How to Grow Oriental Poppies from Seed

There isn’t any plant that gets more attention than Oriental Poppies when they’re in bloom. If you plant them near the road people will stop in to ask you what this beautiful flower is and how to grow it. Many gardeners have trouble growing Orientals. They assume they are difficult and only to be grown by the most advanced gardener. This is not true. They are easy once you understand their habits.

Growing from seed is a little bit trickier to grow than your average poppy, but they are not difficult once you understand their conditions. So don’t give up.

Seeding Conditions of Oriental Poppies

In the spring, Oriental poppies will germinate in about 15 days at 55 degrees soil temperature. Be generous when sowing your seeds. Sow a small pinch into each pot. Here’s the tricky part. Do not cover your seed with soil. You have to sow your seeds on the surface, but they need darkness to germinate properly, so you have to cover your pot/flat with a sheet of newspaper until you see germination in about 15 days, then you take the newspaper off, and place your pot/flat in bright light. Make sure you have good air circulation during this time, by keeping a small fan turned on 24/7.

Don’t thin your seedling, because you’ll want a nice size plant for transplanting, and don’t worry, the seedlings will not overcrowd each other. Once they’re ready to be transplanted, gently knock the plant out of the pot and transplant in the garden where it won’t be moved again. Do not disturb roots.

Growing Conditions of Oriental Poppies

Poppies hate root disturbance. The only time an Oriental poppy goes dormant is in late summer (August in zone 6) when it will die down to the ground. It will green up again in the fall. Make sure your poppy is not sitting in an area where the water puddles in the winter. They must be planted where there’s good drainage and full sun. Use sand and lots of organic matter incorporated into your garden soil. Oriental poppies are one of the first plants to break dormancy in the spring. This is the best time to fertilize with a good organic fertilizer.

Collecting Oriental Poppy Seed

Poppies easily cross pollinate. Which means that if you want to collect seeds of a specific color, don’t plant next to a contrasting color. For example, planting light salmon next to a dark orange might get you a dark salmon. If you’re adventurous this could be quite exciting, and you might come up with a new and much sought after combination.

In order to collect seeds you must leave the pods to dry out on the stem. You’ll have to fight the Gold Finches for the seed. This is one of their favorites, so grow enough for yourself and the finches.

Oriental Poppies as a Fresh Cut Flower

Oriental poppies look lovely in flower arrangements. You won’t see them being offered at your local florist, because they’re difficult to ship. This is why the home gardener has a tremendous advantage over commercial growers in showcasing their arrangements. Cut flowers last 4 to 5 days. Gather in advanced bud stage, when petals are well formed, cupped, and ready to unfold. Sear stem ends immediately, holding them in a flame while you count to 15 slowly. Then condition in deep cold water overnight or for at least 8 hours.

If you want to use the pods for dried flower arrangements, collect pods before they dry out on the stem and store them in a dark area with good air circulation.

You see, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t grow your own poppies. So now go and have fun paging through the latest seed catalogs with a renewed confidence.