Seeds - Poppies
The poppy. Its delicate, bright red petals "clap" softly against each other in the wind, which is why this red beauty is also known in German as "Klatschmohn" (clapping poppy). Another, perhaps even more fitting name is fire poppy, as the glowing blossoms sway back and forth in the wind like the flames of a fire. Found from May onwards in wild flower meadows, arable land, and fields, the poppy resembles little fireballs and makes it unmistakably clear: summer is finally here!
Properties
| Plant information | |
|---|---|
| Blooms from May to September | |
| Low feeder | |
| Papaver Rhoeas | |
| 70cm | |
| Annual | |
| Red | |
| For beautifying gardens, balconies, or surroundings | |
Planting instructions on the envelope
The poppy loves the sun. It will not thrive in a location that is too shady. The soil should be loamy, calcareous, and permeable. It does not tolerate waterlogging. When sowing, the seeds should always be kept slightly moist. Otherwise, the watering can only needs to be used right after germination or on very hot summer days. It reaches a height of 20 - 90 cm.
Detailed planting instructions: Poppies
No one can object to a beautiful, vibrant red, right? A look into the garden—back there, cornflowers cast their deep blue over the lush green; a few meters further, marigolds in glorious yellow promise the abundance of early summer; on the meadow, daisies bloom here and there, scattered and in small groups, in white with the most delicate pink edge you could ever imagine. Who would object to some great poppies expanding the color spectrum with their rich red? Don't be afraid to grow them yourself; there is really nothing that can go wrong.
Poppies don't need much
Poppies are very undemanding; after all, they thrive in the wild and are always a true delight to the eyes. However, if you want to give the poppies a good start into their—unfortunately only annual—life, you can ensure the location is in full sun. Poppies also like permeable soil; it would be perfect if this soil is not excessively rich in nutrients. This, i.e., nutrient-rich soil, has unpleasant consequences for the flowers.
The plant literally sucks up the nutrients like an unsupervised toddler devouring a plate full of cookies. The poppy grows too tall and often collapses under the weight of its own blossom. For the care of the plant, this means, of course, that you should not use any fertilizer. The same principle applies to water: poppies do not need much of it. They take it as it comes; they are used to that naturally. But if you water regularly anyway, which you most likely do, you don't have to avoid the poppies on purpose. But until then, you have to nurture the poppies—read now how best to do that.
Store the seeds in a cool and dry place
If you have seeds, it is important to store them protected. Protected in this case means that the location should be cool and dry. In early spring, at the end of March, you can already consider sowing (this period lasts two months). Try to ensure that no other wildflowers are nearby, as they are dominant and usually prevail over poppies, at least in the long run. But that is not really a problem, as you can simply sow poppies again the next spring.
When sowing, you can distribute the seeds nicely over the bed if you want more red spots—or you can sow many seeds in a smaller area and thus obtain a dense red poppy grouping. Just as you like. Once the seedlings are in the ground, there are actually no more rules; now you just need patience. The earlier you sowed the poppies, the earlier they will bloom; as a rule, this is the case around May. The flowering period of the roughly 70-centimeter-high plants lasts until July.
Outsmarting bad weather
If a cool and windy summer is on the horizon and you risk not getting much out of the poppies, you can, of course, bring the flowers indoors. They bloom for quite a while if you cut them while the flower buds are still closed. Hold the cut end under hot water for a few moments, which makes the poppy last a little longer in a vase. A mixed summer bouquet from your own garden is also lovely if Mother Nature isn't playing along in the summer again.
