I've grown oriental poppies from bare roots, from tiny transplants, from medium-sized transplants, and from seed. They're not always the easiest things to transplant, and I've had the most success either starting from seed (very easy) or buying very small plants that don't yet have big roots. Other than that, they appreciate good drainage (I have sandy soil and they seem to like that), and I believe they like it kind of dry during their summer dormancy. I seldom fertilize (to the detriment of many of my other plants, but the poppies seem fine with this regimen of neglect). They'll even tolerate a little shade. Hope this helps at least a little.

dirtdiver,

thanx for your info. I've just planted out about 36 plants from six packs. i have excellent drainage -- granite composite -- and I planted them in a place where I likely won't fertizlie them. so I'll keep my fingers crossed.

Actually, you make a good point about the size of the plant. most of the plants I've tried have been from established plants. this is the first time I'm trying plants grown from seeds. I think with my holding back on the water and your suggestion that I start with smaller plants, I may have a fighting chance! :-)

thanx again. wishing us both a sprintime covered with fragrant blooms.

I think all poppies are sensitive to transplant because of long tap roots. So, maybe it was simply the larger transplants that caused your problem. Hope it's better this year!

How easy are these from direct-sown seed? My mother-in-law has a nice oriental poppy, and last year, I took a seed pod off of it. I didn't get around to trying to sprout the seeds in a controlled environment, so I just threw them out in a perennial bed in late summer. I have looked for seedlings there, and I'm not seeing any yet -- should I hold out hope that something will sprout?

I've let my oriental poppies go to seed a few times and it seems they sprout during the early summer months. At least that's when I notice them.

i ordered some bare root oriental poppies from a catalog last fall; they were planted probably around late september or october. i have yet to see any signs of life from them this spring... should i be seeing something.... anything.... start to shoot up yet?! i'm afraid they're dead.

Santorini--where do you live?

oh... i'm on the edze of z6, st. louis MO... thanks!

I'm thinking they should have grown quite a bit by now. They are much earlier and more cold tolerant than most perennials. My mother-in-law's oriental poppy is getting very large already.

I also have a question about oriental poppies. I ordered bare roots from a mail order company a while back and just received them. I thought I was going to received them in the fall. Should I plant the roots now or should I keep them in the refrigerator until later? Any advice will be greatly appreciated!

Wow, I had no idea oriental poppies were difficult to grow. I bought some from someone years ago who specialized in poppies locally. I planted them right next to an east facing garage wall, so they got maybe 5 hours of morning sun and no afternoon sun. Since they were on the lee side of the wall, they usually didn't get any water when it rained, unless it was a soaking rain.

They looked fabulous! They multiplied in place to a nice size with numerous blooms, and also popped up in nearby spots. I'd cut the foliage back when it was all dried up, and it would look nice and green as it regrew in the fall. The poppies even survived the grounds crew (I was in a condo then) thinking they were thistles and pulling most of them out, but apparently not their roots.

Anne

I've never tried to transplant Papaver myself, so am unable to speak to that aspect of their culture. But if you think about poppies and the regions to which they are native you will see quickly that the soils and conditions they prefer are, at best, "difficult".

They require FULL SUN, hot and direct. They like marginal soil, not the sort of rich, deeply amended, moist soil most perennnial gardeners strive to achieve! They're TOUGH customers and being too nice to them, makes them lazy...

I've had the best luck with them in soil that is OK, as sharply drained as I'm able to muster on our lot (next to the raised septic system, actually!). This is the same place I plant my Bearded Iris, Caryopteris, Perovskia, and grasses and other plants that prefer sharply drained soils. I will be eliminating the Perovskia this season, however.

Papaver doesn't need a "hand out", crappy soil and benign neglect are what mine like.

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Chelone,
Wow! Those are really pretty. I have a few Oriental poppies that I bought last year from High Country Gardens. They haven't bloomed yet, but the leaves are coming up. What variety is that in your pics?

I THINK it's Victoria Louise, but I'm not sure.

My experience with oriental poppies has been less than exhilarating, of course, I don't exactly have the right kind of yard, what with dense, but rich wet clay & all the amendments to make it workable.

Anyway, bought 2 good sized plants plants, supposedly both red. Planted them in my good rich garden soil. Did okay, but one was orange instead of red, & it took 3 years of growing it to find that out.

Dug up the red (know you're not supposed to move them because of the taproot) but couldn't stay the orange/red color clash. The moved one lived, but took 2 more years to rebloom. The orange one, which I didn't move, promptly died.

Anyway, the red one started blooming well, a dozen or so blooms, and finally a year or so gave me a baby offset. Hasn't bloomed yet, hopefully year 3 will be a winner, but I sure hope it's not orange.

Anyway, after some construction work, I found a place where it was dryer up by the patio near some bushes and a new pathway which cried out for papaver, dry poor soil & lots of sun. Bought 3 Princess Victoria Louise (beautiful picture Chelone!! just what I had in mind) 1 promptly died, other 2 grew slowwwwwly, 1 finally bloomed and it was orange.

Anyway, dug out the orange, planted some white Royal Weddings, since I couldn't locate any more Princess Victoria Louise. They are growing extemely slowwwwwly, like 2 leaves a year. Bought 3 more, this time I could only find Salmon Glow, which won't work with rich pink, so the race is on - the bed will be whatever color blooms first & best and I'll trash the rest.

Anyway, here is another 3rd year plant & it had better bloom, and please no more orange.
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Odd comments. I have found that they are weeds. The first few I rescued from a construction site in late spring, with vertually no soil. Seems as if almost every bit of root started to grow. Small growths flowered the next year. Moved them again that year to a new house. Bloomed a year later.

They do drop very badly after moving - it may be best to move them in fall since they start to grow so early in spring.

My soil does drain quite well.

chelone,

your poppies are gorgeous! I'm a little envious :-)

I did a little experimenting last season -- I planted very well established roots, small plants from six packs and threw out some seeds. I got the best results from seeds and small plants from six packs. Since I had good success from seeds, I'd love to have some of your seeds if you're sharing.

As for poppy culture, I have the culture you describe, but it's still hard for me to grow oriental poppies. I have no problem growing any other poppy -- my breadseed poppies are about three feet tall and the california poppies are the largest and brightest color that I've ever seen them.

Thanx everyone for your input.

Jxa44,

I NEVER save seeds. I don't even know how to do it, lol.. I'll give it a shot if you tell me how. Check your e-mail for something to the effect from me... I'll probably be reduced to "spam" if you aren't alerted. ;)

Leslie, it sounds like you need a new, more trustworthy nursery to buy poppies from! How irritating to find that they're the wrong color after waiting three years.

Also, I'm struck by the fact that almost everyone, in every part of the country, complains about their clay soil. I thought east of the Mississippi you guys had richer, lighter soil. Everyone around here in Utah complains about the soil being clay, but really, it's nothing like the slick clay we had in Sacramento that really seemed like you could make pottery with it. Is clay really that common, or are we prone to exaggerating the difficulties of our soil because we're always out working so hard in our gardens?

Stevation,

Parts of Michigan have very sandy soil. I have friends who are endlessly trying to add organic matter & constantly water so they can grow things.

My first garden near an urban center in Michigan was nice loamy soil. Didn't know how good I had it. House was many years old and the previous owner was a wonderful gardener, probably why the soil was so good.

In my second garden the previous owners turned most of the back yard into gravel. We removed a lot of it, very hard work. Despite all our efforts, the soil was like planting in a sort of scree.

The county in Michigan where we reside now is notorious for its clay soil. It's the pottery type clay, almost dangerous when wet. On top of that during the building process of our home we watched the big trucks of our topsoil leaving the subdivision. All they left us was compacted sub-soil. Our lot is also fairly low lying with all the drainage from both sides coming down to us. One big drain is on our property, the other next door on our side property line. And I'm the one that picked the lot out, wanted to be right in the middle, little did I know...

After my garden was developed along quite well, we decide to fence our property. I can still remember the post hole diggers lying flat on the ground with chests heaving...one of them said "Lady, how do you dig in this stuff?" LOL....very slowwwwly said I.

Leslie,

I just clicked on your profile, and I have to give you a huge applause for the great landscaping you've done at your home! Very, very nice! I especially like how wonderful all those trees, shrubs and ornamental grasses look. You've done a great job blending all those large elements. The photos are inspiring!