If you want to plant golden poppies, you have two options. Either you prefer the poppies in the spring and plant them in the garden later, or you sow them directly in the bed later.
In contrast to the normal poppy, which flowers red, the golden poppy, also known as the Californian poppy (Eschscholzia californica), enchants us with its beautiful yellow flowers. It reaches heights of growth of up to thirty centimeters and flowers from spring to late summer. If you want to bring it into the garden, you can prefer it or sow it directly outdoors. Both variants are very easy and quick to do.
Pre-cultivation of gold poppies
❶ The right time for pre-cultivating golden poppies indoors is from mid-February to mid-April. Use commercially available growing substrate and moisten it slightly in a growing bowl.
❷ Now sow small clusters of four to six seeds at a time, spacing the clusters a little. Do not cover the seeds with substrate, because the golden poppy belongs to the light germinators.
❸ Then place the seed tray in a bright place. The temperature should be in the range of 15°C to 18°C. Now keep the substrate constantly moist without standing water. A spray bottle is the easiest way to achieve the desired result.
❹ You will see the first seedlings after a maximum of two weeks. Do not put the plants in a warmer place and avoid direct exposure to the midday sun. The young golden poppy shoots up too much under these conditions. From the second half of May you can then place the seedlings outdoors. The big advantage of pre-breeding: You can look forward to a magnificent bloom in the first year.
Sowing of golden poppies outdoors
❶ If you don't want to bother with pre-breeding, you can also sow the golden poppy seeds directly into the bed from mid-May. To do this, first rake the soil thoroughly so that it is loose and crumbly. This will make it easier for the roots to penetrate the soil.
❷ Then moisten the bed with a sprinkler.Then sprinkle the seeds on the soil and press them down lightly. This can easily be done from the edge of the bed with the back of a shovel. As with pre-cultivation, make sure that the seeds do not get underground and can germinate in the light.
❸ The germination time of golden poppies outdoors is a little longer than in pre-cultivation and is just under three weeks. Keep the soil moderately moist during this time. Later you can significantly reduce watering. Golden poppy copes very well with drought.