Tips on How to Plant and Grow Iceland Poppies
- 1). Spread compost over a sunny, well-drained garden bed. Turn the compost into the top 6 inches of soil as it aids drainage. Iceland poppies cannot grow well in waterlogged soils.
- 2). Mix the poppy seeds with an equal amount of sand. The seeds are exceptionally small, making it difficult to individually sow them. The sand helps prevent overseeding.
- 3). Sprinkle the seed and sand mixture over the garden bed in a thin layer. Cover the seeds with a 1/8-inch layer of soil.
- 4). Mist the soil surface with water. Use a fine spray to prevent washing away the small Iceland poppy seeds. Mist the soil as needed to maintain moisture until germination, which takes approximately two weeks.
- 5). Thin the poppies once they are approximately 1 inch tall and have two leaves each. Pluck out the excess plants until they are spaced about 10 inches apart.
- 6). Water the poppies only during dry periods when the ground begins to dry at a 4-inch depth. Iceland poppies are drought tolerant, and too much water can kill them.
- 7). Remove the spent flower heads as soon as they begin to wilt. Old flower removal encourages the poppies to produce new flower buds.
