California Poppy, Eschscholzia californica: Care Instructions

Thanks to its golden yellow flowers, Californian poppies are particularly decorative and extremely frugal. Hobby gardeners do not need a green thumb to cultivate the pretty plant. Nevertheless, certain conditions should be met in terms of location and care, so that the sleepyhead

Location

Californian poppies love the sun and have a high light requirement, which is why they are best cultivated in full sun. In addition, it needs sun to open its flowers. If, on the other hand, it is cultivated in a semi-shady or shady location, not only does the flowering suffer, because the existing flowers also remain closed.

• full sun
• Ideal in steppe or rock gardens
• Best cultivated over a large area

soil / substrate

In the wild, California poppies prefer to grow in rough and rocky soils, sometimes even in inner-city areas. In the home garden, the lime-tolerant plant feels most comfortable in light loamy or sandy soil. If you want to cultivate the plant in a flower box, it is best to use commercially available potting soil and improve it with quartz sand, expanded clay or lava granules.

• water permeable
• low in nutrients
• Dry
• pH between 5.8 – 7.5

pots / tubs

Yellow poppy is not only a feast for the eyes in the bed, because it is also particularly decorative on the balcony. Fortunately, it can be cultivated in containers without any problems - as long as they meet certain requirements. Pots with a diameter of around 12 centimeters are best suited for this. These should also be sufficiently deep so that drainage can easily be accommodated in them.

sowing

The best time to sow the California poppy is between April and May. It would be perfectly possible to sow it by June, but flowering would then be postponed to the following year. Accordingly, it would also be necessary to bring the Eschscholzia californica safely through the winter. For these reasons, spring sowing is usually the better choice. Since yellow poppies are reluctant to be transplanted and pricked out, they should be sown directly where they are to flower later. The sowing itself is very simple and is as follows:

• Clear the soil of larger roots and stones
• Dig furrows about 1 cm deep
• Sow seeds about 10 cm apart
• Then always keep it moist
• Optimum germination temperature: 15 to 18 degrees Celsius
• Germination time: about 10 to 14 days

Fertilize

The fertilizing of the golden poppy is basically not necessary, because the nutrients contained in the soil are usually sufficient for the frugal little plant. However, if the soil is particularly poor, fertilization can still be useful. In this case, fertilizing with compost, horn shavings and some rock dust about six weeks after sowing is a good idea. For golden poppies in flower boxes, however, fertilizing is generally recommended, whereby the following should be observed:

• About every 30 days with liquid fertilizer
• Alternatively with long-term fertilizer
• sticks or cones

Pour

When it comes to water supply, it is better to be too dry than too wet. While the golden poppy copes quite well with dry periods, it does not tolerate waterlogging at all. As a rule, the natural rainfall is completely sufficient for the sleepyhead, only at summer drought, watering in the early morning or late evening hours is fine recommended. When watering, it is also important to ensure that the water is distributed directly to the root area. Anyone who cultivates the Californian poppy in the flower box should also pay attention to the following when watering:

• More frequent watering necessary
• Check soil surface every few days
• Water as soon as the layer of soil has dried by about 2-3 cm
• Remove excess water after about 20 minutes

Repotting / Transplanting

The gold poppy does not like transplanting at all, which is why this measure is not recommended. It is best sown directly at the location where it is to flower in the future.

Cut

A pruning in itself is not necessary for the California poppy, since it is usually cultivated as an annual plant anyway. However, it is advisable to remove the withered flowers regularly, as this promotes the formation of new flowers. However, if you live in a region with mild winters, you can cultivate the golden poppy as a perennial and leave the dead leaves directly in the bed, so that there is natural winter protection.

hibernate

Californian poppy is hardy down to -10 degrees Celsius and can be cultivated and overwintered as a perennial in regions with mild winters. For this purpose, the withered flowers are removed in autumn and the fallen leaves are cut off close to the ground in late winter. If necessary, the foliage can be used as winter protection, although foliage, straw, brushwood or a reed mat are also very suitable. During the winter, watering is recommended when there is a frost on mild days. With golden poppies in pots, however, the following measures are recommended to get the golden poppies through the winter safely:

• Root ball can freeze through outdoors
• Bring the potted plant to a frost-free winter quarters
• Location can also be dark
• Cut off all plant parts
• Water every now and then

propagation

If you want to multiply the golden poppy, you can do this extremely easily with seeds. There are several methods for doing this: On the one hand, the flowers can simply be left for self-sowing. On the other hand, the seeds can also be bought in stores or harvested yourself. The seeds themselves are found in cylinder-shaped pods that open on the long sides when ripe. As a rule, the small, dark seeds can be harvested in September and then dried and stored.

diseases and pests

Californian poppies are relatively resistant to diseases and pests. Fungal diseases such as powdery mildew can only occur in damp or too cold weather.

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