What kind of poppies?
that's good info to have.

In my case, I haven't direct sowed Cal poppies, but the re-seeded ones are up. They are not as big as the WS'n ones. I suspect they will be soon. I have noticed that things that pop up thru their own volition are also very hardy. I assume bec. they are the survivors.

They're either orientals or bread poppies. I didn't plant any California poppies.

Volunteers of any kind of plant always seem the hardiest. Trouble is so many of them come up in the "wrong" spot. By that I mean something like 100 nigella per square inch. Often too hard to sepatate and move.

I have a lot of volunteer plants showing up now but they're still too small to ID. I know some are nigella, hoping in another spot they're Laura Bush petunias. I have some larkspur, too, but haven't decided on a spot to transplant them yet. Last year they were so tall they blocked sun to too many things.

I've never direct sown my poppies. But if my WSown ones keep disappearing I might try sprinkling some seeds there, too.

Karen

I'll take a stab and guess. Too me it looks like the direct sown poppies have more room between seedlings vs the crowded wintersown 'hunks' planted out.

I go thru and thin out all my self-sown Larkspur, Nigella, Viola, ect. or else they stay smaller compared to those with some space to grow.

Vera

I got carried away. I WS'd a bunch of seeds of different poppies in one container, if they are successful I should wind up with bouquets of Lauren's Grape, Antique Flemish, Red Peony, Black Peony, and an unknown lavender growing together. I had old seeds so this will be a "whatever".

Mary

Yes, it may be due to crowding, or it may be, as you said, just how they grow in your area.

Token, the large plants you called Cupid's Dart don't look like my Cupid's Dart. This is what mine looks like:
http://www.desert-tropicals.com/Plants/Asteraceae/Catananche_caerulea.html

and the link below

Here is a link that might be useful: Cupid's dart

Stage, I wouldn't doubt it. The seeds came from Park Seeds. They're probably some invasive weed given how fast they've grown. I'll see what it looks like when it blooms.

Few weeks ago I direct sowed California, Shirley and some Lauren's Grape poppies.

Every morning I go out and search the ground to see it they're sprouting.

Well, some are sprouting but even using vermiculite to try and sow more evenly I can already see they got sown and/or took in little clumps. I blew $9. on a tiny pair of scissors in the pharmacy yesterday to use for thinning. This should be a sight...me crouching down with questionable balance trying not to crush other seedlings and attempting to snip tiny poppy seedlings...LOL. Going to end up on my keester in the wet dirt...again.

But I just had to have Poppies at least once!

Token:

Maybe they're pokeweed!! :) Start boiling some water.

Not pokeweed. I have plenty of that in the back that comes up every year. I always try to cut it down before it seeds.

I have my WS ones out now for almost 2 weeks. they don't seem to be getting too much bigger but they are still there.

I tried to DS but nothing showed up yet. I was thinking maybe my thick mulch was to blame. I am hoping some do show up eventually.

Karen

You Down South Folks, what the heck is pokeweed?

This is poke weed. It looks all harmless and all. Really nice purple fruit. Then, bam! The next year, whole yard full of the stuff. The birds will spread that weed like crazy eating the berries. It chokes out oxalis.

token - I direct sowed my poppies this way: I scattered the seeds within the diameter of a plastic, round container that had holes soldered at the bottom. I watered the seeds well, placed the container OVER the seeds and then put a rock on top of the plastic container (preventing it from blowing over in harsh or even slightest winds)....The holes in the container let rain in (but I watered here and there) and also air...

It worked great! When I had germination, I actually kept the lid on for a while, then removed them and let them grow and now they are almost ready to bloom and about seven inches tall (maybe more)....

I did this in the Fall btw - and the seedlings survived the coldest temps we had here.

Carrie

Tom,

Question about direct sowing. How many times a day do you water the seeds prior to germination?

Thanks!

I really didn't water them at all. I sowed them right before it snowed. Once the seeds were wet, they never dried out, I guess. Good soil and little mulch helps. The areas with mulch didn't germinate nearly as well. I may have splashed them from time to time with a hose, but there was never any schedule.

I tried to DS by scattering seeds and nothing has come up yet. I am hoping it is just too early in my zone.

I think I might try Carrie's method next year. that is a good idea.

I also might try it this weekend with veggie seeds directly in the garden. the plastic will help keep the soil warm for me then I don't have to transplant them.

Karen

Last year I direct sowed some poppies in the spring and put the top of a 2L over them. Had good germination. Also had an area which were self seeded from previous year's plants and several ws poppy varieties.

This year I direct sowed poppies in the new iris bed just before the last snowfall. Hoping that works.

Yesterday I had my first ws sprouts of the year, 'Angle's Choir" poppies.

I have DS and WS 'Lauren's grape' from a trade - great germination both ways. The WS sprouted several weeks ago, the DS about a week ago. The seedlings are about the same size with the first set of leaves, a couple WS may have 2nd leaves. I suspect the WS babies might have bigger root systems though.

Does anybody know if winter-sown Cal. Poppies should have sprouted by now in zone 5/6??? I got some 'Mikado' in a trade, and they haven't sprouted yet. These reseed in the garden, but I never WS'd them before.

Hi terrene,

I live in Boston and WS'd california poppies on 3/30 and they are up:

{{gwi:371734}}

The oriental poppies are also up but still a lot smaller and only at the cotyledon stage. Maybe it's colder where you live - they might show up in a few days.

Amna

Thanks Amna - your poppies look great! What color are those? The Mikado is supposed to be a dark orange red. Oh well, I still have 'Linen White' and 'Purple Gleam' hat reseeds along the driveway. They are not up yet either.

I would think the WS ones would have sprouted by now, they've had plenty of moisture and heat.