How to Start Poppies

Poppies are a colorful perennial flower grown in many gardens for their beauty. Poppy is also famous for its use in the production of opium. It is possible to get varieties of poppy that are legal to grow in your garden. Contact your county extension service for information on which poppies are legal to grow and where you might purchase seeds. Getting poppies started requires hardening the seeds before planting them in the warm soil.

Pot
Stick
Trowel

Instructions

- 1
  Place the poppy seeds in a pot with 1/4 inch of soil over the seeds. Place the pot outside during the winter to harden the seeds. Most poppy varieties will only sprout after being chilled in the winter.
- 2
  Press a stick into the soil to make a small trench.
- 3
  Sprinkle the poppy seeds from your pot thinly along the trench. Cover the seeds with 1/4 inch of soil with a trowel.
- 4
  Water the soil to keep it moist until the seeds germinate.
- 5
  Thin the seedlings once they are 1 1/2 to 2 inches tall so that the plants are spaced six inches apart.

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