I rescued poppies from the compost centre, the plants were very green still with roots. I did soak the roots for an hour in water planting the poppies in a flowerbed. Watered every day a couple of days and then reduced to every other day. The plants didn't make it, so they were cut back leaving 6" of the stems. Stems are dried out in appearance. What I am wondering is, do you think the plant root will produce or was there a better way to have tried to save the plants? Advice on this would be appreciated. Thank you.
Hi Lynne: Others may disagree, but I'd say it's doubtful. If the plants above the soil didn't survive, I doubt that anything below the soil is healthy enough to live through next winter. Also, not all poppies are perennial. Many reseed themselves (so they function like perennials but technically aren't), so if they don't flower, they won't come back. You could dig one up and look at the roots to get an idea of what kind of shape they're in. I recently went through this same exercise. I transplanted a dozen poppies that I had to move. They looked terrible for about 2 weeks--flat like cooked lettuce. Slowly they all stood up and survived, but they still look awful, and there's only one that looks good enough to flower. And I was really careful about transplanting, disturbing the roots as little as possible. Poppies are notorious for not liking to be moved, and I wouldn't try it again. I'm very sad to see how they look a month after transplant. So don't blame yourself that it didn't work. I hope this helps,
Thank for your advice. I saved some seeds from the tops and scattered those in the bed as well, though not because I knew that all poppies are not perennials. I will pull up the root and see what is happening. Can always start again, and if I ever get the plant going Sea Witch...I leave them right where they are!
Went outside and dug two of the stems from the poppies out. One looked rotted, another like like in a state of decay as well, but I found shoots growing! So relieved, and since I have been rescuing so many plants, I can't remember the color these will be. So can't wait to find out! Thank you Sea Witch!
If opium poppies (these are very common) plant is an annual with a very minimal root system not developed for over-wintering and re-sprouting. Shirley poppy would present a similar situation.
