Poppies

mszaj

My ornamental poppy has finished flowering. What do I do with it now?

HouseFinch

You could wait for the seed heads to rattle, then collect the seeds for many, many more beautiful blooms next year

Lyn

Depends which Poppy it is, the giant flowering perennials are sterile, you have to take root cuttings for propagation, you can leave the heads on if you like them, they add interest to you garden.  

Posy

Oriental poppies are not sterile but they don't always come true.

mszaj

Thanks. When do I cut them right back. They are giant ones. 

mszaj

I’m new to this game and really getting into it just a bit of a novice. 

Posy

Once the leaves have pretty well died you can cut them down to about 3 or 4 inches. But if you want seeds you have to leave the pod on the plant until it is ripe. You can tell because the seeds will shake out like a pepper pot.
There's SO much to enjoy in a garden - good luck for your future as a gardener!

mszaj

Thank you. Really appreciate the advice. 

nutcutlet

I'm not sure we have the right ID for these. They may be Oriental but they may be somniferum. Both could be described as ornamental and are tall

Lyn

mszaj said:

Thanks. When do I cut them right back. They are giant ones. 

Whichever ones I have, they are root cuttings only. 

mszaj