Cheese Plant Books

There are several different types of poppies, but the way to grow them is the same – SIMPLE. 

Poppies can be grown from seeds in spring (late March onwards) or in autumn (August through to October). I prefer autumn sowing as they produce a bumper crop next spring. They can be sown indoors (for a higher success rate) or outdoors, as per nature. But whether you sow in autumn or spring, indoors or outdoors, poppies do best in a sunny spot. They love the sun! 

For outdoor sowing

1. Mix the seeds with three tablespoons of compost. Remove the weeds from the area. Rake the mixture firmly into the ground so that birds don’t feast on your seeds and cover with more compost. Then walk on the spot to ensure that the seeds are in contact with the surface! 
2. Keep the soil well-watered on dry spells.

For indoor sowing

1. Place your container in a sunny spot. Fill it with soil.
2. Add your poppy seed-compost mix to the surface and press firmly into the soil.
3. You may wish to cover with a cling film which will keep the environment in the pot moist to favour germination.

Photo below: after two weeks, sown outdoors in July (terracotta pot, covered with cling film for the first two weeks).

The following year, when your poppies have finished flowering, collect the seeds from the browned, dried pods.

Photo: my dad and I collecting poppy seeds from his garden

Sow these seeds for the future, give them away to spread the beauty, or plant them in an unloved piece of land. However you choose to use the seeds, what you do is important. Bumblebees and smaller pollinating insects love poppies. Beetles and birds will forage among the stems.

Photo: poppies growing wild in Norfolk.