Poppy – Pandora

It is highly recommended to direct sow poppy seeds because they do not transplant well. Poppy seeds need cold stratification in order to germinate. You can do this by sowing seeds outdoors 4-6 weeks BEFORE your last average frost. Just sprinkle the seeds in the desired area and lightly rake in, making sure not to cover them too much. You can also walk over the area to press the seeds lightly into the soil. Thin them to 6-8″ apart once they sprout in the springtime.

Alternately, you can slightly dampen some clean peat moss, mix the seeds in, and store in a Ziploc bag for 14 days in your refrigerate. Do not add too much water to the peat moss. After 14 days, seeds can be sprinkled outdoors for planting in early spring.

Kept at 55° F, germination is in 10-15 days. Poppies thrive in well-drained, fertile soil.

Poppies prefer cool weather and will die off once the temperatures get high. They also self-sow profusely, so make sure to cut the seed heads off before they open and disperse the seeds.