Can I trim poppies after they are done blooming?

Question

Can I trim my poppies after they are done blooming or should I just leave them? If I can trim them, how far back do I go?

What about bleeding hearts?

Answer 1

Poppies often drop their seeds when their done blooming. If you want more poppies next year, simply leave the heads on the plants. You could trim most of them and just leave a few to set seed. As far as how much to trim, I'd trim just the heads at first and trim the foliage after it's turned yellow and died back. Bleeding hearts can safely be cut back after the foliage has started to turn yellow and die back also.

Answer 2

Assuming you mean Oriental Poppies? (Relax Calif. dude!) They'll come back better if you wait 'til they start to turn yellow . That said , one of my customers insists on yanking them out , about now . They always come back fine .I always leave a few to go to seed, just in case. They've been there for at least 80 years , so should be enough seed in the soil, even if the plants die. If yours have been there at least 8-10 years, probably safe to trim them . If they are <5 years , I'd leave 'em alone . You could lay 'em down , if that helps .

Answer 3

No! Do not cut the dead flowers. I'm assuming you are talking about the California poppy and its cultivars. Poppies are annuals and next years crop will come from the seeds of this years dried flowers.

Answer 4

I never trim mine, so I don't know.

My favourite solution to their post-bloom decline is to plant them with other plants which get big and peak later in the summer. Like dahlias or montbretias. Or even vegetables like kale and squash.

Answer 5

I usually cut the flower stem back to a leaf. Soon the whole plant will die back and be unsightly anyway.

Answer 6

NOT IN CALIFORNIA!!!! It is illegal to even pick poppies in this state because it is the state flower.

Answer 7

no dont do that it will harm the plant and might no grow again