Master Gardener: How to plan for popular poppies

Poppies are quite possibly the most popular wildflower in America and deserve a rightful place in every garden. They offer a surprising range of colors and growth habits. The poppy (Papaver rhoeas L.) is an ancient flowering plant and can be used in a range of landscape situations. Learning how to grow poppies allows you to use their beauty not only to look at but also for attracting pollinators. Planting poppies is simple and rewarding when their blooms appear in early, cooler seasons (usually April).

Poppies come in a multitude of varieties, including annuals, biennials and perennials, such as the poppy Papaver somniferum; the common poppy, Papaver rhoeas and the large flowered herbaceous P. oriental, the Oriental poppy. But there is also the Eschscholzia Californica varieties. Poppy blooms may be single, double or semi double. Their flower colors range from vibrant to subdued - from deep crimson, bright orange and yellow to soft pink, dusty peach, rose, lilac, and cream. Petals can be smooth or textured crepe paper ruffles.

The Oriental poppy (Papaver orientale) has the distinction of being the most popular garden poppy. It produces large orange-red flowers. Its flowers are from 3-4 inches in diameter and have petal with a crepe-paper texture. They flower singly on wiry stems, they are held well-above the foliage. Like most poppies, the Oriental poppy is not suited for extremely hot summers and usually responds by going dormant when warm temperatures arrive. In Missouri, it flowers in the spring and will seemingly disappear from the landscape by July because of the heat.

Poppy seeds need to be cold stratified to germinate. That means they must go through a cold period before germination can take place. Hence the timing of this article. Poppies are not easy to transplant and actually do not fare well if their roots are disturbed, so starting them indoors is not recommended. Directly sow poppies outdoors. Poppies are frost tolerant and germinate best in cool weather and soil. Most gardeners in Mid-Missouri plant poppies the latter part of November and throughout December.

Poppies bloom profusely under cool growing conditions. They are known for self-sowing, sometimes with abandon, and you may find seedlings popping up all around the garden bed. They are not invasive and the seedlings are easy to pull up if they land in unwanted places.

Select a site in full sun, one that receives at least six hours of direct sun daily. Plants might appreciate protective shade at midday. Poppies grow in almost any kind of soil with good drainage. They do not mind a high soil temperature and a minimum supply of moisture in the soil.

Because poppy seeds are so small, mix the seeds with sand to help you distribute the seeds evenly. The light-colored sand will also act as a marker on the soil surface of where you have planted the poppy seeds and where you haven't. Poppies germinate best with some light so do not bury the seeds. Cover them with a very thin layer of fine soil or just press them into the soil. We get enough winter moister in our area that watering is not necessary.

Poppies can grow for years in poor soil. Keep them moderately well watered in hot, dry weather. They are not fond of fertilizers so do not fertilize them.

You will find that once you successfully plant poppies you will see more and more of them year after year. The seed is so small and fine that the slightest breeze can carry it from one part of the garden to the other and another. The silvery leaves and beautiful blooms appear as welcome addition each spring.

Poppies are beautiful in your garden and you may want to bring that beauty indoors, but poppies are not the best for cut flowers. At best, they might last two to three days as a cut flower. Sometimes, they wilt right away. If you would like to use them as a cut flower, consider arranging them with other flowers or greenery to help keep their stems upright.

Just when you thought your outside work was done I've added one more thing to the list. I learned that from my wife.

Happy gardening!

Peter Sutter is a life long gardening enthusiast and a participant in the MU Extension's Callaway County Master Gardener program. Gardening questions can be sent to [email protected].