Oriental poppies
i have planted more than one variety of red oriental poppy only to see them come up orange, Whether I plant out potted plants or try seeds. Why is this? Is it the soil (well drained, mulched annually with garden compost), weather, or what? What can I do to grow red ones?!!
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Very strange Susan. I have the same problem.
I'm not really much of a fan of them but I did have some brilliant red ones that I divided and moved out of line of sight to another part of the garden. This year they've all come up orange.
They're in the compost bin now
Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
I think a lot of the varieties sold as red have an orange cast in them. I find colour descriptions very subjective. I find Pattys plum to be a very muddy mauve. Turkenlouis red is brick red rather than pillar box. If you want really red, there are annuals such as ladybird. Even amongst the common corn poppy, there are some that are more red than others. Mike is right in that seed grown will vary. Buy a plant in flower to get the colour you want, and then split it in the spring just as it starts to grow(easy) or take root cuttings in winter. (harder)
Beauty of Livermore, is IME a proper red. It also seems to come true from seed.
When you don't even know who's in the team
S.Yorkshire/Derbyshire border
Yes Beauty of Livermere is VERY red, I have this one. I have two, they are beautiful but I want to give them away as they are not working where I have planted them.