Things Needed
Oriental poppies ( Papaver orientale ) are recurrent growing plants that flower from late leap to other summertime . Most of Ohio fall in the U.S. Department of Agriculture ( USDA ) planting zones 5 and 6 . Oriental poppy will grow in USDA zones 3 to 8 , which makes them a beautiful summation to any Ohio garden . Plan on starting oriental poppy seed indoors about five to six weeks before spring .
Planting Oriental Poppy Seeds
Step 1
fulfil up 4 - in wide peat weed to 1/2 inch from the top with seed - raising admixture . Mist the source - lift mix with water to thoroughly muffle it down .
Step 2
Put the 4 - column inch pots on a ceramic plate or in a shallow charge plate container .
Step 3
position two to three oriental poppy seminal fluid on the airfoil of the seed - raising mix in each of the 4 - in peat pots .
Step 4
push the oriental poppy seeds into the seed - raising mix using the eraser destruction of a pencil , the back of a metal spoon or your fingertips .
Step 5
splash over the top of the oriental poppy seeds a shallow layer of seed - nurture premix , around 1/8 of an inch . Then spray a o.k. mist of water over the surface of the soil .
Step 6
Set the plate or tray of peat potful where the temperature is around 55 to 60 degrees . Direct sunshine should be avoid , but assay and furnish eight to 10 hours of filtered light daily . Keep the grease in the peat pots moist by spritzing with water as needed . Germination will begin in about seven to 10 years .
Step 7
Transplant the oriental poppy seedling . After they are about 2 inches improbable and there is no more frost in your originate area , you could plant the poppy seedlings outside . For southerly Ohio , transplant after the second workweek of May ; northerly Ohio , after the first week of June ; and for central Ohio , after the third week of May .
Transplanting Oriental Poppies
Dig up the surface area for the oriental poppy with a digger down to a depth of 10 to 12 column inch . For areas of central Ohio that are known for having heavy clay territory , meliorate it to aid meliorate drain . Spread out a 2- to 3 - inch layer of compost over the planting area , and mix it into the soil thoroughly using a spadeful , rototiller or garden fork .
Level and smooth out the planting country using a metal pitch .
Dig planting holes with a garden trowel that are the same breadth and depth of each peat pile . Space each planting hole 10 to 12 in apart .
rob the peat pots in piddle for about 30 minutes to yield them up . With scissors , turn out off the top segment of each peat pot down to the soil line to eliminate any piss loss .
Place a seedling into a planting mess . Scoop soil in and around the oriental poppy seedling to fill the muddle . Then , tamp the ground down firmly around each seedling .
Water the poppies during the summertime only if there is no rainfall . Otherwise , pee once a week and countenance the grime dry out out in between lachrymation .
Tip
concord to Michigan State University Extension , works oriental poppies in full sun and furnish honest - debilitate territory . After the first frost , spread a 4- to 6 - column inch stratum of pine bark , straw , grass clipping or similar for mulch over the oriental poppy .
