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This is the time of year when I think of starting poppy seeds. Many people will prepare the ground outdoors in the late fall, sprinkle seeds and wait for spring and watch for growth in their poppy patch. I tend to forget to get my poppies started in the fall and have to wait and hope for a break in weather to plant poppies.

photo credit: dijey bobo

Note: If You allow poppies to go to seed and don’t disturb the soil in that area your poppies should reseed themselves.

The Poppy is a form of wildflower in the Papaveraceae family with many well-known varieties. The California poppy has the bright orange while my area is best known for the red flowered poppy. Other colors include white, pink, yellow, red, or blue bowl-shaped flowers of 4 to 6 petals.

There is also a form of poppy, the opium poppy, that is illegal to grow in most areas.

Most poppy flowers grow one per stem, and they come from very tiny black seeds. Poppies exist in annual, biennial and perennial varieties, and they are usually considered relatively easy to grow.

As an experiment I am also going to grow a few poppies indoors this year. I also planted my poppy bed outdoors this week (March 11th). You can never have too many poppies or any flower for that matter.

Growing Poppies Indoors

There is some debate on whether poppies can be reliably grown indoors and even why you would want to. The perennial poppy tends to need a full cycle of dormancy that the seasons and regular days and nights provide. Indoors the cycle is much harder to recreate.

So if you are starting poppies indoors use small peat pots with a few seeds in each. This will give you a better chance of viability. It will also help to locate the pots in different areas of the home or greenhouse. Germination for poppy seeds usually takes 20 days.

Poppies are a hearty, drought-resistant plant that prefers full sun but cool temperatures. This can  be a challenge to recreate indoors. Regulating light and temperature for germination can be difficult indoors, so you might want to sprout the poppy seeds outdoors and bring them inside after have fresh growth and look more like a miniature plant. That would be 3 to 4 inches tall. I am going to try starting the poppies both ways and see which works the best.

photo credit: sleepyneko

Once the poppy plants have growth place them on a windowsill that receives a southern exposure. A southern exposure will help them get the natural sun they need to grow to their potential.

I plan to place the poppies in the sun room and use unique pots and possible driftwood behind the plants. I think it will emphasis the delicate look of the blossoms.

Caring for Poppies Indoors

Once established poppies will grow quickly given the right conditions. They should receive full to sun to partial shade, but not be exposed to sweltering heat.

Their soil should be slightly acidic and well drained. If growing indoors set the potted plants on a drainage tray with pebbles.  And general-purpose fertilizer should be applied once each month to accelerate growth and keep the plant healthy.

Note: I use a compost tea for most of my plants; I find it to work the best.

Depending on the variety, poppies will bloom 65 to 90 days from planting.

A with most flowering plants pinching off mature flowers helps promote new blooms.

If you plan to harvest seeds, allow the flowers to die and dry. Cut off the seedpods and let them to dry completely. The seeds will separate easier from the seedpod once thoroughly dry.

Note: if seeds are not totally dry they will mold and the germination capabilities of the seed will be ruined.

Technorati Tags: growing poppies, growing poppies indoors, indoor plants, poppy growing tips

Today is day one of my Winter Recession Garden.

photo credit: thebittenword.com

I have left over seeds from summer, which are still viable so I will not be buying any seeds at this time. Fresh seeds also do not hit the stores until later February or March in my zone 5 climate.

Tip: Order your seeds from catalogs as soon as possible. I always enjoy ordering seeds when he snow is falling and is too cold to want to be outdoors

Today I am organizing my seeds and cleaning my potting containers and raised bed containers.

I clean my pots in a mild bleach and warm water then I also use dish soap for one more cleaning. I let the pots air dry. If there is any staining on the pots I use either red cider vinegar or baking soda to remove it. I want to make sure any dirt or bacteria is not on the pots.

I will also be building indoor raised beds for starting seeds this year. I am using old drawers from vintage dressers that were about to be tossed. I will need to line the drawers to make sure hat if the wood was treated any chemicals will not affect the soil. The drawers do not looked treated and are very old, but I will take the added precaution anyways.

I will need to drill drainage holes in the drawers and make sure the soil drains well. Directions will follow for this project in a few days.

Next I will check my soil. I use a mix of compost and sterilized soil mix but you may want to use just a soilless potting mix. If I feel I might have a soil mildew problem or if I am concerned about my lighting I use a soilless potting mix.

This year I have a strong natural lighting and will use a few watering tricks that have halted any mildew or soggy soil problems.

Once my soil and pots are prepared I will take stalk of my planting area. Its still cold here in NW PA and if I heat the greenhouse it will cost a lot. So this year I am using the basement apartment to grow my garden. The basement was severely damaged in flooding this summer so it’s the perfect place to use this winter as its just sitting there waiting to be redone.

I have two wonderful windows with natural lighting that I will sit my seedling by. And believe it or not, I have a small portable mini greenhouse that I plan to set up by the one window that has a draft to protect the plants and add more heat to the area. This area will be for plants that want more heat like tomatoes and peppers. Leafy greens will do just fine by the other window.

And to make better use of my lighting, my plants will be placed vertically by the windows. The dresser drawer raised beds will be used in the mini greenhouse and pots will be placed on glass shelves I am making for the windows or in hanging pots and baskets.

photo credit: WaveBreaker

So now that I have a plan in place and my seeds set aside, its time to get busy.

And as expected, greens can be easily grown in the winter along with herbs, a few edible flowers, onions and garlic. But I am also growing tomatoes, a few bean plants, peppers, and I am trying a few cucumber plants. A few of these plans will need hand pollinated but its winter and I am trying to distract myself from the snow that is falling and covering the ground.

My next post will tell how to create the dresser drawer raised beds and how to make a warmer climate area in your home, particularly if you have limited space

Technorati Tags: indoor gardening, portable greenhouse, raised beds, winter recession garden, winter recession gardening planning

Indoor Gardening? There are many reasons to consider indoor gardening.

photo credit: Hair Squared

I have been an avid outdoor gardener for many years but each year I find myself growing more plants indoors. For me a short growing climate, weather concerns and the fact I like to be surrounded by living plants has lead to this change.

I also find indoor gardening easier in many ways.

For those who in cities and have limited space the indoor garden is a perfect solution gardening. And it’s a proven fact that plants help clean and purifies air adding health and less stress into many peoples lives.

Some plants are low maintenance and require little light, while others will need constant care. So choosing the amount of time you want to spend on plants will be an important consideration. And remember, all plants require watering and fertilizing.

Indoor growing considerations

First, identify the lighting conditions in each of the rooms where you plan to grow plants. Mark each room as either dim, bright direct or bright indirect. Then, for each room, consider only plants that thrive in that lighting condition.

Palm plants will require direct light, herbs and vegetables grow in bright sunlight, and bamboo plants can grow in dark indoor conditions. With the wide variety of plants and lighti9ng that can be added to the home, it is now possible to grow almost any plant.

photo credit: stevecadman

Temperature and moisture as the next most important factors after lighting. If the temperature of your indoor space ranges from 65 to 80 F, you should only consider plants that thrive within this temperature range. You also need to check for drafts. Many plants will not handle a draft or cold wind.

Look at the space you have available. Some plants vary in height from a few inches to several feet. Fortunately, you can control the height of the plant by the size of the pot. Use small pots to restrict plant growth. And you may want to look into vertical growing or growing walls.

I have seen growing walls that add light, color and even seem to add additional space in a room. Vertical growing makes the most out of available space and has numerous growing advantages.

One overlooked area in plant care is the needs of your favorite plants. Besides watering, most plants need fertilizing, trimming, repotting  and often leaf picking.

I had absolutely no luck growing African Violets until my neighbor told me they need and thrive in northern lighting. I switched my plants location and the plants grew beautifully!

photo credit: Bitman

And last but not least, buy plants that are either practical or appealing to you. If a plant isn’t aesthetically pleasing, consider growing a vegetable that you can eat. Many vegetable and herb plants are beautiful.

Indoor gardening is an area that I will being using more, both for flowers and vegetables. I plan to use container gardening, vertical gardening, small space gardening ideas and greenhouse gardening. I also hope to try a little hydroponic gardening methods.

Technorati Tags: indoor gardening