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Name: Jo Ann Gentle Pittsford NY (Zone 6a)              ge1836 Feb 18, 2013 11:54 AM CST |
| I have sowed poppies using cloches. Since its still not too late to winter sow and there is some curiosity about how to do it. Here are some threads to a few ways it's done. http://garden.org/search/index... and http://garden.org/search/index.... This is my method for sowing annual poppy seeds ( somnifariums ) Sowing Annual Poppies In January when there is a good day. Scrape away any leaves or mulch to make a bare spot..where you want poppies to grow. Seeds sown on mulch or anything but bare ground ,wont germinate. Sprinkle the seeds and press into the ground.I just step where they are or use a board to press.Buried seeds wont germinate. I have sown them and covered with screen held down with rocks.This protects the seeds from birds or washing away with rain. I also made “milk bottle greenhouses” Cut the bottoms off of plastic milk bottles and place the bottle over the sown seeds.I put 2 plant supports into the green house so it wouldnt blow away. One support wont work because the wind will twirrel the bottle around and scatter the seeds who knows were. A 1 gallon jug with plant supports for anchors.  These are the new poppies. DONT WEED THEM OUT.I have done that more times than I want to admit.   Also poppies dont need to be sown this thick. This picture was taken in March but we had a weird spring.I usually see new shoots in April. In April check your sites for germination. Dont be discouraged if you dont see anything,I have seen poppies emerge in late May. I also sow poppies on the bare ground and lay screen over the seeds,anchored down with stones. These new sprouts were under screen. I buy storm door replacement screen at HD it comes in rolls.  The half gallon jugs with poppies.  I only sow poppies this way. I usually buy annuals from a garden center. SOME PIX OF GERMINATED pppies a couple of weeks old  This is a too thickly sown clump,it has a May 21 date  Really moving along  |
Name: Caroline Scott Calgary (Zone 4a)         CarolineScott Feb 19, 2013 1:09 AM CST |
| What a good idea! Joanne! That protects the seeds from the critters and gives the seeds--- a slightly warmer atmosphere. I think I will copy you for the poppies anyway. |
Name: Michele Roth N.E. Indiana - Zone 5b I'm always on my way out the door..            |
| Thanks so much, Jo Ann! I'd often wondered how to anchor the jug to keep it stable in the wind.  Once we're out of this blizzard-like weather we're having right now, I'm going to try this out. I'm hoping the jugs will deter the local wildlife as well. |
Name: Jo Ann Gentle Pittsford NY (Zone 6a) ge1836 Feb 19, 2013 12:22 PM CST |
| Good luck everyone.Once you have germinated like this you will never go back. I am not positive about this method for ALL plants |
Name: Jo Ann Gentle Pittsford NY (Zone 6a) ge1836 Feb 20, 2013 7:37 AM CST |
| Carolyn: Yes I always thought of them as a mini greenhouse. |
Name: Joanne Calgary, AB Canada (Zone 3a)      Joannabanana Mar 6, 2013 3:27 PM CST |
| Great idea Joanne! I did something similar last spring. I used a 3-Gallon water jug, cut the bottom off and direct sowed cucumbers in the veggie garden. It worked extremely well since out May & June nights are quite cold. |
Name: Jo Ann Gentle Pittsford NY (Zone 6a) ge1836 Mar 6, 2013 4:13 PM CST |
| Thanks for sharing that Joanne.I wondered if other seeds could be started that way. I am going to try coreopsis if the snow ever melts. |
Name: Jo Ann Gentle Pittsford NY (Zone 6a) ge1836 Mar 10, 2013 6:51 AM CST |
I sowed 2 more cloches with coreopsis red from DD's garden  |
Name: Jo Ann Gentle Pittsford NY (Zone 6a) ge1836 Mar 11, 2013 7:30 AM CST |
| My Bad!!!!! I WS'd cosmos not coreopsis.. More geezer moments .AFTER I sowed I checked to see if it was OK.Google says yes.Darnd good thing too.I dont want to go into that mud pit again.Besides all my gardens are on slopes. |
Name: Michele Roth N.E. Indiana - Zone 5b I'm always on my way out the door.. |
Good. Then they'll bloom this year for sure.  |
Name: Jo Ann Gentle Pittsford NY (Zone 6a) ge1836 Mar 11, 2013 7:54 AM CST |
| I hope.They are annuals.Extreemly red orange |
Name: Jo Ann Gentle Pittsford NY (Zone 6a) ge1836 Apr 17, 2013 10:32 AM CST |
| Oroud to say all poppies germinated.Teeny 2 leaf swaths. I will thin them in a week. |
Name: Michele Roth N.E. Indiana - Zone 5b I'm always on my way out the door.. |
 Did you remove the covers yet, Jo Ann? |
Name: Jo Ann Gentle Pittsford NY (Zone 6a) ge1836 Apr 17, 2013 12:04 PM CST |
| Yes I did it this AM when I saw the sprouts. In another week I wont be able to get into the places where the clouches are.Toooooo many lilies. And some people say it doesnt take any planning to grow a garden. |
Name: Jo Ann Gentle Pittsford NY (Zone 6a) ge1836 May 20, 2013 2:05 AM CST |
| Its a month later and I am over-run with poppies.I must have missed whole plants last year and they self sowed. Many will need removal,sad but if I do it before they bloom it wont hurt so much. |
Name: Michele Roth N.E. Indiana - Zone 5b I'm always on my way out the door.. |
| Here, too, Jo Ann, and I feel the same way. My Spigelia marilandica was trying to grow through the hole in the jug so I finally took it off yesterday. I sure do hope the rabbits don't eat it! |
Name: Jo Ann Gentle Pittsford NY (Zone 6a) ge1836 May 20, 2013 4:50 AM CST |
| I remove jugs when plants are fairly small so they dont melt on a hot day. |
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