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growing poppies from seed

 
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I have a number of good size, mature poppies in my yard in about half a dozen colors. Last year I gathered seed from some of the pods, and have started them in my greenhouse. I had good germination rates, but the stems are very spindly. The plants are about 2" high with large green leaves, and they look quite healthy. However, they are all falling over because the first inch of each stem from the ground on up is almost threadlike. Anybody have an idea what is going on here? (I can provide a picture if necessary.)

 
pollinator
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Location: Mid-Atlantic, USDA zone 7
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Poppies always make me think of In Flanders Fields...

Try a quick image search for damping off.  If the stem is discolored and thread-like, it may be that they have this fungal infection.  Perhaps too much water lately?  

Otherwise, if it is in a greenhouse, perhaps they could benefit from a little more breeze to become sturdier.  Plants need a little stress in their life to grow stronger, just like people.
 
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Location: Cache Valley, zone 4b, Irrigated, 9" rain in badlands.
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I usually associate spindly with insufficient light.
 
pollinator
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Location: Dry mountains Eastern WA
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I do not have good success transplanting poppies.  I direct seed them. Every time I direct seed they are lovely.  If I move or transplant them they are half as nice as it takes them forever to recover.  

I’m agreeing with all of the above although I wonder also too much heat?  Not enough air circulation which causes damping off…too much water causes spindly or too heavy a potting mix for seedlings results in too much water.


 
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I agree with direct seeding advice. I just scattered a bunch of store bought culinary poppy seeds in a flower bed and got plenty of healthy plants and flowers.
 
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