Oriental Poppy 'Checkers'

Planting Advice:

• Best planted in a well-drained soil in full sun, Oriental Poppies can sprawl, so do appreciate a little support from other plants or stakes.
• Well-drained soil is essential and add plenty of humus to poor soils to retain moisture. Remember to allow plenty of room for growth as these poppies may reach a metre or so in height.
• Plant in a sheltered site to prevent wind damage to the blooms.
• Water your potted plant well.
• Dig a hole a little deeper and 3 x wider than the nursery pot.
• Add a soil conditioner such as well-rotted manure to the earth removed from the hole if necessary.
• Remove the plant from its pot and tease out a few of the roots.
• Dig a planting hole and sprinkle mycorrhizal fungi (Root grow) into the base.
• Place your plant in the hole at the same level at the pot.
• Refill the hole with the earth removed (backfilling).
• Firm in the soil with your heel, avoiding the root ball.
• Water well and mulch around the base of the plant with a collar, compost, gravel, bark etc.

Aftercare Advice:

• Keep newly planted poppies well-watered until established.
• Give plants a dressing of fish blood and bone in the autumn.
• Provide support before the flowers appear.
• Mulch with well-rotted manure or compost in autumn and keep well-watered.

Pruning Advice:

• Cut back to ground level after flowering. Lift and divide large clumps in autumn.
• If cut back after flowering, they may even produce a second flush.