When to Sow Poppy Seeds by Zone
Sow poppies in late fall or very early spring in zones 1 to 6 and in fall in zones 7 to 10. Dates by zone for breadseed, Shirley, and California poppy.
Published by ThriveThyme
poppy flowers sowing by zone
Some outbound seed-house links may be affiliate links.
The Short Answer
Poppies grow best in cool weather and do not transplant well, so sow them where they will bloom.
- Zones 1 to 6: sow in late fall after the soil turns cold, or in very early spring as soon as you can work the soil. Seed sown in late fall stays in the ground and sprouts in spring.
- Zones 7 to 10: sow in fall. Seedlings grow through the cool months and bloom in spring.
Do not sow in August in cold zones. Seed that sprouts in late summer leaves small seedlings to face a hard winter.
Poppy Sowing Dates by Zone
These are ThriveThyme catalog windows. In zones 1 to 6, the fall window opens about three to four weeks after the zone's average first frost.
- Zone 1: late fall September 15 to October 15, or spring May 1 to June 15
- Zone 2: late fall September 25 to October 31, or spring April 20 to June 10
- Zone 3: late fall October 10 to November 15, or spring April 10 to May 30
- Zone 4: late fall October 20 to November 30, or spring April 1 to May 20
- Zone 5: late fall November 1 to December 1, or spring March 20 to May 15
- Zone 6: late fall November 10 to December 1, or spring March 10 to May 10
- Zone 7: fall September 10 to November 30, or spring March 1 to May 1
- Zone 8: fall September 20 to November 30, or spring February 15 to April 20
- Zone 9: fall October 1 to December 1, or spring February 1 to April 10
- Zone 10: fall October 15 to December 15, or spring January 15 to March 30
In spring, sow early in the window. Poppies grow slowly, and seed sown late flowers in summer heat on smaller plants. Find your frost dates on the first frost date page.
Which Poppies This Covers
- Breadseed poppy (Papaver somniferum): the poppy in the ThriveThyme catalog. See the breadseed poppy page.
- Shirley or corn poppy (Papaver rhoeas): same timing as breadseed poppy.
- California poppy (Eschscholzia californica): sow in fall where winters are mild and in early spring where winters are harsh.
- Oriental poppy (Papaver orientale) is a perennial. Plant or divide it in fall instead of sowing seed.
How to Sow Poppy Seed
- Mix the seed with fine sand so it spreads thin.
- Scatter it on bare, raked soil and cover with no more than 1/8 inch of soil. Poppy seed needs light to sprout.
- Keep the surface moist. Seedlings take about 2 weeks to come up in warm weather and about 4 weeks in cool weather.
- Thin to 4 to 6 inches apart before plants reach 6 inches tall.
- Do not move seedlings. Poppies resent root disturbance.
Next Steps
Plan the rest of the bed with flower seeds to sow in fall by zone. For another cool-season flower, see when to plant sweet peas by zone.