You fall in love with it all too quickly and wish you had a whole sea of flowers. No wonder, the Turkish poppy is really intoxicating with its bright red, white or aubergine red flowers, depending on the variety. Which propagation methods have become established?
How to propagate Turkish poppies?
You can propagate Turkish poppies by sowing seeds, natural self-sowing, dividing the perennial or using root cuttings. During propagation you should pay attention to site conditions such as sun, warmth and loose, permeable soil.
Tackling the sowing in a targeted manner
Targeted sowing is the most obvious option. You can harvest the seeds yourself or, of course, buy them. Each capsule fruit contains numerous, extremely fine seeds. They are ripe after the flowering is over in June/July, approximately in August. They are harvested when they are dry and the seeds rustle inside.
How sowing works:
- Direct sowing is preferable
- between April and June
- Do not cover seeds or cover them completely flat with soil (light germinator)
- Keep substrate moist
- Germination time: 2 to 3 weeks
Prevent or promote self-seeding?
You don't necessarily have to intervene directly in sowing. The Turkish poppy is happy to reproduce on its own if you give it the opportunity to do so, i.e. if you don't cut off its withered flowers. When ripe, the seeds are blown out on the capsules and blown away.
Dividing the perennial
Another method of propagation is division. Tackle this in the spring! It is recommended to divide this perennial herb every three years. This partially prevents it from multiplying uncontrollably.
The clumps are dug up and divided with a knife or spade. Choose a sunny location in a warm location for the sections. The soil there should be loose and well-drained. Now all that’s left to do is plant!
Use root cuttings for propagation
The final method is obtaining root cuttings. This is important:
- perform in winter
- Dig up the roots first
- Separate roots near the root neck
- Cut 8 cm long pieces
- cut the lower part of the roots diagonally
- first plant in the cold frame until new growth occurs
- cool place and moist earth are significant
- Blooming after 4 to 6 weeks
Tip
If you don't want the poppy to spread, cut off the wilted flowers and divide it regularly. It also spreads itself over the years through its roots.
