To get the best from poppies it is often important to go further than simply growing seeds and popping plants into your gardens. Whilst poppy seeds will grow very well in a huge variety of aspects and garden environments some species will need a little more care and attention so that you can enjoy the best that they have to offer. And for certain poppies it is important to remember to stake plants.
Staking is normally considered important if plants have big and beautiful flowers. Whilst poppy stems may look sturdy and strong as the buds develop, large flowers can often weigh quite a lot. Before long you could find that your flower stems have all snapped and bent and the beautiful flowers that you were looking forward to have died. This can be particularly true of Papaver paeoniflorum and Papaver orientale poppies. Both have large and exotic flowers which can weigh heavy on stems with even the slightest breeze making plants buckle. It can also sometimes be important to stake California poppies to lift them off the ground. If you have particularly moist soil stems resting on the ground can rot, killing plants before they even have a chance to flower.
For large poppies such as Papaver paeoniflorum and Papaver orientale canes can be used for tying to individual stems or creating a supporting structure which plants can rest against. Meanwhile, for California poppies you can place a small wine frame over developing seedlings. Poppies will grow through this mesh and it will support plants when they flower. So, to get the best from your poppies and ensure continuous flowering with no unwelcome surprises, stake poppies and ensure months of glorious color.
