Where to Buy Corn Poppy Seeds? A Detailed Guide to Seedling Cultivation

Corn poppy flowers are also called ladybird poppy, matchless peony, spring-all-over-the-garden, fairy wormwood, and so on. They are not only ornamental but also have good medicinal value, and they are cultivated throughout China. If you want to plant corn poppy seeds, where can you buy them? How do you grow seedlings? Let's find out below.

Where to buy corn poppy seeds?

In fact, flower and bird markets in many areas sell corn poppy seeds. And generally, larger flower and bird markets will have corn poppy seeds for sale. If there really are none, you can absolutely buy them online. If there is a corn poppy base in your area, you can go to the base and ask the management staff for some seeds. Moreover, at the base, those seeds may have been cultivated by professionals, so the germination rate of the seeds will be higher.

How do you grow corn poppy seedlings?

1. Direct sowing

Corn poppies can be direct-sown. In January, use a flower pot with an inner diameter of 20 cm filled more than half full with loose soil, press it level, then scatter the seeds, 20 to 30 seeds, then cover with soil until the seeds can no longer be seen. After sowing, use the method of soaking the pot to seep water, that is, place the flower pot in a large basin where the water level does not exceed the height of the flower pot, so that water seeps evenly into the soil through the holes in the bottom of the pot. After the seedlings emerge, remove all the poorly growing ones, leaving only 3 to 5 plants in the end. When the seedlings are 30 cm tall, gradually fill in planting soil up to the rim of the pot to prevent the thin stems from lodging.

2. Management

Keep sufficient light, fresh ambient air, and nighttime temperatures not below 5°C. Avoid drought and waterlogging. For potted plants, water according to the weather and the condition of the potting soil; generally, water once every 3 to 5 days. If this state is maintained, they will bloom in March and continue until May.

3. Thinning

When the corn poppy seedlings have 5-6 leaves, thinning should be carried out, generally with a plant-to-row spacing of 30×30 cm. Transplanting management: choose an overcast day, water thoroughly first, then transplant; when transplanting, be careful not to damage the roots and keep soil around them, and press the soil firmly when planting. Usually there is no need to water too much; keeping it moist regularly is enough. During the growing period, apply once every 2---3 weeks a fermented urine solution diluted 5 times with water. For plants not kept for seed, promptly cut off withered flowers during the flowering period so that the remaining flowers bloom better. The capsules ripen unevenly, so they need to be harvested in batches to keep seeds.

4. Fertilizer and water

When sowing, apply sufficient base fertilizer. During the growing period, they like moist soil, so water in good time. Watering should follow the principle of "water when dry, stop when wet." Just after planting, control watering to promote root growth; after budding, provide sufficient water to keep the soil moist. Before flowering, apply a thin liquid fertilizer 1-2 times; after budding, spray the leaves once every 3 days with a 0.1% potassium dihydrogen phosphate solution to force flowering. After flowering, promptly cut off withered flowers so the remaining flowers bloom better.

5. Pest and disease control

A common disease of corn poppy is seedling-stage fusarium wilt, which is sprayed with a 1000-fold solution of 25% thiophanate wettable powder. Usually, after the cotyledons emerge, spray once a week with a 1000-fold solution of chlorothalonil or thiophanate-methyl, for 2-3 consecutive times. A common pest of corn poppy is aphids, often controlled by spraying with 35% ovicide EC 1000-1500-fold solution, 2.5% Uranus EC 3000-fold solution, 50% aphid-killing EC 1000-1500-fold solution, 10% cypermethrin EC 3000-fold solution, 2.5% Kung Fu EC 3000-fold solution, 40% chlorpyrifos EC 1500-fold solution, 40% omethoate 1000-fold solution, or 2.5% derris extract EC 1500-fold solution.

The corn poppy's flowers are rich and varied in color. When blooming, the thin petals are as thin as silk and as smooth as satin, and the light corollas look like red clouds and colored silk. Even without wind they seem to sway on their own, and when the wind moves they seem to float as if about to fly, quite beautiful. The flowering period is also long, making them suitable for flower beds and border planting, and they can also be potted or used as cut flowers.

For wonderful pictures and text and popular comments about corn poppies, you may be interested in the content recommended below by Nongxun Network. You are welcome to read it.

Agricultural products you may be interested in: high-quality corn poppy seeds supplied nationwide