Poppies make a wonderful addition to any garden. I don’t know about you, but I really enjoy seeing the poppies dotted in the fields as late spring and early summer approaches. They are quite spectacular. There are a few varieties that you can grow, but in this post about how to grow poppies, I’m referring to the oriental poppy. The oriental poppy is characterised by its long hairy stem which pops out of the ground in late spring.
How To Grow Poppies
There are other varieties you can grow, including the field poppy and the Himalayan poppy, but these require their own special conditions to thrive.
How To Plant Poppies
You are best to find a spot in the garden when you are thinking about how to plant poppies. They don’t tend to do well in pots. That being said, you can plant them almost anywhere in your garden, but ideally, they like soil that will drain well, which gets full sun most of the day. If you are thinking about soil types when you are growing poppies, you don’t need to worry too much, oriental poppies will be happy in any soil type – alkaline, acidic or neutral is fine.
If you are planting poppies, you can do this in springtime. You should dig a hole and then add some blood, fish and bone or similar. Take the poppy plant out of its existing pot and then pop it in the hole. The poppy should be about the same height in the ground as it was in the pot. Water it well for the first couple of days.
Growing Poppies From Seed
You can sow poppy seeds either in spring, early summer or autumn. Make sure you clear the area of weeds and water it well. Most poppy varieties say that you can just scatter the poppy seeds onto the area, and as long as the pesky birds don’t eat all the seeds, you should find they will germinate. But I’ve got pink poppies in my garden and these must be planted, not scattered. So make sure you check your seed packet if you are thinking about growing poppies from seed.
Do Poppies Come Back Every Year?
Generally speaking, most poppies will come back every year. If they are a perennial variety, they will regrow the following year. If they are an annual poppy, you may find they will come back as they will self-seed after they have bloomed. That is a long as you don’t deadhead them and remove the seeds. If you are growing an annual variety that will need sowing rather than scattering, you may find that they need a little help to reseed, but poppies are notorious for self-seeding and spreading, so generally speaking, you should get poppies year after year.
How Long Do Poppies Take To Grow?
If you are wondering how long do poppies take to grow, then I have the answer for you and it is ‘it depends’. Some varieties are quicker-growing than others and will grow and bloom in just two months, others take a little longer. Generally speaking, you are looking at about three months, but if you’ve left it a bit late, you could consider some poppy plants, rather than seeds.
How To Care For Poppies
Now you know how to grow poppies, it’s time to think about how to care for poppies and to be honest, they are pretty low maintenance. If you are growing oriental poppies, they may need staking as they may grow quite sizeable. You should deadhead oriental poppies after the first flowering as this is likely to allow them to flower again.
Hopefully, you’ve found this has given you some helpful hints and tips on growing poppies, so you can think about sowing or planting these beauties in your garden.
Did you grow poppies in your garden this year? I’d love to hear what success you had and what varieties are your favourite. Also if you’ve got any other tips on how to grow poppies successfully.
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