Removing the first bud, before it opens, produces a plant then then makes six or eight buds; giving a more colourful show of smaller flowers.
If the first sowing does not seem to work, disturb the ground where the seeds were sown and wait another week or so to see if germination is progressing
Sow in the spring into prepared open ground when the air temperature does not dip below 9C. The seeds need light to germinate so do not cover
Breadseed poppies do not transplant well. Best to sow seeds where they are required and then thin out
Common Poppy is tender, so ensure you wait until all danger of frost has passed in your area before considering planting outside.Seedheads are decorative, and contain up to 1000 seeds.
Harvest the seed heads on a dry day just as the holes below the rim begin to open. Tie a paper bag round the heads and hang upside down to dry, collecting the seeds in the bag as they are released.
Seed viability is two years.
These estimates for how long Common Poppy takes to sprout, grow and harvest are from real observations from real gardeners, right around the world.
Average 9 days | Min 1 days | Max 21 days (23)
Average 15 days | Min 7 days | Max 52 days (6)
Average 90 days | Min 90 days | Max 108 days (3)
Oriental poppy
Papaver somniferum L.
Misspellings: Papaver somniflorum, Papaver paeoniflorum