The weirdest thing - the ice cube poppies didn't sprout. There could be a few reasons for this, but it's probably the most obvious reason which is that the Internet is a big fat liar.
It really-really seemed like something that should work. Make a poppy ice cube, stomp it into the dirt, grow poppies.( Get yourself up to speed by reading this ice cube poppy planting post. )
I honestly don't know if the poppies I planted in the front yard just haven't germinated because of weather conditions, or because they're poppies and poppies are combative.
The seeds could have sprouted and then dried out from lack of rain or maybe it hasn't been quite warm enough. Either way I don't have any poppies.
Not quite willing to give up, I took the rest of the poppy ice cubes I had in the freezer (I didn't plant them all) and planted them in pots.
Ice Cube Poppies Take 2
- I put an ice cube in each section of a 4 cell pot. Pushed 'em right in there.
- Then I left them outside because the conditions should be good for them now.
- I covered them with a tray cover to keep them from drying out until they sprout?
I did it last night just before mixing myself a Diet Coke on ice and just after noticing the ice cubes were covered in freezer lice.
Turned out they were poppy seeds.
You can see a little portion of one of the planters I potted up last fall. That particular one is rammed full of daffodils. If you didn't do it last year, I am already pushing you to do it this fall. They haven't bloomed yet but I'm pretty sure they're going to be spectacular.
Would you like to save this stuff?
We'll email you this post, so you can refer to it later.
Speaking of the opposite of spectacular, the patch of soil where I planted the original poppy ice cubes is now covered in seedlings, they just aren't poppy seedlings. They're alyssum seedlings. Thousands of them. And yet. I planted an entire flat of alyssum - the world's most reliable self seeder.
I really did. You can see part of it just underneath the ice cube tray in the photo above.
Did I plant the filler greens for flower arranging I always say I'm going to? Don't be ridiculous. No.
I didn't have room because I was busy growing something I already have thousands of. This is known as:
Gardeners' Auto-Seedling Propagation Syndrome
(commonly known as G.A.S.P.)
Definition:
A horticultural syndrome characterized by excessive sowing of species already represented in surplus, often to the detriment of garden.
Symptoms:
- Sudden, overwhelming affection for seedlings already carpeting the garden.
- Complete amnesia regarding original planting intentions.
- Rationalizations such as “these ones are different” despite identical DNA.
- Temporary blindness to spatial limitations.
Treatment:
None. And it's progressive.
I'll keep you updated on the poppy plantings as the Spring season marches on.
Jim Shelburne
Hi Karen!
I tried the ice cube method myself, all the time wondering about something. If the seeds are frozen on TOP of the ice cubes, when you stomp them in the ground you create a little ice-cube-shaped cavern. As the ice cube melts, eventually the poppy seeds will find themselves at the BOTTOM of the little cavern, maybe an inch or two below the surface of the ground. With watering and rain they are going to end up way too deep for seeds that naturally surface-sow.
I may try the ice cube method again next year, but when I go to plant I will turn the ice cubes upside down and not stomp them into the surface. When the ice cube melts, that way the seeds will end up on the top of the ground, hopefully happy as a frozen seed can be. Does this make any sense at all?
Karen
Hi Jim! It does make sense. The ice cube does make a depression, but when it melts the seeds still sit on top of the soil. The depression doesn't fill in with soil. You could also just set the ice cube on the soil and not press it in. Poppies can take a long time to germinate so I haven't given up hope and I'll continue to check the area for possible sprouting. :) ~ karen!
Becca M
Currently coddling my new poppy from 100 seeds last year. Tiny but coming back! I did the mix with handful of sand and spread, but it’s just luck I think that it made it. Too bad on ice cubes I really thought it would be a winner.
GASP- my oxalis, sweet woodruff, and columbine. Be careful what you wish for. ;)
Karen
Oh yes, Columbine can go rogue SO quickly. I still have hope for my ice cube poppies, I'll keep checking them. ~ karen!
Terry Rutherford
Curses! I ordered more poppy seeds from Veseys just for this project. I’ve found poppies grow best from the previous year’s cast offs. Which helps not at all. (Returns icecube tray to the kitchen..) I too have but buy alyssum seeds every year. What’s not to like. As an aside, I just figured out how to put your Amazon.ca link as a tab beside my Amazon app such that I see it before i open the app. So those pennys should start rolling in to you!
Karen
Thanks Terry! Once people can buy homes off of Amazon, I'll start making some *real* affiliate money. ;) I haven't given up on the poppies - they can take ages to germinate but ... well, we'll see. ~ karen!
Linda Aussem
Poppies are like cats. They do whatever they want and wherever they want.
Becca M
LOL! So true.
Cara
Thank you for your honest comments regarding the poppy ice cube method.
I wanted to say that the one thing I curse myself for EVERY YEAR, at this time, is that I didn't make a garden chart of what comes up and where it comes up. I know in the past I've removed new green leaves forgetting I'd planted something new the previous year. This MUST stop. Any methods or ideas in this effort would be delightful. Thank you. Happy Spring.
Genevieve dee Gonsor
I put a little stick were I plant everything so I know a stick means something should come up in that spot.i do it with plants that die back too
JANET L KONECNY
Aw heck was hoping that was my answer to not getting poppies to germinate. I've been looking in my garden where I planted the ice cubes for some sign. NONE...LOL
Karen
I'm going to keep checking! Poppies are stubborn. ~ karen
Rachel
Central North Carolina here. That means that spring was well underway when I stomped my poppy cubes in as per instructions, right after I read your post. In a bare spot that had been left behind by a tarp. The alyssum I threw down sprouted. The cosmos did too. But the poppies - zip. High hopes for this experiment ended in defeat. I have had luck winter sowing poppies. I just didn’t get to it this year. Maybe next year. Thanks for the fun experiment even if it failed. (Are you getting kickbacks from the poppy seed cartel?
Karen
We are going to continue to hope for our poppies. I haven't checked for a week, so I'm going to go out and look today again. I will probably continue to check with hope until next spring like a typically optimistic yet stupid gardener.😆 ~ karen!
Wendy
I scattered my seeds in the garden then let the ice storm pound them into the soil. That didn’t work either. 🤷♀️
Karen
Maybe we just need another ice storm. Just one more - maybe THAT's the trick to poppies. TWO ice storms. ~ karen!
Sioban Mccoy
Hi from Tuscany! (I highly recommend vacationing here).
My ice cube poppies, at home in Virginia US, also did nothing.
And I have about 10,000 columbine seedlings waiting for me when I already have too many growing in my limited space. I think I am going to have to open a garden center.
Thanks for the laugh today.
Nilima Srikantha
Too Bad. . .it seems logical.I guess I'll try it anyway. It's the only sunny spot I have in the yard and I have the seeds. If they don't grow, they don't grow. I'll let you know!
Judi
I certainly hope yours sprout! Mine are in the freezer and will be stomping them this weekend! I think I resemble that gasp affliction lol.