This is the third year for poppies

[canndo]

I live in lots of fee and clear land and it rains rather heavily in the late fall and early winter. For three years I have gone out and spread at least 3 lbs of poppy seeds across a number of acres of land. I have never seen a single poppy grow. Now I know that it is the dream of many to be johnny pot seed and attempt to sow marijuana seeds across their landscape - actually "overgrowing" the authorites but this is someewhat different. I figure that no one will know what these things are in spite of all the noteriety they get from all the published pictures of Afghanistan at least long enough for them to get a foothold in my area.


Many years ago, before we commonly knew what poppy tea would do, I was directed to a field in Washington and told that all those red flowers were wild opium poppies. We actually milked some as the season was right and I had heard about the process - and it worked, in fact that is where I got my fondness for the "green" smelling gum. I left that part of the state, never to return but I always wanted to see a field like that again. I have heard tales on this site of folks coming upon fields in a variety of states and I figured i'd try to give it a start as I know they spread quickly in the wild.

But - no luck. I havn't much of a green thumb and only hang out at RIU because I believe I can contribute in ways other than advice about growing things but most of you folks do have such thumbs. I am down to my last 6 or so lbs of seeds, what should I do differently this year?

 

[ogkush420]

Poppy's require a lot of root space maybe dirt is to hard I do a run every year usually get a zip of opium out of a field and countless bags of pods

 

[ogkush420]

Were did u get the seeds

 

[canndo]

Were did u get the seeds

saved over 10 years of pod consumption

 

[WWDave]

If you are buying your seeds from a grocery store you are buying radiation treated seeds that are sterile. See if they will root first by putting some between wet paper towel for a few days. I used to own a bakery at one time and bought 10 pound boxes of seed from the bakery supply company. They were not sterile. Hint, eat two or three poppie bulbs in morning and stay happy all day.

 

[MrEDuck]

Try to clear the field and till the soil before sowing. I've neve had a problem getting poppies to start so I don't know what else might help.

 

[cannabineer]

Start a few on a windowsill, to test viability. Set out seedlings after the frosts. A suggestion. cn

 

[canndo]

Ok, I know they are good seeds - I believe there are pictures of my growing some from those seeds back here from last year. I know the are not irradiated (and I tend to believe that is a myth anyway). but guys - these are not my fields (if they were my living conditions would be very different). They are simply public - I cannot plow, or turn the soil, all I can do is walk around spreading seeds. What I fear is that they may be growing a certain size and then dying in the late spring when they don't get any more water for 4 months or more. I don't know.

 

[2cimdma]

First off what grow zone are you in? You can go to the link I put at the bottom and check. Depending on where your located depends on when you plant your seeds. I try to plant mine in November or if I miss Nov. I wait till the last frost is done(approx. March) and then go plant them. Poppies are not like weed. They veg. when the sun is short and blossom when the sun is long(for me that's june). Plus you say you are broadcasting seeds onto soil that has not been plowed/tilled, that is going to be a problem. I'm not saying you may not get lucky but you are drastically decreasing your chances of a successful growth. There are many factors that come into play when you are broadcasting seeds onto a grass lot. The seeds are small and can easily be carried away by bugs. The can blow away, get washed away, get stuck on grass blades instead of the soil, etc, etc. What type of soil is it anyways? Loam, clay, etc.? Poppies are a B*#CH to grow in soil even after you till it and broadcasting surely will be difficult. If you have seen poppy seeds germinate you will know how tiny/tender their roots are at the first stages of their lives. Those little white roots will have a hard time getting into any type of hard packed soil. Poppy seeds barely have to be buried, I think I have a pic located in my grow journal(I think the link is still part off my sig so it may be located at the bottom). When I plant poppies indoors or out I will loosen the top of the soil with a rack(or fork if growing indoors). After the soil has been loosened a bit I place the seeds on top, if I'm outdoors I do this by broadcasting. After the seeds are placed on top the soil I then take my rack a ever so lightly go across the top of the soil. The only reason I do this is to try to weigh down the seed so it isn't so mobile. After doing this you will still see most of the seeds and that is fine. It's fine cause since the soil has been tilled a bit it is soft so those seeds will get a little pushed into the ground the first time it rains.

Rain itself can be harmful the first few days of the plants life. Since the seeds are mostly visible and on the surface they are subjected to the environmental conditions ie. rain. A light rain will be ok, but a downpour is going to be a issue and you will most likely loose most, if not all, of your plants. When I've grown outdoors near a water supply I will use a soaker hose for water needs. It provides water at a slow rate therefore not washing away your opium dreams.

Damn I didn't realize it was the time it is, I have to get going. So to wrap this up. Broadcasting on untreated soil is most likely not going to work out. There are to many things that can kill your plant if your seeds even germinate at all. So I don't really no what other advise I can give to you because the soil your trying to work with just isn't going to work, you can't make gold from lead. If you figure out another area to grow in where you can till the soil and you have any questions feel free to ask me and I'll help you out. I've been growing poppies for quite a few years. Be safe, later.

Oh yea just out of curiosity what type of seeds are they? Persian Whites(my fav), Tasmanian, hens & chicks, etc.?



Here is the link to determine your grow zone
http://planthardiness.ars.usda.gov/PHZMWeb/.

 

[testtime]

You want it to work, or do you want it to be easy?

Germinate the fuckers and plant them 1 at a time. Get a bag of root starters, treat them like pot. You'll get a few dozen over a few weeks if you are careful.

Yeah, trying to stealthfully plant them will be difficult (and possibly dangerous), but you've already proven that the current attempted method does not work.

 

[canndo]

First off what grow zone are you in? You can go to the link I put at the bottom and check. Depending on where your located depends on when you plant your seeds. I try to plant mine in November or if I miss Nov. I wait till the last frost is done(approx. March) and then go plant them. Poppies are not like weed. They veg. when the sun is short and blossom when the sun is long(for me that's june). Plus you say you are broadcasting seeds onto soil that has not been plowed/tilled, that is going to be a problem. I'm not saying you may not get lucky but you are drastically decreasing your chances of a successful growth. There are many factors that come into play when you are broadcasting seeds onto a grass lot. The seeds are small and can easily be carried away by bugs. The can blow away, get washed away, get stuck on grass blades instead of the soil, etc, etc. What type of soil is it anyways? Loam, clay, etc.? Poppies are a B*#CH to grow in soil even after you till it and broadcasting surely will be difficult. If you have seen poppy seeds germinate you will know how tiny/tender their roots are at the first stages of their lives. Those little white roots will have a hard time getting into any type of hard packed soil. Poppy seeds barely have to be buried, I think I have a pic located in my grow journal(I think the link is still part off my sig so it may be located at the bottom). When I plant poppies indoors or out I will loosen the top of the soil with a rack(or fork if growing indoors). After the soil has been loosened a bit I place the seeds on top, if I'm outdoors I do this by broadcasting. After the seeds are placed on top the soil I then take my rack a ever so lightly go across the top of the soil. The only reason I do this is to try to weigh down the seed so it isn't so mobile. After doing this you will still see most of the seeds and that is fine. It's fine cause since the soil has been tilled a bit it is soft so those seeds will get a little pushed into the ground the first time it rains.

Rain itself can be harmful the first few days of the plants life. Since the seeds are mostly visible and on the surface they are subjected to the environmental conditions ie. rain. A light rain will be ok, but a downpour is going to be a issue and you will most likely loose most, if not all, of your plants. When I've grown outdoors near a water supply I will use a soaker hose for water needs. It provides water at a slow rate therefore not washing away your opium dreams.

Damn I didn't realize it was the time it is, I have to get going. So to wrap this up. Broadcasting on untreated soil is most likely not going to work out. There are to many things that can kill your plant if your seeds even germinate at all. So I don't really no what other advise I can give to you because the soil your trying to work with just isn't going to work, you can't make gold from lead. If you figure out another area to grow in where you can till the soil and you have any questions feel free to ask me and I'll help you out. I've been growing poppies for quite a few years. Be safe, later.

Oh yea just out of curiosity what type of seeds are they? Persian Whites(my fav), Tasmanian, hens & chicks, etc.?



Here is the link to determine your grow zone
http://planthardiness.ars.usda.gov/PHZMWeb/.

Informative and reasonable. the earth is sandy clay, the seeds are a mixture of everything from hens and chicks to gigantemums.

 

[canndo]

You want it to work, or do you want it to be easy?

Germinate the fuckers and plant them 1 at a time. Get a bag of root starters, treat them like pot. You'll get a few dozen over a few weeks if you are careful.

Yeah, trying to stealthfully plant them will be difficult (and possibly dangerous), but you've already proven that the current attempted method does not work.

You have a point, it hasn't worked, I thought maybe there was some other trick. I sprinkled them into the arroyos thinking that the fall and spring rains would simply wash the seeds to a decent resting and growing place - but no. i suppose I could just start some up and plant them. There is this house far up on a bluff that overlooks most of the area I peruse - it worries me, I will have to do it in the dark.

 

[HiloReign]

Tilling/rototilling will decimate microbial and insect populations, eliminating a growers ideal "water and forget" situation. Starting them indoors is a good idea.

EDIT: Punching many holes in the ground will help to "revive" the soil. Water and air will have a means of penetrating the surface easily. (Works especially well if soil is compacted or covered by a sturdy grass/groundcover)

 

[2cimdma]

If you want to grow a few then yes you can start them indoors and try to move them outside. But if moving them outside you are going to have to keep them in the container you started them off in cause poppies do not like being transplanted. Plus there isn't much reason to only grow a few. I'm not sure what your intent is with these poppies but when I grow them it is for the opium that I then process into other things. If you are growing them for the opium too then you are going to need quite a bit to make it worth your while as poppies do not produce much opium per plant. If you are growing good genetics in optimal conditions you may get 100mg raw opium per 1 poppy. So 10 poppies may give you 1 gram raw opium. After you cook the opium you may be left with 700-800mg. I personally have never heard that tilling the soil will make it any less better for growing....to be honest I have heard the exact opposite.

 

[sonar]

When is the best time to sow poppy seeds? I bought a few packs last fall for this coming spring. I got Giganteum, Mammoth, Persian White, and Pepperbox. Don't remember where I ordered them, but they were very reasonably priced. I think around $2 per 1000. If I remember correctly, they threw the Pepperbox and some herb (basil, dill) seeds in for free.

Maybe you might have better luck using seeds meant for cultivation. Is it possible the method they use to dry the pods renders them unviable?

 

[2cimdma]

Depends on where your located when it comes to sowing the seeds. Where I'm at I sow them in November for best results. If I'm incapacitated in November(Damn IDOC) then I plant em in March after last frost. Most seeds I use come from dried pods. Just drill a hole in them and empty out the pod and your good to go. I plant mainly Persian Whites myself so you made a good selection...

<-----my profile pic is some Persian whites I did indoors

 

[polyarcturus]

When is the best time to sow poppy seeds? I bought a few packs last fall for this coming spring. I got Giganteum, Mammoth, Persian White, and Pepperbox. Don't remember where I ordered them, but they were very reasonably priced. I think around $2 per 1000. If I remember correctly, they threw the Pepperbox and some herb (basil, dill) seeds in for free.

Maybe you might have better luck using seeds meant for cultivation. Is it possible the method they use to dry the pods renders them unviable?

get them at the grocery store next time.

 

[echlectica]

Depends on where your located when it comes to sowing the seeds. Where I'm at I sow them in November for best results. If I'm incapacitated in November(Damn IDOC) then I plant em in March after last frost. Most seeds I use come from dried pods. Just drill a hole in them and empty out the pod and your good to go. I plant mainly Persian Whites myself so you made a good selection...

<-----my profile pic is some Persian whites I did indoors

I bought 1000 persian white seeds and haven't been able to get them to germ. Bad seeds?

 

[BarnBuster]

I get mine on internet. You make sure you get correct ones. Seeds are legal to buy, ship, possess. Last 4 summers I've planted about 200 each time and get a nice little ball for not much work except scraping the pod. I always had trouble starting them outside. They seemed too delicate when seedlings. When started inside you have to be very careful transplanting like 2cimdma says. Roots are hairlike and if they are disturbed at all plant won't grow well. This happened the first year when I thought I knew everything. Otherwise a nice way to while away the summer!

 

[2cimdma]

I just placed another order for an additional 25,000 seeds. I went with Tasmanian's for all 25k cause my normal supplier was out of the Persians. But I've grown thousand's of Taz's before with success and yielded 63mg per plant and got a total of 954 gram's raw opium off of 15,000 seeds. Those 954 gram's of raw opium I then cooked and got 868g of cooked opium(91% yield). Off that I only pulled 69g of finished product which was my fault though I should of gotten closer to 87g(normally the opium to heroin ratio is 10 to 1, meaning 10g opium should of make 1g of dope. I only got about 1 gram of H to 12.5g of opium). So I only got 69g instead of the estimated 87g but it still worked out. I mean getting 69g of H for $15 bucks for the seed's and about $170 worth of nute's and equipment is still a hell of a deal. Taz's were bred for the pharma industry and it was bred for them for its high alkaloid content. So really I should have gotten closer to the 10 to 1 ratio instead of the 12.5 to 1 but I screwed up the process somewhere and it cost me about 20 grams. But then again it could have been the genetics. But oh well like I said it still worked out.

So sorry for all that I'm high and just kept typing and nodding out. My point was that if you want to produce something from the opium you need to grow quite a few. Take care be careful.