Walking the dog I have seen a large purple poppy growing at the side of the
road, I would like to collect the seed pod and sow the seed but I am not
sure whether to cut the pod off now and dry it, they have only just finished
flowering or leave them on the plant longer?

Paul

"Paul" wrote in message
...
Walking the dog I have seen a large purple poppy growing at the side of
the road, I would like to collect the seed pod and sow the seed but I am
not sure whether to cut the pod off now and dry it, they have only just
finished flowering or leave them on the plant longer?

If you cut off now, you will get nothing. Wait until it dries on the plant
and rattles when shaken. The rattles will be from the seeds which will then
be mature.


Paul

The message
from "Paul" contains these words:

Walking the dog I have seen a large purple poppy growing at the side of the
road,

Ppaver somniferum, the opium poppy..not a native but still pretty.


I would like to collect the seed pod and sow the seed but I am not
sure whether to cut the pod off now and dry it, they have only just
finished
flowering or leave them on the plant longer?

Wait until the capsule darkens and you can hear the seed shaking
inside it like a little rattle.Then cut the stem and dry it in a paper
bag at home. As it dries, holes will open at the top like a pepper pot,
to let the seeds out.

If you cut the stem prematurely, the seeds won't ripen.

Janet

--
Isle of Arran Open Gardens weekend 21,22,23 July 2006
5 UKP three-day adult ticket (funds go to island charities) buys entry
to 26 private gardens

On Tue, 13 Jun 2006 19:57:54 +0100, Janet Baraclough
wrote:

The message
from "Paul" contains these words:

Walking the dog I have seen a large purple poppy growing at the side of the
road,

Ppaver somniferum, the opium poppy..not a native but still pretty.


I would like to collect the seed pod and sow the seed but I am not
sure whether to cut the pod off now and dry it, they have only just
finished
flowering or leave them on the plant longer?

Wait until the capsule darkens and you can hear the seed shaking
inside it like a little rattle.Then cut the stem and dry it in a paper
bag at home. As it dries, holes will open at the top like a pepper pot,
to let the seeds out.

If you cut the stem prematurely, the seeds won't ripen.

Janet

And don't leave it too late or the capsule will literally explode and
spray the seeds four or five feet around. I used to sit and watch
mine do it last summer.