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Poppies

widgetwilk annwidgetwilk ann Posts: 361
in Plants
I have some lovely poppies where I do not want them, when they die down can I dig them up and put them where I want them? or keep the seed heads and sprinkle them where I want the,
confused to know if it is the plant that keeps coming up each year, or just the seeds, or both.
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Posts

  • Hostafan1Hostafan1 Posts: 34,889
    you could try to move them ,but they're not keen on being moved. Seed saving / sowing is the way to go.
    Devon.
  • josusa47josusa47 Posts: 3,530
    Some poppies are annual, some perennial; could you post a photo or two, then we might be able to tell you which you've got?  All of them are prolific self-seeders.  If you want them only to grow in certain places, you need to dead-head them. 
  • debs64debs64 Posts: 5,184
    There are the most gorgeous poppies growing on the green waste area at the allotment can I harvest the seeds? If so at what stage? Any tips as I always struggle with poppies I love them they don’t love me or my garden.
  • widgetwilk annwidgetwilk ann Posts: 361
    As you can see they are in my Astrantia bed, 
  • AnniDAnniD Posts: 12,585
    I also have a poppy question  -  do l have to leave the seed heads on or can l cut them off and leave them in the greenhouse to dry ?
  • nutcutletnutcutlet Posts: 27,445
    Ann, yours are annuals, let them seed to get more. Scatter them where you want them to grow.
    Debs, let the seed ripen and go brown then collect


    In the sticks near Peterborough
  • punkdocpunkdoc Posts: 15,039
    No point in harvesting the seeds until they are ripe. The capsule will go brown, and the seeds will rattle.
    The poppies in the photo are annuals.
    How can you lie there and think of England
    When you don't even know who's in the team

    S.Yorkshire/Derbyshire border
  • fidgetbonesfidgetbones Posts: 17,618
    The poppies in the photo are opium poppies, Papaver somniferum. Sometimes they are single, but there are often double forms looking like pink pompoms. When the gas board dug up my front, I scattered poppy seeds on the scar left behind in the grass. Up came a beautiful display of poppies. I got no seed off of them because dog walkers took every head off while they were still green. They would get no flowers from green seed either. You have to let the seed heads go brown before turning  the head upside down and shaking it into a paper (not plastic) bag. (or use paper envelopes)
     DEbs64, the same applies. They may be any sort of poppy, but you must wait until the seed heads turn brown before gathering seed.
  • widgetwilk annwidgetwilk ann Posts: 361
    OK, so I can save the seeds when brown, in paper bags, then plant them where I want them, when???? and can I dig up the ones I have now and plant somewhere else??
    am sure they were there last year, so it must be the seeds that are here now,
  • debs64debs64 Posts: 5,184
    Thanks nut and fidget really helpful hope they come true as they are the most exquisite shade of lilac. 
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