Do you want to grow oriental poppy seeds in Maine, but don’t know when to start them?
Starting oriental poppy seeds is not as easy as it seems.
Here’s why:
- Oriental Poppy Seeds must be consistently watered, receive at least 8 hours of sunlight a day, & be kept at room temperature of at least 70 degrees Fahrenheit.
So if you don’t consistently water them they won’t germinate. If they aren’t in a room that is at least 70 degrees Fahrenheit they won’t sprout. And if it receives 8 hours of sunlight the plant itself won’t grow.
- Because Maine’s growing season is not long enough, oriental poppy seeds cannot be sowed outside and should only be started indoors.
Because of this, I’m going to teach you the ideal time to start oriental poppy seeds indoors in Maine:
- To Learn More About HOW to Grow Oriental Poppy, Check Out This GUIDE!
When to Start Oriental Poppy Seeds Indoors
Depending on the type of oriental poppy, it takes roughly 7 to 14 days to grow oriental poppy from seed indoors before you can transplant them into your garden. And it could take 2 years for your oriental poppy to bloom!
The approximate date of when you should start your oriental poppy seeds indoors can be found by:
- Finding the first average frost date HERE
- And then subtract 7 days from it
You can also find the average first frost date for most major cities in the below chart that I have created:
To help ensure the greatest success of your oriental poppy seeds germinating you should:
- Use a heat mat to ensure the gardening pot remains at 70 degrees Fahrenheit
- Use a grow light to control how much light your oriental poppy seeds receive
- Water your seeds with a spray bottle to ensure your seeds are not overwatered
It should also be noted that you will not want to introduce your oriental poppy plants into your garden until 2 weeks after your first frost or else your plant will potentially die or not bloom
If you want to learn WHEN to start ANY Flower Seed in Maine, head over to HERE and just type in the flower you want to grow.
