How to Grow Shirley Poppies

Shirley poppies (Papaver rhoeas) hold a place in the heart of many gardeners for their fleeting display of large, showy flowers in the early summer. The flowers appear atop hairy, 2-foot tall stems and measure 3 to 4 inches across with four or five delicate, papery petals in shades of red, pink and white. Gardeners in cooler climates have the best luck growing Shirley poppies since the plants dislike heat and humidity. They will grow in warmer climates if the seeds are sown in autumn and kept moist during the winter months.

Rotary tiller
Compost
Fine sand
Oscillating sprinkler
Pruning shears

Instructions

- 1
  Break up the soil in a sunny, draining bed using a rotary tiller. Till the soil to a depth of 6 inches. Remove stones, sticks or other debris from the bed.
- 2
  Amend the soil with a 3-inch thick layer of compost. Work the compost into the bed using the rotary tiller until the soil is loose and friable.
- 3
  Mixing the Shirley poppy seeds with fine sand helps distribute them more evenly. Mix at a ratio of 1 tbsp. seed to 3 tbsp. fine sand.
- 4
  Sprinkle the seed-and-sand mixture across the bed's surface. Spread the seeds one small pinch at a time until the entire bed is covered.
- 5
  Water the Shirley poppy seeds using an oscillating sprinkler. Run the sprinkler at the edge of the bed for five to 10 minutes or until the soil is moist at a depth of 2 inches.
- 6
  Water the seeds every five days after sowing. Maintain moisture at a depth of 2 inches at all times during and after germination.
- 7
  Watch for germination in 10 to 15 days. Blooming occurs in March in warmer climates but as late as July in cooler climates.
- 8
  Deadheading the flowers as the season progress encourages a longer blooming period. Snip off the spent poppies just beneath the flower's base using pruning shears.

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