I don't think they really need winter cold for germination - it's light they seem to need more than anything, hence the "sudden" appearance of poppies in France after WW1. In any case, imagine what happens when they're left alone: the pods develop those little openings around the crown of the seedhead and the seeds themselves are scattered when the wind shakes the dead stems. The seeds fall on the ground and aren't covered over.
'Black poppy seeds' the kind you get on bread are opium poppy, Papaver somniferum, the wild kind you get in fields are Papaver rhoeas or/and Papaver dubium the seeds will last about 60 years in the ground, they don't need winter chilling and will germinate when the conditions are right which is usually any time of year if on disturbed soil. The seeds from Papaver rhoeas aren't usually used for baking since they're so small. The rest of the plant is not edible. By the way, Opium poppies, the kind you put on bread, are normally purple, or at least if you sow a box of seeds you bought for backing they will be purple. You can, of course, buy them in all kinds of colours from a seed merchant.
Hi LF, Some of my best poppies have been the ones that self seeded and germinated in late summer and grew slowly til next spring then had lots of flowers in the following summer. Or you can sow them in spring. as Jim said, it's exposure to light not cold that they need
You can sow in Spring or Autumn, the ones sown in Autumn will flower earlier and will probably be bigger than the spring ones. You could so at both times to get a succession but they go brown quite quickly so only do that if you don’t mind a few brown ones. So decide when you want the best show and when you want to clear them away.
I'm going to sow opium poppies this autumn. I have laready put in a ladybird poppy into my wildflower front garden and fingers crossed it will self seed all over the garden.
There is a plant that produces little yellow flowers that is really good at removing/weakening grass so that you can sow wildflowers. Can't for the life of me remember its name though.
Hi nut, If you cut early next year you won't see it at all. It hates being mown except a very light trim in April. So if you ever did want to get rid of it give the meadow a Chelsea Chop. In the meadows where I walk the dogs they cut it back in, I think, June, it was almost totally absent there this year, where as the year before it had been dominating. You wouldn't know it had ever been there, the grasses will recover. A Chelsea Chop should give the later flowering herbs time to push through again and some won't even notice.
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I don't think they really need winter cold for germination - it's light they seem to need more than anything, hence the "sudden" appearance of poppies in France after WW1. In any case, imagine what happens when they're left alone: the pods develop those little openings around the crown of the seedhead and the seeds themselves are scattered when the wind shakes the dead stems. The seeds fall on the ground and aren't covered over.
I sowed 10 grms seeds of black poppy. i like gardening very much, the flowers of poppy plants are good looking and in red of color.
'Black poppy seeds' the kind you get on bread are opium poppy, Papaver somniferum, the wild kind you get in fields are Papaver rhoeas or/and Papaver dubium the seeds will last about 60 years in the ground, they don't need winter chilling and will germinate when the conditions are right which is usually any time of year if on disturbed soil. The seeds from Papaver rhoeas aren't usually used for baking since they're so small. The rest of the plant is not edible. By the way, Opium poppies, the kind you put on bread, are normally purple, or at least if you sow a box of seeds you bought for backing they will be purple. You can, of course, buy them in all kinds of colours from a seed merchant.
Thanks. So if I want teaditional red poppies for next year then do I have to sow the seeds this year or next?
Hi LF, Some of my best poppies have been the ones that self seeded and germinated in late summer and grew slowly til next spring then had lots of flowers in the following summer. Or you can sow them in spring. as Jim said, it's exposure to light not cold that they need
In the sticks near Peterborough
You can sow in Spring or Autumn, the ones sown in Autumn will flower earlier and will probably be bigger than the spring ones. You could so at both times to get a succession but they go brown quite quickly so only do that if you don’t mind a few brown ones. So decide when you want the best show and when you want to clear them away.
Thanks. I will try and prepare the area (currently poor lawn) and get some seeds sown.
I'm going to sow opium poppies this autumn. I have laready put in a ladybird poppy into my wildflower front garden and fingers crossed it will self seed all over the garden.
There is a plant that produces little yellow flowers that is really good at removing/weakening grass so that you can sow wildflowers. Can't for the life of me remember its name though.
Yellow Rattle, it really works. I'm thinking of restricting it a bit so I don't lose all the best grasses
In the sticks near Peterborough
Hi nut, If you cut early next year you won't see it at all. It hates being mown except a very light trim in April. So if you ever did want to get rid of it give the meadow a Chelsea Chop. In the meadows where I walk the dogs they cut it back in, I think, June, it was almost totally absent there this year, where as the year before it had been dominating. You wouldn't know it had ever been there, the grasses will recover. A Chelsea Chop should give the later flowering herbs time to push through again and some won't even notice.