Growing Poppies

Poppy flowers grow in flower beds all over the world. In the early 1900s poppies were thought of as common weeds that popped up in the cornfields, but today poppies come in a large variety of colors and types. Poppy flowers grow with incredible ease, but their blooms do not last for long. Anyone about to plant poppies in her garden should plant accordingly for the shortness of the blooms.

Sowing the Seeds

Planting poppy seeds takes no hard work at all. Seeds meant to grow outside have no need for the soil to cover them. Sprinkle the seeds on top of the soil in the desired area and they will start to grow. Poppy flowers like a lot of sun with a little shade. Remember this when planting them in the garden.

Seed pods work great for poppy seeds grown inside. Each seed pod should only contain one plant, so the plant has enough room to grow. If a number of seeds sprout in the same pod then simply remove the weaker plants. Indoor plants should be started two weeks before the last frost of the season. Once warm weather has set in then the plants can be transplanted to the garden. Spread the poppies out with four to ten inches between each plant.

Watering

Poppies, like other plants, need water to grow, but be careful not to over water them. Poppy flowers can withstand drought-like conditions. They do not like a lot of water and the soil should be kept just slightly moist for the best growth. Poppies may not need water for a while after a lot of rain fall.

Planting a Variety of Flowers

Poppies only bloom for a few days out of the year. While in full bloom they can make any flower bed look full of color, but once the blooms are gone the garden can look bare. For this reason, other plants should be planted around them to fill in the bare spots. Annual poppies, like the Corn Poppy (Papaver rhoeas) and the Oriental Poppy (Papaver orientale), that only grow for one season have shorter lasting blooms. Perennial poppies, such as the California Poppy (Eschsholzia califorilica), will grow year after year and have longer lasting blooms.

Warnings About Poppies

Many poppy flowers will not withstand heavy winds or rains. For areas that have occasional heavy winds then putting up a garden wall to protect the flowers is advised. There are some poppy flowers, such as the Oriental Poppy, that can hold up during slightly harsher weather.

The Opium Poppy should not be grown in the flower bed, as it is illegal. To avoid mistakenly planting this plant buy seeds and seedlings from local gardening stores and nurseries.