How to Grow Iceland Poppies in Containers

Iceland poppies -- which have the botanical name Papaver nudicaule -- have longer stems than other poppy varieties. The flower blooms appear in late August or September and have papery petals in colors of orange, red, yellow, pink and white. The plants also bloom in the spring if you live in a mild climate where they survive the winter. While Iceland poppies grow well in the ground, you can also plant them in containers.

Planter
Potting soil
Pitcher
Liquid plant fertilizer
Spoon

Instructions

- 1
  Locate a planter that has a hole in the bottom for drainage and set it in a location that receives full sunlight.
- 2
  Fill the planter with a sterile bagged potting soil until it is 1 inch from the top rim.
- 3
  Rake the soil back from the center of the planter using your hands until there is a 1- to 2-inch deep depression. Insert one Iceland poppy plant into the depression. Cover the roots of the poppy with soil until you can no longer see them.
- 4
  Plant additional Iceland poppy plants in the same manner, spacing them approximately 1 inch apart. Poppies grow well even when crowded, so it’s fine if the roots touch.
- 5
  Fill a pitcher with a liquid fertilizer and add water to dilute it to the amount recommended on the fertilizer bottle. Stir the mixture using a spoon and then pour it slowly into the soil at the top of the pot. Repeat the fertilizer application once per month while the flowers are in bloom.
- 6
  Water the pots once or twice per week or as needed to keep the soil constantly moist but not soggy.
- 7
  Monitor the Iceland poppy flowers regularly for the development of a seed head, which looks like a furry round ball in the top center of the stem. Pull the seed heads off as soon as they develop to prolong blooming.

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