Digging an Oriental Poppy to Re-Plant. 1.19.15

Oriental Poppy before digging.  1.19.15

Oriental Poppy.  Large hole.  1.19.15

 I dug this oriental poppy to move to the Battleground place.  It's about 13 years old, from seed.  It has been moved once before.

I dug around it like I would a tree, slice vertically into the ground.  Then dig around those slices, in a circle, removing the soil.  Then slice under it, and lift the clump out of the soil.

All came up as one piece.  I think I got the vast majority of roots.  It should survive, and possibly bloom, this year.

I placed the clump into a very large flowerpot.  I am without car today and tomorrow, then can take it to Battleground.

My grandfather liked growing Oriental Poppies.  So I have them partly to remember him.

I also dug up a large clump of daffodils.  Same method.  If careful, they move without a problem, and there is nice bloom the first Spring, as if they were in the new location for years.  More of those to follow.   Transferring as much as I can, little bit by little bit, to the Battleground place.

I think I got almost all of the roots.  1.19.15

Propagating an oriental poppy. 12.29.14

P. orientale root divisions.  12.27.14

 I don't know if these will grow or die.  My intent was to dig up and move an entire clump of Papaver orientale, intact.  I ort of remember my grandfather growing them, but those may have been Papaver somniferum - an entirely different species.  P. somniferum is opium poppy, I think it's not a good idea to grow that one. 

Back to the oriental poppy, P. orientale, these were raised by seeds planted 13 years ago.   They became a big clump.  I wanted to move it to the Battleground border.  When I dug it up, it separated into big roots, like horse radish.  This has been a mild winter.  They have soem green leaves even now.

They are already dug up.  I separated and planted each root section.  If they grow, they grow.  If not, I know this doesn't work.


I did read that oriental poppies can be propagated via root cuttings.  Image is this poppy clump, Ma 22, 2013.

Walk around the yard.

Poppies

Some of the poppy seeds I planted last fall have grown into plants and are starting to bloom.  Most are Shirley poppies.  They are randomly planted around the yard, mostly in tree circles and by fence posts.  Nice sight.

The Rose of Sharon I moved last fall and for much of the winter and spring thought I had killed, is growing nicely now.  I anticipate flowers this summer.  Charlie agrees.

Sambucus nigra "Black Lace" is a pretty large shrub or small tree.  It's an Elderberry.  This shrub counts as ornamental as well as belonging in the orchard.

One ginkgo seed has sprouted.  Of the couple dozen I planted last fall.  Did an animal eat the others? Or slow.  Or dead.

The neighbor's Ceanothus (California lilac) is in full bloom and humming with bees.  Bumblebees, tiny pollinating bees, and honeybees.  I was impressed.  So I went to Tsugawa nursery mainly in hopes of finding a Ceanothus.  Which I did, and planted reasonably near the beehive.

Rose of Sharon

Sambucus nigra Black Lace

Ginkgo biloba seedling

Ceanothus and honeybees

Bearded Irises in Bloom.

Sunny Disposition 1989, Accent 1952, Bumblebee Deelite 1986

Accent 1952

 Irises in bloom.  These photos were from a few days ago.  It's raining too much today.  All of these were divided and replanted last year.  From clumps that were filled with grass and not blooming.  After dividing and replanting, I watered multiple times in the summer with 1/4 teaspoon per gallon of Miracle Gro for tomatoes.  Not organic.  But no pesticide or herbicide.  I considered this intensive care for these irises.  It worked well.  They recovered very well.  This method was successful.  The clumps are each in a tree circle of edging to keep out grass.  That helps a lot.

Sunny Disposition.  One of the first ones I grew.  There are starts of this one around the yard, and at the Battleground place.  Sunny Disposition is fragrant.  It blooms despite neglect.  It sometimes falls over in the rain.

Accent.  Identified via HIPS website.  Accent is reliable, rugged, takes neglect, and does not fall over in the rain.

Bumblebee Deelite.  Much smaller.  These have also multiplied and grow nicely.  I planted them in the fence rows at the Battleground place.   None of those bloomed this year.  It's a cute variety.

Redondo.  Doesn't look anything like the web photo.  Red type colors do not come true in photos and the internet.  This is also a smaller variety.  It was an early bloomer.

Immortality.  As of last year, considered a heritage variety.  Lush white flower.  I'm glad it recovered.

Gay Parasol.  Nice with a light fragrance.  Will either keep  here or add to heritage varieties at Battleground.

Pink Bubbles.  A border variety.  The leaves were not vigorous but the flowers are nice.  Also a heritage variety that I might move to the Battleground place, but also like here.

Edith Wolford.  Not a heritage variety yet.  This clump recovered very well with the treatment above.  Many flower spikes and each with multiple flowers.  Very nice.

Red Oriental Poppy.  I grew these from seeds in about 2002.  They needed a year or two to bloom.  I've moved them once since establishment.  Lush and bright.  Nice.   Last winter I read about growing Papaver somniferum, and found seeds at Portland Nursery.  Then I read about potential legal problems with growing that species.  So I didn't grow those.  Papaver orientalis is just as lush, and no legal issues.

Redondo 2000

Immortality 1982

Gay Parasol 1974, Pink Bubbles 1980

Edith Wolford 1986, Gay Parasol, Pink Bubbles

Red Poppy

Family tradition flower: Oriental poppy

This is only a family tradition flower because I remember my grandfather growing them from seeds, so I did as well. However, it's not an actual "heritage" or "heirloom" plant, because I bought the seeds. My father told me that he tried growing opium poppies, Papaver somniferum, without success. This was in a much different era from today, and it was legal to grow opium poppies. For that matter, it might still be legal to grow opium poppies, but I'll stick with the Papaver orientalis.

Last year, I moved these from a less suitable location. I was concerned, due to a reputation for difficult transplantation. They did indeed not prosper last year, but they survived. This year there are many flower buds on this plant, and a few on a second plant. The original location also now has 2 small poppy plants, from root fragments that were broken in the digging up process. Those are accidental root cuttings, or may have grown from seeds that fell from prior flowers. These were grown from seed, which is what makes them "heritage" for me (a family heritage of growing poppies from seed, not that the actual variety is heritage). These poppies grew for several years before blooming, but are now quite prolific and beautiful. These buds are growing fast. I expect full fledged poppies in a month. Even though Papaver orientalis is not a source of opium, it is a source of thebaine, which is used to make oxymorphone - the ingredient in the powerful narcotic, Opana. So far I have not seen people in the yard licking these plants. My suspicion is that, being ornamental varieties, the thebaine is in such a small amount that it would be useless for anyone to try. 'Hey - get out of my yard!"

What's blooming?

There are flowers everywhere. The dogwood finished, daffodils and tulips are long gone. The next wave is either "late Spring" or "Early summer".

More of "Edith Wolford" Iris.

The "Rustled Rose", grape-scent.

"Tamara" rose. 1st flower.

Clematis


Alstroemeria.

Red Poppies. The digital camera doesn't do justice with how red these really are. Seed grown, now in their 7th year.