Re: Ca poppies

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• To: m*@ucdavis.edu
• Subject: Re: Ca poppies
• From: D*@aol.com
• Date: Fri, 3 Jul 1998 15:07:50 EDT

In a message dated 7/3/98 7:51:55 AM, Nan wrote:

>Here's a question for those of you who have more experience with California
>poppies than I do.  My poppies are pooped....  the seed heads are formed
>but the foliage looks raggedy.  I'd like to pull them up, but the question
>is, if I pull them up and lay them on the ground, will the seed pods
>continue to ripen and produce ripe seed?  I was thinking I'd mulch over the
>uprooted plants with stable bedding and seed some annuals atop of that.  My
>major goal is to have more poppies next year.
>
>Any suggestions?
>
>Thanks!
>
>Nan Sterman, Master Composter in residency
>San Diego County, California
>Sunset zone 24, USDA zone 10b or 11
>
Ca poppies always do this in my experience. I cut them back hard but don't
pull them, and they send up new growth and bloom again. If the pods have
started to turn brown you can either leave them in a *dry* area, where you
want seed to scatter or put them in a paper bag to ripen and then when the
pods burst the seed is in the bag and you can use it later. The pods will
molder if in a plastic bag.
It's a good idea to leave the pods on the stems if you can stand a little
messiness.

Deborah Lindsay
Oakland, California 

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