How to Care for a California Poppy Garden
- 1). Spray or sprinkle your poppy garden with water frequently during the first three to four weeks after planting. The tiny California poppy seeds are covered with just ¼ inch of fine dirt when planted, so they dry out quickly. Turn the spray nozzle on a garden hose to a mist setting or gently wave a full watering can over the soil to prevent puddling that can displace the seeds or drown the seedlings when they emerge.
- 2). Water the poppy garden occasionally after the plants reach 2 to 3 inches high, particularly if there is an extended period of dry weather. To extend California poppy's blooming season, increase your watering frequency after the flowers have been in bloom for about three to four weeks.
- 3). Pull weeds from around young poppy plants before they become large enough to crowd out the flowers. Initial garden bed preparation includes removal of weeds, but some may reappear during the first month when you are keeping the soil moist. Thereafter, the poppy's foliage will shade the ground, reducing the chance for weed seeds to germinate.
- 4). Spread a 1-inch layer of mulch loosely around the California poppy plants when they reach 3 to 4 inches high. Use grass clippings, straw, shredded leaves or wood chips to help retain moisture in the soil and suppress weed growth.
- 5). Sprinkle a thin layer of compost around the California poppy plants when they begin blooming. If you worked compost into the garden bed before planting the seeds, there should be sufficient nutrients in the soil to support a full season's growth, but additional compost partway through the season may promote fuller foliage and flowering.
- 6). Remove old poppy plants from your garden only after they cease to bloom, have wilted and start to brown. This allows the dry flower heads to release seeds into your garden. With frequent watering, new California poppy plants may emerge and grow to provide another round of colorful flowers in late summer or fall.
