Introduction:

Papaver Somniferum, aka the Opium Poppy, is a hardy annual that can grow almost anywhere in North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia. There are many different species of papaveraceae, but none is as prized as the somniferum, for both its beauty and its seeds, which are used in baking (poppy seed bagels anyone?) and in the production of cooking oil. It is striking in appearance, with stunningly colourful blooms, and stark mournful pods. Its pods are often dried and used in flower arrangements. Papaver Somniferum has also been used medicinally for centuries; as a painkiller, muscle relaxant, diarrhoea remedy, and intoxicant.

Token Rant:

Thanks in part to the American DEA, there is much misinformation being spread about this beautiful plant. In typical knee-jerk fashion, the DEA has declared war on all things Papaver. Many nurseries and seed suppliers in the states no longer carry somniferum seeds because of DEA threats.

Because the sap from the poppy's seed pods can be illicitly processed into heroin, the American government has decided that if the "poppy scourge" isn't wiped out, then every junkie with a green-thumb will start manufacturing his or her own high-grade smack.

However, this is simply not the case. Processing hard drugs such as heroin from the poppy is a complex and time consuming task. Your average addict would have to grow thousands of poppies in order to manufacture enough heroin to maintain even a small habit. Not to mention the expense and hassle of harvesting the sap and chemically processing it. It would literally take acres upon acres worth of crops to produce enough for trafficking, never mind the amount of manpower you would need to help with the processing. This is why unlike marijuana and many other entheogens, there are virtually no large-scale domestic opium growing operations in North America. It's simply not feasible, especially with the relatively short growing season. Some things are just best left to the Burmese.

Unfortunately this leaves casual indulgers, harmless experimenters, and even legitimate hobby gardeners in a bit of a legal quandary. There is some light at the end of the tunnel however. There are still many legitimate sources for seeds, and thanks to both ignorance and poorly worded laws, most people can grow a garden full of poppies without any fear of legal consequences. It is only when you start to prick the pods that you are likely to run into any problems.

But lets face the facts. If someone really wants to get high, they will. It doesn't matter if it's from the sap of an opium poppy, through transcendental meditation, or from a bottle of cough syrup. There's nothing anyone can do about it. So lets all stop worrying about what people do with their own bodies, and concentrate instead on something productive. Like growing poppies, for example.

Germination:

Poppy seeds are very small. As a result, it can take anywhere from seven days to two weeks from the time you plant them until the first signs of green start to show above the soil.

Poppies can grow pretty much anywhere, even indoors. However, they do prefer to get a lot of sun in their lives, so outdoors is always best. If you're planting in a garden, all you need to do is cast the seeds out and let them fall where they may. You can cover them with a small amount of soil, only about a quarter inch, to give them a bit of extra protection from the elements. Poppies don't transplant well, so if you start them off in pots (indoors or out), then make sure to handle them very carefully when transplanting. Peat pots work well for starting out too, as you can plant the pot as well and it will biodegrade. This way you don't run the risk of hurting the poppy's sensitive root system.

There are two main outdoor planting times for poppies -- early spring and late fall. That's right, fall. If you are in a more temperate area, then they should survive the winter in a dormant state, even if covered with some snow.

Poppy seeds propagate extremely well in a good seed-starter mix. Just make sure the soil isn't packed down too tight. I've had some good success with Cactus potting soil too, mixed about 50-50 with the seed-starter. Just make sure the soil isn't sandy. If you can't get your hands on some good-quality seed starter, poppies will even germinate in all-purpose soil. They are a hardy plant after all. The optimum germination temperature is around 60f (15c), although they will still germinate if the temperature is higher or lower. Don't forget to keep the soil moist, but not over-watered.

Also, poppies prefer slightly acidic soil. I've had good results using Miracid plant food, which can help facilitate the poppy's acid requirement, provided you don't apply it more than once every couple weeks. Miracid has a 30-10-10 rating, so if you use too much you risk burning your plants. Always make sure to check your soil PH levels before applying any nutrients however, as you may need to try something different. A good 10-15-10 works nice when you want to encourage blooming too.

If you are planning on growing different varieties of somniferum, remember that they can all cross-pollinate. So if you want to keep your strains pure, make sure not to plant different varieties too close together.

Growth:

Once your poppies begin to sprout, consider switching to a spray bottle and give the seedlings a good few sprays to moisten the plant and wet the soil. The roots are extremely sensitive at this stage, and a big waterfall from your watering-can could kill your plant on the spot. Try to water in the morning or the afternoon. Night-time watering can encourage fungus growth.

Try to give your poppies as much sun as your situation will allow. If you pay close attention to your plants, and maybe experiment here and there with some fertilizers, you'll most likely have an incredible looking poppy garden within a couple of months. When it gets close to flowering time, and the bulbs seem ready to sprout, try adding some type of "colour explosion" fertilizer (something like 10-30-20 or whatnot) for extra blooms. Once they start to flower, assuming you are growing outdoors (recommended, although like I said you can start your plants inside), you can pretty much leave them alone provided you aren't experiencing some sort of drought. Feel free to experiment with any of these techniques, and let me know your results. If you find any errors in this guide, or have any suggestions, make a point of letting me know.

If you are looking to increase the pod count on your plants, I recently read a tip that suggests pinching off the end of the first bulb to appear on each of your plants. The way it was explained was that by doing this you send a signal to the poppy that its bulbs are damaged, resulting in the plant overcompensating by growing extra bulbs. Sounds like a great way to increase the total yield of the plant, resulting in more flowers, more seeds, and more pods. Let me know your results, I'll be trying out this technique with my latest crop.