My matilija poppy is quite tall and gangly. I left au naturale it last year and the branches got very top heavy. Should I be trimming it down somewhat? If so about how much should I trim?
You can trim them when the new growth starts to come back after flowering. It won't hurt them to trim them pretty hard, as they are known to spread quite rapidly. Here is an article for more information: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/flowers/matilija-poppy/matilija-poppy-care.htm
Plant each of these before or after last frost in the spring? Thanks.
In zones 7 and above (you are zone 8) seeds can be sown in autumn, or before the first frost.
Poppy seeds need a cold period for germination.
Here is a link with more information on growing Poppies.
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/flowers/poppy/growing-poppy-flowers.htm
Dry looking foliage at base of poppies despite sufficient rain fall
This is, actually, likely the issue. They are very drought tolerant, and will rot very easily. If your area stays wet, then you may want to consider growing these in container. The heat can also cause this. What is your climate zone? For now, applying wettable sulfur, and dolomitic lime can help condition the soil after a wet period.
I want to send poppys to my daughter so she can grow them, and was wondering could I cut the whole big pod before it flowers and send that to her. and if she put it in the dirt would it grow the next year.Thank you if you can help :) Or should i wait till the flower goes to seed. I sent some seeds before but they didnt grow.
These look like oriental poppies. They are easiest to reproduce by taking a 3" cutting from the underground rhizome while the plant is dormant. It is plump and white so easy to identify. Although poppies are notoriously hard to transplant, I have managed to take a small off-shoot and transplant it. Since poppies need cool weather, ask your daughter to try seeds again. They germinate best at 65 degrees and require loose soil that does not stay wet. Do not cover the seeds as they need light to germinate which takes 10-14 days.
I have beautiful enormous oriental poppies on my hill, 5 years old. I hired a company to trim a tree nearby and the guy totally stomped these huge plants down to the ground. They had finished blooming but I don't know if I should cut back all the damage or depend on the tap root to make them 'all fine' for next season. I'm heartbroken. help? Alexa Conway
I think they will be OK. Only cut them back if leaves turn tan-brown. They may still be able to re-build the root. I have the orange, old-fashioned spreading poppy and even though I pull the leaves right after blooming - the absolutely worst time to remove leaves, the darn thing still comes back and blooms the following year. This "technic" does seem to keep it from spreading all over. Your tap-rooted oriental poppies are better suited to survival.
I collected some seed pods from some wild poppies and need to know what to do with the seeds and when to plant them?
This article will help: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/flowers/poppy/growing-poppy-flowers.htm
brandon armstrong 1934 gary st. klamath falls, OR 97603 brandonLA@mail.com dear sirs, my property has a large backyard. it is high desert so it is not practical to water it and it gets weedy. on the other hand there are several stands of nigh indestructible poppies. orange if you are curious. every year they produce hundreds of those pods. this year i gathered them. whenever i find a particularly noxious weed, when i remove it a place a pod in the resultant hole. will this work? i don't need or want them to sprout this year. i just want them to be ready next summer. i can certainly get as many pods as i can. leave some sealed container outside to dry and freeze over the winter. then start again next year. i am trying to get them to out-compete and replace the weeds. what is the best way to do this? thanks, BA --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hi Brandon, Your description fits California poppy. They will do their own thing, but you can help in the way you have described. Seeding in fall or early spring will be the best.