edible poppy seed plant POPPY

edible poppy seed plant POPPYThe 3 foot tall plants with blue green foliage carry an abundance of lovely 3 inch, papery blooms in shades of purple, dark pink, and light pink. Some are double and some are single. The seed pods that follow the blooms can be as big as golf balls and provide a bounty of brown poppy seeds for use in baking. 300 seeds PLANTING Papaver somniferum Annual Germination: 7 14 days Germination Temperature: Optimum soil temperatures 55 65F Seed Planting Depth:

The 3 foot tall plants with blue green foliage carry an abundance of lovely 3 inch, papery blooms in shades of purple, dark pink, and light pink. Some are double and some are single. The seed pods that follow the blooms can be as big as golf balls and provide a bounty of brown poppy seeds for use in baking. 

300 seeds

PLANTING

Papaver somniferum

Annual

Germination: 7-14 days

Germination Temperature: Optimum soil temperatures 55-65ºF

Seed Planting Depth: Sow ⅛” deep.

Starting Indoors: Difficult to transplant, not recommended. Roots and stems are fragile. Sowing into individual biodegradable peat/cow pots reduces root damage when transplanting. Sow 2-3 seeds per cell/pot. Transplant a few weeks before last frost. 

Sowing Outdoors: Early spring as soon as the ground can be worked or in the fall. Sow a few seeds every 6-9" or prepare a weed free seed bed and sprinkle down seeds. Thin the seedlings 6-9" apart. Do not start poppies in hot weather. Germination and growth will be poor sow them in late fall to early spring.

Growth Habit: Upright

Height and Width: 30-36” x 18-24”  

Spacing: 6-9” apart

Light Needs: Full sun, part shade in hot climates

Soil Needs: Average, loamy, sandy, well-drained 

Approximate days to flower from seed: 60-70 days, late spring to early summer

Uses: Flower beds, cottage and wildflower gardens, cut flowers, attracts pollinators

Care:  Leave the flowers and pods on to self-seed for the following season. Deadhead flowers and pods if you don't want them to self-seed. Seed pods can be used for dried arrangements or left in the garden for winter appeal.