China White Poppies and Texas---GRRRRR!!!

[alicesamanita]

I planted my poppies so long ago,but this drought is f-ing insane!!!!! I water as much as I am allowed because of the water restrictions,but no luck. The mushroom bed is shriveled, but other things i planted forever ago that should have bloomed in the spring and early summer are blooming now!!! I just moved here christmas day---which was warm here! It never even got below 63 here...(kinda missed the snow)--Anyway---should i expect the poppies to grow here when the rain comes in the fall? I saw that my neighbors' poppies just started growing (she is not following the water restriction...i just didnt know what to expect here---
Any thoughts?

[Embrace]

Not to sure about the poppies.Its kind of a late in the season.Does not seem like they would have the time to mature.I guess it depends were you live.

[opiatoker]

poppies do not require a lot of water. as a matter of fact, too much water will kill it, or make it very very weak. they do not like hot weather but do like sunlight. you can force it to flower if you don't think it's going to make it. that way you can at least get something out of it before it dies. and when it flowers is when you are supposed to completely cut it off from water anyways.

if you want to force it to flower, cut the ammount of light it gets back to no more than 12 hrs a day. i have read that you can actually force it to flower with allowing it less than an hour of sunlight per day. they are crazy plants, and are easily tricked.

[FatDubCat]

Originally Posted by alicesamanita

I planted my poppies so long ago,but this drought is f-ing insane!!!!! I water as much as I am allowed because of the water restrictions,but no luck. The mushroom bed is shriveled, but other things i planted forever ago that should have bloomed in the spring and early summer are blooming now!!! I just moved here christmas day---which was warm here! It never even got below 63 here...(kinda missed the snow)--Anyway---should i expect the poppies to grow here when the rain comes in the fall? I saw that my neighbors' poppies just started growing (she is not following the water restriction...i just didnt know what to expect here---
Any thoughts?

they will grow and produce pods in the rain. they might get stem rot also. Just do your best and learn from this experience. Plant some seeds during the last months off winter for a sweet spring crop, seed to pod is 3-5 months. If your trying to grow for pods its better to just buy them, unless you can grow thousands of poppies out at once. Got any pics of your plants?

I can send you some taz seeds if you want, just pm me.

Originally Posted by opiatoker

poppies do not require a lot of water. as a matter of fact, too much water will kill it, or make it very very weak. they do not like hot weather but do like sunlight. you can force it to flower if you don't think it's going to make it. that way you can at least get something out of it before it dies. and when it flowers is when you are supposed to completely cut it off from water anyways.



if you want to force it to flower, cut the ammount of light it gets back to no more than 12 hrs a day. i have read that you can actually force it to flower with allowing it less than an hour of sunlight per day. they are crazy plants, and are easily tricked.

good advice, thanks doode

[wendal]

Papaver somniferum flowers during the longest days of summer. Mid July.

Not at 12/12.

[JustDH]

^ Tis true, it works of the exact reverse light cycle of another favorite plant to grow. Which means if you have an indoor garden you just put your poppies in the flower room to veg and in the veg room to flower. Around 20 hours is what I've found to properly induce flowering. If you are burning the watts, make use of them...

[opiatoker]

i appologize, i was backwards. 16+ hours induces flowering. 9and under does the opposite. must have had a brain lapse when reading the article.

[Frequency]

Originally Posted by opiatoker

i appologize, i was backwards. 16+ hours induces flowering. 9and under does the opposite. must have had a brain lapse when reading the article.

Are you sure the seeds you used were viable for growing?

[opiatoker]

Originally Posted by Frequency

Are you sure the seeds you used were viable for growing?

the quote was mine, but is the question meant for me? i have never even tried to germinate any seeds, not poppy seeds anyway. but i have heard they are fairly easy to germinate even the ones you buy in the store. but you know.... poppy seeds aren't illegal. so my offering to send some to the OP or anyone else reading this. i've got 11oz of great seeds from some quality pods i am willing to send to anyone who wants quality seeds. due to the fact the more it weighs the more they charge for shipping, i'm willing to ship out a handfull to who ever wants them. my only requirement is i'd love to know how they turn out!! if i wasn't living here, i'd definitely try to grow some, even if only a couple in pots, just to say i did. but yeah, ive got a huge ziplock bag halfway full just begging to be planted.


oh yeah, just to clarify, i am not trying to sell seeds. they are free to a good home, or homes.

[Mushrooms201]

Very cool of you to be so generous.

[Frequency]

Originally Posted by opiatoker

the quote was mine, but is the question meant for me? i have never even tried to germinate any seeds, not poppy seeds anyway.

My bad! I thought that statement was made by the OP. Nice gift offering Opia!

[greenmeanie]

i also have a large crop of p. somni seeds that i would love to share with other mycotopians. these are not gigantheum or hens and chicks, but the plants are very vigorous growers in my PNW garden. high germination rate, fresh seeds from this year's harvest. plants are still producing blooms right now. fringed petals are pink with a purple spot at the center, avg pod size 2 cm diameter. in good conditions (ie neglect), i get up to 12 blooms per plant.

pm me if you want an envelope of seeds, and i'd love to trade people with other varieties.

[alicesamanita]

Originally Posted by Frequency

Are you sure the seeds you used were viable for growing?

Yes,they were viable. i just assumed since we went months with less than 2 inches of rain that perhaps that was why they wouldnt grow.
Maybe after they winter over--which isnt cold at all here in Tx, they will grow!
Thanks a lot everyone!
Aside from being gorgeous,i wanted to dry them and make wreaths and what not---they were viable--- Thanks for the advice and i will take seeds and if they grow,will make my helpers a wreath as a thank you present!
Blessed be!

[dreadydavo]

Hey there! It does get cold here in Texas, we have AT LEAST.....4 or 5 cold days each year!

[alicesamanita]

Originally Posted by dreadydavo

Hey there! It does get cold here in Texas, we have AT LEAST.....4 or 5 cold days each year!

Hahahaha!!!! I got here on Christmas day and was like WTF!!!!!??? I am from the coldest depths of Pennsylvania.....so....NOT so much! when i first got here friends were staying at my house for like two weeks--i had the windows open and the heat off---they were constantly trying to turn on the heat and shut the windows!!! I told them they were pansies---its like 65 degrees in here! Big change from negative 20 with windchill factor!
Hahahahaha!

[opiatoker]

Originally Posted by alicesamanita

Hahahaha!!!! I got here on Christmas day and was like WTF!!!!!??? I am from the coldest depths of Pennsylvania.....so....NOT so much! when i first got here friends were staying at my house for like two weeks--i had the windows open and the heat off---they were constantly trying to turn on the heat and shut the windows!!! I told them they were pansies---its like 65 degrees in here! Big change from negative 20 with windchill factor!
Hahahahaha!

hahaha!!! i'm back in cali noww, but when i was 16 i moved to seattle from here right in the middle of summer. it was averaging 100 here, then got to seattle where the hot days were like 70 and everyone was wearing shorts and it took me weeks to not be wearing a jacket. everyone thought i was nuts. then like 5 yrs later i came back here for a visit... during summer.... i almost died. (not literally, but it felt like it)