This is a repost of a piece by white buffalo trading company on eBay. They have given permission to distribute freely. Original can be found at http://www.ebay.ca/itm/1-3-10-grams-Turkish-Blue-Afghan-Poppy-Seeds-USDA-organic-Papaver-somniferum-L-/251058216451?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&var=&hash=item8016cf105f for as long as they allow it to be there. Although they refer to "bread seeds," these instructions are suitable for every type of poppy seed.
How to
Grow "Exotic Traditional" Poppies, Papaver somniferum:
Annual flower with blue to purple-blue flowers. Has a 90-120-day life cycle in all seasons. Full sun, rich soil preferred. Direct sow, or toss, seeds in early spring to mid summer on top of loosened soil. Plant more seeds every two to four weeks for continuous flowers in any garden area. No need to cover the tiny seeds as they will fall into the smallest cracks in the soil, but if you do, use a thin layer of sand and/or perlite. Can be sown in summer or fall as well as spring. Likes both cool weather and warm weather and will cycle and die at all times of the year. More affected by its pre-programmed genetic life cycle than frost or drought. Do not transplant seedlings if possible or they will often suffer or die from root transplant shock. If you need to transplant, start the seeds in peat pots and transplant before its very sensitive roots emerge from the pot. Protect young plants from sow bugs, snails and slugs. Keep watered until the somniferum poppy seeds sprout.
The trickiest part is next, between the first sprout and the first set of true leaves. At this time they are vulnerable to damping off, or stem mold, as well as the aforementioned pests. Let top of soil dry between watering, providing air movement to indoor plants. Bottom water if possible, but avoid damp stems on the little buggers. Pamper through this stage. Once they are established, thin out to give about one cubic foot of total space for optimum flower production. Can be grown indoors in a deep flower pot with a drip saucer. If you grow French-Intensive biodynamic like I do, then you can naturally grow much denser in richer soil and space plants at six inches. See the classic garden bible How to Grow More Vegetables by my local icon John Jeavons for more information on this method of gardening. Hard to identify poppies as "Exotic traditional" poppy before the classic pods form, unless you are a trained botanist. During the month of growing their notorious flower pods, however, they are quite distinctive and unique. Can be grown indoors with your other sensitive plants.
The "exotic traditional" poppy typically blooms in 90 days (although I had my red variety flower in only four weeks); flowering lasts only about a month at most. Total growth cycle is 120 days and then they die and hope their seeds will immediately re-sprout into a new set of annuals. Plants are very hardy once established and will tolerate frost and drought and other poor conditions, but production suffers. Exotic traditional poppies will grow in many harsh environments, such as the rocky fields of
Harvesting bread seeds: Flowering does not last long. Once finished, the beautiful but notorious poppy pods will develop from the pollinated flowers (a favorite flower of my local carpenter bees). You can cut the pods off the plant after they start to open holes in the pods. Once the pod seeds are mature, the top of the pod will open little holes like a natural salt shaker, and when the wind blows, small seeds will be flipped out of the top of the pod as if shaken out like salt. Better to save the seed and replant in Spring. You can cut the pods off the plants and put them upside down into a glass jar and the seeds continued to fall out for months. They can be stored in glass or plastic, eaten, or planted next year. Pods are sold in flower shops and online. Feel free to distribute these instructions with my blessings to the world.
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