Planting and caring for poppy seeds in the open field: watering, pruning, mulching, fertilizing
So that planting and caring for poppies in the open field does not bring difficulties, simple rules should be followed. If the growing conditions are correct and systematic care is taken, then very soon your garden will sparkle with bright colors of the flowers of this amazing plant.
Oriental poppy: characteristics and types
The culture belongs to the well-known Poppy family, it is considered a herbaceous plant. Today, there are more than a hundred species in nature, and most of them are found in the regions of our country.
The plant has a milky sap, and it is not for nothing that the name of the genus to which the poppy belongs is translated from Greek as "milk".
Let's get acquainted with the popular varieties of oriental poppy.
Poppy East Perris White
This variety is distinguished by white petals with black dots at the base. Bright red flowers are rare. The plant reaches a height of about one meter. The leaves grow quite large at the base, but the closer to the flower, the smaller they are. The diameter of the buds is from 17 to 19 cm. The first flowers appear at the end of May. This process can be observed for two weeks. At the end of flowering, small seed pods appear. After ripening, the grains spill out on their own. If the weather is warm, then the poppy can bloom twice a year - in spring and autumn.
Poppy East Garden Glory
The appearance of this flower is mesmerizing: it is distinguished by double or ribbed pink petals. Plant height ranges from 70 to 90 cm.
Poppy oriental diamond
Flowers of this species have a scarlet shade with a dark center. Flowers bloom on high peduncles reaching a meter in length. This variety is frost-resistant, but loves the sun and moderate soil moisture.
Blue Moon
This variety has been very successfully bred by breeders. The flowers are large, and are 22-26 cm in diameter. When opened, the buds acquire a pale blue tint with a dark center.
Border Beauty
This variety has traditional red flowers without blackheads. The plant is presented in the form of a beautiful compact bush, the height of which does not exceed 75 cm. Many buds with double petals are formed on each of them. This variety is frost resistant.
Kleine Tangerin
This species is distinguished by abundant flowering. When opened, the buds have semi-double corrugated petals. Stem height reaches 55 cm. Flowers are salmon-colored.
All of the above types are unique in their own way. If you make the right choice, then the oriental poppy will delight passers-by for a long time with incredibly beautiful flowering.
Planting and caring for poppy seeds in the open field
It should be noted that planting a poppy is not particularly difficult and preparation. The most important rule is to clearly determine which variety you will grow and provide it with a distant neighborhood with other species. Otherwise, the flowers will be pollinated and incomprehensible shades and shapes of buds will turn out.
Preparatory work
When choosing a site, you should know that the plant will grow on it for about 9 years. The best place to plant poppies is an area that is well warmed by the sun.In the shade and partial shade, abundant flowering should not be expected.
The Oriental Perennial Poppy is a stable variety that thrives on one spot. Frequent transplants are contraindicated for this type of plant. This will negatively affect its development.
The soil should be very carefully dug up before planting the plant. After all, the poppy has a very large and highly expanding root system, which goes deep.
Having chosen a site, you should weed it, remove weeds, loosen and sprinkle with mineral or organic fertilizers... Poppy is not particularly susceptible to the composition of the soil, but if the soil is scarce, then the flowers of the plant will not be particularly bright and large. Only a nutritious substrate will allow you to grow gorgeous buds.
Sowing seeds
Ornamental poppy is sown before winter or early spring. The soil must be well moistened. The seeds are immersed in about 2-3 cm. Then the area is covered with polyethylene. This will allow the seeds to germinate as quickly as possible. The film should be removed only after the first shoots appear on the soil surface.
When the seedlings grow up, they are thinned out. The distance between the specimens should be within 9-12 cm. Thanks to this, the poppy will be able to grow fully. When the plants get stronger, the procedure should be repeated. Small and unhealthy plants are removed, leaving only the strongest ones. As a result, the gap between the future poppy bushes should be about 40 cm.
The first flowering occurs exactly one year later. Only the seeds of the Allegro variety will delight you with their colorful buds 3 months after planting.
Plant care activities
Even novice gardeners can handle planting and growing poppy. Indeed, in order to get a beautiful and healthy bush, you do not need to have special skills.
Irrigation
The first few days after sowing the seeds, irrigate the soil regularly and abundantly. The soil must not be dry. It is best to carry out this procedure with a spray can. This will keep the seeds from being washed away.
When the plant grows up, it no longer needs such abundant watering, since the root of the oriental poppy is very long.
Water should not stagnate in the soil, otherwise the plant will die.
Mulching
Poppy bushes mulchusing peat or natural compost. Thanks to this procedure, the plant will be protected from weeds and will receive the necessary amount of moisture.
Poppy fertilization
The poppy should be fertilized regularly, otherwise the plant will stop growing, the flowers will become smaller and not so bright. Organic liquids or mineral preparations... The mixture is added to the soil before watering.
Mineral fertilizers are best applied in spring in the proportion that is written on the package.
Garter
It is necessary to tie up those plants whose height has exceeded one meter. If this is not done, then due to the large weight of the flowers, the stem will break.
This procedure is carried out when the buds are already formed. To do this, sticks are stuck into the ground, and the plant is fixed to them. You need to tie up with ribbons or ropes. Thin nylon threads are not recommended as they can damage the stem.
Poppy pruning and transplanting
Pruning is carried out if seed collection is not planned. For those who decide to prepare planting material, pruning is carried out after the bolls are fully ripe. If there are enough grains, then the yellow stems are removed to the very soil. New leaves will sprout in September, and since they will not be very lush, the poppy will be able to survive the winter well by sheltering them.
It is desirable that the poppy lived on one site for about 7 years, and even then it can be transplanted. So the process will be painless, and the plant will even bloom at the right time. It is best to transplant in the fall, when the rains begin. Poppy is dug out with a shovel.They do this carefully so as not to damage the roots, and, together with a lump of earth, transfer them to a new hole. Its depth should be between 40-50 cm so that the poppy root system fits well in it. During transplantation, the poppy should be fertilized: add from 7 to 11 kg per square meter. humus.
Disease and pest control methods
There are several diseases that are dangerous to poppy. The plant often suffers from root rot, powdery mildew and black spots on the leaves. To quickly get rid of such diseases, you should spray the bushes with Bordeaux liquid or copper oxychloride. Fungicides also help, especially Topaz and Maxim. Means "Aktara" and "Aktellik" rid the plant of thrips, aphids and lurkers.
The plant is widely used in the field of landscape design. Poppy fits perfectly into any flower bed. When creating compositions, you just need to take into account the short flowering period of the poppy and choose plants with longer flowering for it.