Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Poppyseeds
WHAT YOU'LL NEED
• 10 ft. 2 (1 m 2 ) of plants
POLLINATION NOTES Poppy can self- and cross-pollinate. The large flowers open early in the morn-
ing and are visited by honeybees, bumblebees, and other insects that practically bathe in them. In this
way, cross-pollination can occur.
GROWING FOR SEED Sow seeds as early as possible (early to mid spring). Either plant in 12 in. (30
cm) rows or broadcast. Seed needs one to two weeks to germinate and can do so at 37°F
(3°C)—“Poppies need cold feet,” they say in South Tyrol, Italy. Starting poppyseeds indoors does not
typically work. Plants thrive in cooler regions, like in the Alps, yielding seeds with higher oil content
than in warmer regions. Since plants grow slowly at first, it is ideal to plant in soil with a minimal
weed seed bank, and the soil must be weeded/harrowed well when plants are young. It is often neces-
sary to thin out plants, as it is easy to oversow its small seeds.
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