Himalayan blue poppy

Hi folks! 

Just wondering if anyone can help please. I bought 2 blue poppies from T&M, they arrived early April looking quite healthy. I potted them up and put them in the greenhouse only for them to go black and die immediatly. I told T&M and they sent me 2 more and said it was probably they were too cold. I've potted on the new ones and kept them in the kitchen but they are going the same way as the 1st ones, just a little slower. Help, I love these plants but don't seem destined to grow them. Thing is I know some waste land that every year has a lone poppy growing out of the wall! Any tips would be appreciated, thanks

The problem is likely to be that they have come out of ideal conditions at T&M and don't like the change. Are you putting them in bright sunshine, by any chance? They prefer moist, loamy soil in a semi-shady position - mine thrive with only the early morning and late afternoon sunshine in summer. They also don't like being wet. Not sure if that helps at all?

Hi Rosemary,

I bought 2 blue poppies last year, from the garden centre. I put them in terracotta pots with multi purpose compost.  I left them out and in Spring this year, noticed that 1 had been lost in the frosts.  The other is still in its pot and romping away, with big fat buds on it.  It is in full sun from late afternoon to evening. I thought that poppies needed a period of cold to help them get going?  I have never been able to grow poppies in the ground, whether they be established shop bought, bare root, or from seed, even when helping my clay soil along with compost.  My only successes have been in pots, and I tend to think thats luck.

Yvie

I agree with Alina. Now that we're into May, albeit somewhat cold, I might be tempted to plant them out.

Thanks for all the help, I'll try your suggestions and fingers crossed they will survive. Maybe I will consider putting them into pots and not in the border as planned. Really hope they survive. Thank you guys x

Had a mecanopsis plant in a pot all last year, was not happy at all, did not die but did not grow either!  Put it in a shady moist spot in March and now have a flower bud (just the one)  maybe they are happier just in the ground?

I've never found these easy plants to grow but every year I buy one more just to try to keep them going!  I've got three or four all looking healthy right now, and all planted directly into a south facing bed with pretty poor soil.  They are shaded by tulips until late May, and then by the 'Bowl of Beauty' paeonies so they don't get too much full sun.  In the past I have planted them in shade but they've not survived the very harsh winters.  Growing them from seed is something I have never managed to achieve so I've given up buying expensive seeds.  My dream of a huge drift of these lovely plants is just that, I'm afraid, a dream.

I have hundreds of the blowsy bright scarlet double oriental poppies, which I can't eradicate ( even if I wanted to! ) which grow and proliferate like weeds!  Peaty soil, lots of rain, cold winters, late frosts ( Aberdeenshire ).  And of course the bright lemon Welsh poppy just about everywhere.

Like Yvieh I have never managed to grow ANY variety of poppies from seed, so I would tend to agree that it's more a question of luck!  Keep trying with the meconopsis, Rosemary, and maybe try buying different varieties as some may be tougher than others ( I buy whatever happens to be in the garden centre and my three are all blue, but slightly different shades ).  They're worth it.

I have grown some from seed this year. They are heavy feeders - I have used an organic seaweed feed and they prefer acidic soil so I have used an Ericaceous compost.keep moist in semi shade, I think a greenhouse is too hot for these.