Himalayan Poppy (meconopsis)

2024 Author: Gavin MacAdam | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:38

The blue poppy or meconopsis can be known to flower growers by its other names (Himalayan poppy, Tibetan). It was first cultivated as a decorative flower in England. But his homeland is the Himalayas. In some countries and regions, such a culture is considered a symbol of happiness and harmony

Meconopsis is a herbaceous plant of the dicotyledonous type. It belongs to the Buttercup or Poppy family. There are many different species of this plant, the height of which varies from ten centimeters to one meter. Most blue poppy varieties are monocarpic, that is, crops that enter the flowering phase and bear fruit only once in their entire life.

The Himalayan poppy is presented in the form of a shrub with numerous large-sized rosettes of gray-green leaves. The stem has a velvety texture, as it is slightly covered with fluff, which can be white, yellow or orange. The flowering period for this plant is observed only one month. The milky juice secreted by such a flower contributed to the introduction of the Himalayan poppy into the category of poisonous crops.

How to grow blue poppies in the garden?

It is best to buy meconopsis seeds from specialized flower shops. If the grower carries out the growing process on his own, then you need to choose one of the methods among cuttings, dividing the bush and sowing seeds. Purchased planting material should be stratified in advance. For this purpose, they are laid out on prepared wet gauze or a cotton towel. The seeds are covered with the same cloth from above, after which they are packed in a foil or polyethylene bag. In this position, they should be in the refrigerator for about forty days. The optimum temperature is zero or four degrees Celsius.

The very planting of the blue poppy is carried out in late summer or early autumn, if it is planned to plant it in a greenhouse structure. In another situation, the process must be completed at the end of February.

To grow meconopsis using seeds, you should make your own soil mixture based on fertile soil from the garden. It (soil) should be slightly acidic or neutral. In order to remove weeds and their parts, such soil should be cultivated with steam. Next, you need to pour the top layer of peat and river coarse sand in different parts. The layer thickness is from five to eight millimeters.

Before planting, the soil will need to be slightly moistened. The addition of novosil solution, sodium humate or root root to the soil will help to increase the germination properties of seeds. The planting material should be placed at the top of the soil, pressing it slightly inward - two millimeters. You do not need to sprinkle it with earth.

It is best to choose wide boxes and containers for planting. It is convenient to cover them with plastic or glass. Diffuse light should be observed in the growing area. The florist needs to take care of preventing the soil from drying out. Watering plants is carried out by drip. In general, seed germination of meconopsis occurs very slowly - up to three months. Until the sprouts appear, the temperature in the room with the Himalayan poppy should be thirteen to fourteen degrees.

In order for meoconopsis to grow more actively, it is required to spray every week with epin and apply at the root before oxyquin transplantation. Then the black leg of the flower will not be scary.

After the formation of sprouts, after three weeks, when the second true leaf is already formed, a pick of the seedlings should be performed. For this, individual plant specimens are transplanted into individual cups. It is important that there is a drainage layer at the bottom of the container. After a few more days, it is necessary to feed the Himalayan poppy with a fertilizer complex.

Planting in open ground in relation to meconopsis is performed only when there is no threat of ground frost. The distance between the specimens when planting is thirty-five to forty centimeters. Also, transplant the blue poppy very carefully so as not to damage the clod of earth. The time for the procedure is more suitable for the end of summer and the beginning of autumn. The next year, meconopsis can be planted in the spring. As a rule, the culture pleases its owner with flowering only in the second or third year.