Oriental poppies in So Cal

cpp gardener

Full Access Member
Joined
Nov 13, 2019
Messages
2,100
Reaction score
919
Location
Riverside/Pomona CA
Hardiness Zone
9
Country
United States
Does anyone out there have any experience growing Oriental Poppies in So Cal? I've been gifted with 3 6-packs that I need to find a home for and I've avoided planting them before because the books say it doesn't grow well here. So, who's been crazy enough to grow them, how well did they do, and what kind of conditions did they do best in?
Help me push the envelope of what's possible and impress the doubtful !
 

cpp gardener

Full Access Member
Joined
Nov 13, 2019
Messages
2,100
Reaction score
919
Location
Riverside/Pomona CA
Hardiness Zone
9
Country
United States
I was hoping someone in Southern California would give me some hints for this area. I know they grow well in areas that get a winter and aren't 100+ during the summer but that ain't here.
 

cpp gardener

Full Access Member
Joined
Nov 13, 2019
Messages
2,100
Reaction score
919
Location
Riverside/Pomona CA
Hardiness Zone
9
Country
United States
Okay, a little update on the poppies. 3 of them have survived 115 several times, missed getting sprayed with Round-up and avoided snails.:joyful: So now we get to wait until next spring to see if they bloom as spectacularly as they do in other, more hospitable climates.
 

cpp gardener

Full Access Member
Joined
Nov 13, 2019
Messages
2,100
Reaction score
919
Location
Riverside/Pomona CA
Hardiness Zone
9
Country
United States
Well, a little disaster. Despite my alerts to the team, Round-up and vigorous weed-pulling have managed to eliminate the last one.:(:cry: I guess I'll have to try again next year.
 

cpp gardener

Full Access Member
Joined
Nov 13, 2019
Messages
2,100
Reaction score
919
Location
Riverside/Pomona CA
Hardiness Zone
9
Country
United States
Possibly as early as March. It depends on availability from bedding plant growers. We don't have a 'plan' for them, I just got them last year from a donation.
 

cpp gardener

Full Access Member
Joined
Nov 13, 2019
Messages
2,100
Reaction score
919
Location
Riverside/Pomona CA
Hardiness Zone
9
Country
United States
Well, it looks like my announcement was premature. One poppy managed to survive!o_O:) It must have been mostly dormant when it got sprayed and has come back, almost from the dead. I showed it to the lead gardener of that area and flagged it, so now it just needs some fertilizer and time to show what it’s capable of.
 

LouisFerdinand

Full Access Member
Joined
Mar 22, 2019
Messages
6,915
Reaction score
3,493
Location
Ohio
Hardiness Zone
Zone 6
Country
United States
Well, it looks like my announcement was premature. One poppy managed to survive!o_O:) It must have been mostly dormant when it got sprayed and has come back, almost from the dead. I showed it to the lead gardener of that area and flagged it, so now it just needs some fertilizer and time to show what it’s capable of.
Congratulations! A Poppy is a majestic flower.
 

Ask a Question

Want to reply to this thread or ask your own question?

You'll need to choose a username for the site, which only take a couple of moments. After that, you can post your question and our members will help you out.

Ask a Question

Members online

Forum statistics

Threads
28,493
Messages
271,487
Members
15,260
Latest member
armjr

Latest Threads

Top