Hi Jerome,

I too have read and also been told by a local friend that they just do not transplant well. My local friend, who has gardened all of her life, wouldn't share any of the seedlings that were everywhere because she knew they would not survive. As bad as I wanted one or two of them, I didn't press the issue.

do you think they will make it if i carefully dig them up and move them?

Being an optimist, I would think that if you carefully dug them, and took a good bit of soil with them, disturbing the roots as little as possible, that some of them might make it. It certainly wouldn't hurt to try, if they are crowded in an area, but would be welcome in another area. If I was moving them, I would water them really well, until the soil was soggy (muddy) around them, and then try moving some of the smaller ones.

Good luck. Do you know what variety they are?

I wintersowed a couple of different ones and they are still tiny, but certainly hope I can get them planted out later with some degree of success. I look forward to letting some of the seed drop and letting them reseed themselves for years to come.

Sue

The problem with transplanting poppies is that they have a tap root and it can be difficult to get the entire tap root to transplant them.

Now, having said that, the earlier you dig out those seedlings that are growing where you don't want them, the better chance you have of getting the seedling before a tap root can fully form.

Poppy seedlings start out just like any other seedling, with just simple roots and the tap root develops as the seedling matures.
So if you get them early with just the simple roots, you should have no problem.

Sue, WS poppy seedlings do quite well being transplanted.

Couple of suggestions for the transplant. Get them in around mid May, and plant them as HOS, in hunks of seedlings. The stronger ones will survive and nature will cull out the weak ones if there are any in that hunk.

One of the things I've learned in WS poppy seeds is this. Sow them in containers that have no more than 4 inches of soil in them. With a shallow amount of soil, you help to prevent the tap root from forming before they are transplanted. There isn't enough room for it to grow until it gets in the ground. All you will have are seedling roots.

Fran

Thanks Fran. I'm really excited about the poppies...have numerous seeds but planted the perennial ones first. I'm hoping to start some annuals when I can find a little time.

Sue

thanks to all that responded, i'll try some of the methods you all suggested.

I haven't had any luck transplanting poppies that reseeded in the garden. I winter sow them and just take the whole clump, dirt and all, and plant it then thin the seedlings as they grow.

I have had success transplanting very small self seeded poppies. I do them the same as the ws ones, HOS.