In the wild, California poppy grows in California. It even appears on the California coat of arms. The dry and hot climate of this part of America has conditioned these hardy plants to thrive in dry, sandy, and loamy soils. The plant bears little resemblance to poppy, but it does indeed belong to the papaveraceae family. But the delicate green foliage truly resembles wormwood, so intricately carved are they. It's as if a cloud with orange stars is lurking in the flowerbed.
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Features of cultivation
Growing in dry soils, California poppy has developed the ability to root deeply. This is why it doesn't tolerate transplanting; its roots are long and branch poorly. Therefore, California poppy is planted directly into the ground from seeds once the soil has warmed. The period from sowing to flowering lasts thirty to forty days. California poppy blooms almost all summer, from June to October, as long as the weather is warm.
Soil
As you can see, no special soil preparation is required. However, it's important to keep in mind that California poplar grows in warm, sunny climates, so its planting location should be sunny, and the soil should be dry, not damp and acidic.
Sowing seeds
The seeds ripen in the fall and fall. They germinate successfully the following spring. That's why some gardeners have adapted to sowing California poppy seeds in the fall, under the snow. Seedlings can appear in ten to fourteen days. We wait until three or four leaves appear, and then thin out the seedlings.
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Watering and fertilizing
Eschscholzia is very easy to care for. As for watering, the key is to not let the soil dry out. It's best to water as needed, in the evening, when the buds have folded their petals. Incidentally, the buds close even in cloudy and rainy weather. So this flower is something of a weather forecaster.
Weeding eschscholzia is done while it's young; once the plant begins to branch and spread, weeds can't withstand this life on their own and stop growing in the bed. To prolong flowering and prevent self-seeding, it's best to remove spent flower heads. Self-seeding is very convenient, but over time, you'll only have orange eschscholzia plants growing in your garden.
Eschscholzia doesn't like being fertilized with manure, so don't "please" it with it. In dry weather, it's susceptible to spider mites. For prevention, water it as needed. Eschscholzia looks very attractive on the first tier of flower arrangements.
Because California poppy is related to the poppy, it also contains alkaloids. Its medicinal use is associated with the treatment of sleep disorders, urinary incontinence, and nervous disorders in children.
Planting through seedlings
There are many expensive varieties of California poppy on sale these days, but the amount of seeds in packets is usually meager, and it's a shame to sow them directly into the ground, so we grow them from seedlings using peat tablets.
Soak the tablets in a container; they will soon grow into columns, into which you can place one seed at a time. Sprinkle with soil, spray with water, and cover with a transparent plastic bag. In about two weeks, the seeds will sprout. They require a temperature of 15-18 degrees Celsius (59-64 degrees Fahrenheit). Once sprouts appear, remove the cover and place them closer to light and warmth (around 20 degrees Celsius). If the tablets begin to settle, moisten them again, being careful not to leave excess water in the tray. After 12-14 days, add a fertilizer such as Agrucola to the watering, and harden off before planting in the garden.