Growing Poppies From Seed - Surface-Sow

Sow poppy seed where the plants will bloom. Press it on the surface in fall or early spring. Do not bury it, and do not prick out a taproot.

Direct sow where they will bloom

Factor	Recommended	Avoid
Method	Direct sow on the finished site	Pricking out seedlings from a tray
Depth	Surface; press for contact. Seed needs light	Burying more than a dusting
When	Fall, or early spring while nights are still frosty	A hot midsummer sow for Iceland types
Named oriental	Root cuttings or a nursery plant	Expecting seed to clone the parent

Tiny seed needs light. Mix it with dry sand, scatter, and press. [1] Fall sowings of Iceland and Shirley types often flower the following spring. [2]

Fall, or early spring while nights can still frost. In mild winters, fall sowing is usually the easier route.

Rake a sunny, draining patch. Skip a layer of fresh compost on the surface.
Mix seed with dry sand. Scatter. Press with your palm. Do not bury.
Keep the surface lightly moist until seedlings show — usually one to three weeks in cool soil.
Thin early so stems stay stout. Annuals such as P. rhoeas and ‘Ladybird’ want room; they do not want a later move.
If you must start indoors, use a biodegradable pot and plant the whole pot at the true-leaf stage.

On the surface. Press for contact. A light dusting of fine soil is the most cover they should ever get.

Named oriental plants such as ‘Patty’s Plum’ are usually increased by root cuttings. Seedlings remix rather than clone the parent. [3]

Seed buried too deep to see light.
A dry crust over the seedbed in the first weeks.
Transplanting a taproot from a cell pack.
Sowing Iceland types into midsummer heat.
Moving an oriental clump in spring instead of August, if you move it at all. [4]

Site and dormancy stay on How to Grow Poppies.

Press seed on the surface in fall or early spring. Plant biodegradable pots whole. Leave oriental clones to root cuttings.

Annual and breadseed types often do if some pods ripen. Leave a share uncut if you want volunteers.

Wait until pods brown and rattle. Dry them indoors. Store cool, dry, and labelled.

Yes, but named cultivars will not come true. Buy a plant or take root cuttings if you want the same flower.

Fall sowing chills it outdoors. A late-spring packet can sit in the refrigerator for a few weeks first.

When there is not enough cool season left for the batch to flower. Do not start a new Iceland patch in peak heat.

[1] Old Farmer's Almanac - https://www.almanac.com/plant/poppies
[2] NC State Extension - https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/papaver/
[3] Missouri Botanical Garden - https://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?taxonid=250197
[4] White Flower Farm - https://www.whiteflowerfarm.com/how-to-grow-poppies

This note is part of Papaver Guides.

More notes on making another plant live in Propagating Guides.

Updated: September 2026 Reviewed by Bosquelle Editors