Giant Poppies

I have some giant poppies in the garden which have now come to the en of their flowering. My questions are as follows:

When do I take the big seed pods off?

Do I plant the seed pod as a whole or open the seed pod and plant the individual seeds?

When do I plant the seeds?

Some are brown some are not. Do I hve to let them all go brown?

Questions questions lol. I've attached a pic to show you what they look like now.

 

Oooooh! Oooooh! One I can answer cos it was in the last issue of Gardeners' World!

According to GW, when little holes open near the top of the pod you should put a paper bag or similar over the pod, turn it upside down and cut the whole thing off. Label the bag and store in a cool dark place etc etc.

When you come to sow the seed, the pod is emptied/discarded and you sprinkle the seeds themselves.

That said, I've got some seeds in an envelope minus their pods so I'm hoping they'll store okay like that. Fingers crossed! I labelled my envelope as sowing from Feb-May and that they need frost to germinate. Must have read it somewhere!

 

Thanks for the response @Anzia .
Yes the little holes are open now. If I turn it upside down all the seeds will fall out of the pod? Is that ok.

 

Youve got the beginnings of a highly lucrative opium field there.

 

I think so @Mania28. I just tipped the seeds straight into a piece of paper and wrapped them up into my pocket and then into an envelope when I got home - probably not recommended! But I'm sure shaking them directly into an envelope or paper bag would be okay.

 

I tip the seeds into an envelobe if I'm giving then awaY. for my own use I pick a couple of dry seed heads that rattle and just shake them over those areas where I want poppies next year. Then thin them out when they start to grow next spring.

 

Thanks for the responses guys. I'll get out in the garden and take all the pods off, put then in a brown bag and store in my electric cupboard which is at a constant temperature and always dark. I'll then start to plant them in February next year.
You said they need frost to germinate? Should I plant them in December then?

 

Lol @WeeTam I did think that too.

 

Hi @Mania28, you should still get frosts in Feb unless you're somewhere really warm (I'm using TapaTalk so can't see your profile info). My last frost date is 1st May. So you should be fine sowing in Feb

 

I live on Birmingham.

 

You won't need all the pods Mania28, there are hundreds of seeds in each one.

 

I'm only just up the road from you then - about 35 mins away near Burton

 

I was thinking there's a lot of seeds. If anyone wants some they're more than welcome.
Here is a pic of what they looked liked when they were out. There were loads of them too and they flowered for a couple of months.
Yeah that's not too far Anzia.

 

Hi Mania,

One thing you should be aware of is that you won't necessarily get that particular colour again next year. Opium Poppies are very variable in colour from seed when they are grown near to others.

You're near to me as well then, I'm in Kidderminster.

 

Hi Mania,

One thing you should be aware of is that you won't necessarily get that particular colour again next year. Opium Poppies are very variable in colour from seed when they are grown near to others.

You're near to me as well then, I'm in Kidderminster.