The fine blossom of the poppy catches the eye from afar in early summer, when the corn poppy stretches its bright red calyxes into the sun on the edges of paths and fields. There are also numerous colorful poppy varieties with delicate flowers for the garden, although you are not allowed to sow just any of them in your garden - opiate-containing species and varieties such as the opium or blue poppy (Papaver somniferum) are subject to the Narcotics Act in Germany and therefore require approval.
How do you sow opium poppies in the garden?
You need a permit from the Federal Opium Office to sow opium poppies. Once received, you can sow the seeds in a sunny, protected location in spring. Poppy prefers well-drained, well-prepared soil and is a light germinator.
Obtain permission to grow opium poppies
Basically, according to the law, the unauthorized cultivation of opium poppies can be punished with prison sentences of up to five years and/or fines, although in practice this rarely happens - at least for isolated plants in the wild or in the garden. However, you should obtain the necessary approval from the Federal Opium Office before sowing in order to be on the safe side in case of doubt. However, the permit is subject to a fee (EUR 75 for private applicants in 2016) and is only granted for a limited time. The application can be filled out online.
Sowing opium poppies and other poppy varieties
Once you have finally obtained the desired approval, you can plant the opium poppy seeds directly outdoors between March and April. The following sowing instructions apply not only to the opium poppy, but also to many other poppy species such as corn poppy (Papaver rhoeas), Icelandic poppy (Papaver nudicaule) or Turkish poppy (Papaver orientale).
Location and preparation
Poppy prefers a sunny, sheltered location in the garden or in a planter on the balcony. Before sowing, prepare the soil thoroughly by digging up the area and amending it with mature compost and, if necessary, sand. Any coarser soil crumbs can be finely crumbled with a rake. The soil should be worked a few days before sowing and the area should rest for a while afterwards.
Sowing poppies
Now you can spread the two to three millimeter poppy seeds directly into the field on a dry and warm day. Throw out the fine seeds widely, but then do not cover them with soil, or only cover them very thinly - poppy seeds are light germinators. Keep the sowing area slightly moist and protect it from birds and bad weather such as heavy rain. The plants will germinate within eight to ten days.
Tip
You can also plant the seeds in September, then the flowers will bloom particularly early the following year. To sow yourself, simply leave a few dead plants standing and their seed capsules ripen.
