Poppy is a well-known field and garden plant, but is also suitable for the pot on the terrace or balcony. In this article you will find out what you should pay attention to when keeping it in a pot and which varieties are suitable for it.
How do I optimally care for poppy seeds in a pot?
Poppy seeds in pots thrive best in potting soil with garden soil, lots of sun, warmth and dry feet. Pot cultivation is suitable for corn poppies, Turkish poppies and golden poppies. The hardy plants can overwinter in pots, young specimens need protection.
How can I optimally plant poppies in a pot?
In principle, the poppy plants are also suitable forplanting in pots or buckets You can grow the seeds from March to the beginning of May at the latest in pots of around twelve centimeters in size. Use normal potting soil (€6.00 at Amazon) mixed with garden soil, as the soil should not be particularly nutrient-rich. When the plants are around fifteen centimeters, they can be repotted into larger containers. Buckets or large pots are ideal for this. Choose the right location depending on the variety you have selected.
What do you have to pay attention to when placing and caring for poppies in the pot?
Poppies love itwarm, lots of sun and dry feet Otherwise the plant is relatively undemanding. In fact, almost all species only need some water during very exceptionally dry periods. The same applies to additional fertilization. For example, the Turkish poppy (papaver orientale) enjoys a small portion of nutrients and a little extra water in order to produce particularly beautiful and large flowers. If you don't want the poppy to sow itself, you have to remove wilted flowers regularly.
Which types of poppies are suitable for keeping in pots?
Almost all of the 120 different types of poppies are suitable for keeping in pots. Here are just a few well-known examples:
- Corn poppy (papaver rhoeas) we mainly encounter in grain fields and roadsides. They bloom from May to June and are excellent bee pasture.
- Turkish poppy (papaver orientale) delights its owners with magnificent, originally bright red flowers. They are available in numerous color variations through further breeding.
- Gold poppy or Californian poppy (eschscholzia californica) grows very persistently up to forty centimeters high with sometimes two-colored flowers.
Can you overwinter poppy seeds in a pot?
In fact, most poppy species are hardy and can easily survive the winter in the garden. However, specimens that are still young and planted too late shouldoverwinter in the pot The plants then rest in a sufficiently large pot in a protected but cool place. You don't need to water or fertilize them much during this rest period. In spring you can plant them outside again or give them a larger pot and a suitable location on the balcony or terrace.
Tip
Attention! Some opium-containing poppy plants are prohibited
The opium poppy (papaver sommniferum) has been considered an important medicinal plant for centuries. However, in Germany it falls under the Narcotics Act (BtMG) and may only be planted for food purposes after official approval. The white juice in the unripe seed capsules contains, among other things, the intoxicating codeine and morphine. The black seeds of the opium poppy have been used for baking for a long time.
