Champagne Bubbles Mix (Poppy)

(15 in/38 cm) F1 hybrid. Biennial through zones 6a-8b (mid US). Frost tolerance to -10°F/-23°C. Plants bloom first year from seed, have strong stems, and improved colors. Primed seed. A mix of orange, pink, scarlet, white and yellow blooms with pale yellow centers.

DWARF POPPY (Nudicauls)

Biennial 10 in/25 cm

Both Allegro (the open pollinated strain) and Pizzicato Mix are true genetic dwarf versions of the Nudicaule or the Iceland Poppy type. This species is normally quite hardy in most parts of the U.S.A. and Southern Canadian regions. Therefore it is often called a "Perennial". It may also be used as an annual bedding plant or pot plant because it flowers from a Dec./Feb. greenhouse sowing by May/June for bedding plant sales.

CULTURE: For 4 in/10 cm pots sow in a greenhouse in Sept. for Feb. blooms, or Dec./Feb. as a bedding plant. Germinate seed @ 65-75°F/18-24°C for 12-16 days. Press the fine seed into the surface, use fine peat moss, do not cover the seed with soil because it needs light to germinate. About 2-3 weeks after sowing transplant tiny seedlings into larger flats or boxes, space plants 1 in/2.5 cm apart both ways. Handle tender root systems with care - they are easy to damage when transplanting. Grow plants cooler at 60°F/16°C for 40 days - then transplant a second time into 2.5 in/7 cm pots @ one or two plants per pot. Two or three weeks later, transplant a third time into 4 in./l 0 cm pots, using sandy, rich, well drained soil and grow plants in a sunny but cool part of the greenhouse. Never let the greenhouse temperature rise above 60°F/16°C for these plants! High temperatures will cause excessive growth and spindly flower stems that will be unable to support the large 4 in/10 cm single blooms at full maturity. Mature plants thrive and will bloom earlier under sunny, cool greenhouse conditions, if night temps. are kept at 45-50°F/7-l0°C.

NOTE: This species will not tolerate the hot summers of central and southern U.S.A. Plants perform best in semi shaded cool areas with morning sun and afternoon shade. Mature plants should be transplanted into massed beds or larger 2 gallon containers.