manage. You want to aim for at least 30cm spacing of plants. If more pop up and they get too crowded, thin out before they get too large.

They are weeds. They will grow in the poorest soil imaginable, however nitrogen in the cabbage stage will make for bigger plants, and potassium at flowering encourages blooms. Sowing in autumn will result in bigger healthier plants and faster flowers in spring. Wet weather once petals fall will dilute alkaloids. Sooty mildew and poppies go hand in hand so be prepared. Once poppies have set seed, they will come up everywhere for ever and ever, the seeds spread far and wide.

Seriously this plant is a weed, and the phrase "treat em mean" comes to mind.

 

Now for a lecture. Please be careful. I would hate for anyone to fall onto a slippery slope that can end in misery and tragedy before you realise you're even heading down. Not to mention this is a prohibited plant to begin with. It ain't no joke.

most of this is very good info,  I would wait a month  in northern nsw to sow, the temps are to high.  just sprinkle the seed on the surface, keep moist until they sprout and then back the water off. they grow really well amongst the cactus.   they do like a fed during the young stage but they happy to grow without it. po ash is perfect once they flower. 

I think planthelpers climate would be very tricky to grow this species. 

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18 hours ago, motherfirefly said:

most of this is very good info,  I would wait a month  in northern nsw to sow, the temps are to high.  just sprinkle the seed on the surface, keep moist until they sprout and then back the water off. they grow really well amongst the cactus.   they do like a fed during the young stage but they happy to grow without it. po ash is perfect once they flower. 

I think planthelpers climate would be very tricky to grow this species. 

my current climate does not matter,

 I have grown all over the world.

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Make a perfect seed bed over nicely cultivated soil.  Well raked to a fine tilth, free of stone, loose organics. 

 

Slug control before all else if there are refuges.... They are magnets

 

Lightly feed the cabbage (to much invites mildew) , change ferts when they get to "hook" stage. 

 

If mildew sets its time to rotate out the paddock for a long time.  The new virulent downy mildew is soil persistent AF and easily moved about by seed. Which is well worth noting. 

 

Overcrowding promotes mildew, and poor root development. Which is what they are all about at first. 

 

Notes from the broad acre guys. 

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grow in rows for ease of moving around them - unless you feel like filling up a paddock or two  :P because you love the poppy strudel so much - i know i do mmmmmmmmmmm.

THIN EM OUT when they pop...... i know for some people this is a hard thing to do but it IS A MUST

as for ferts -  yes they respond well to N early on but they do grow really well just in plain ol shitty soil....maybe it's because some strains are just more happy with feeding whilst others don't care :huh:

also, since they are such a small seed, fill a jar with sand, add pooppy seeds. screw lid back on. punch a hole in the lid for the seed/sand mix to ooze out of and pour along your furrows- this spreads out your seeds more evenly instead of having 100 seeds clumping up together in one pile plus makes the thinning out process a whole lot easier.

keep the water up on em in the early stages if you live in a drier zone but later on just let em do their own thing.

also they can grow in pots - i've seen them grow quite wonderfully in a 28l pot filling up the stem with multiple golf ball size pods.

Besides a cactus flower , poppies are prolly my all time fave flowers when they are in bloom.

 

Just one thing I've noticed though - when the flowers open and the bees find them, they get quite angry if you go anywhere near them whilst they are frolicking around  rolling and rubbing them selves up against the pollen

haha

 

 

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Once petals have fallen, wait for the crowns to point upwards, then you can start giving the pods a squeeze. If they are reasonably firm, they're probably in the stage where they are ready to Lance (in countries where that is the practice). However, seeds wont be developed at this stage. You really need to let them mature and dry until the pods open up just under the crown. Then they turn into little seeds shakers that spread seeds everywhere when the wind blows them. You can give pods a shake before they actually open up. If you hear them rattle like a snake then the seeds are probably ready. Shake out seeds into a container for sprinkling on top of your bagels and cakes.

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another issue, besides mildew,:huh:

is damping off,

and this problem starts at the seedling stage already. :(

 

in the tropics people prefer to plant in sterile soil,

and than plant out, even without shock.

 

if not using good potting mix, 4 starters,

clear the open ground ( your wettest most rich soil!:wub:)

and let the sun solarize your soil.:worship:

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