I'm new to gardening and recently bought a house in zone 3a. I started some poppy seeds indoors at the end of April, and they're looking like they might flower soon! I want to transfer them outside, but they're a little leggy. I'm considering trimming the bottom leaves and planting them deeper, but I'm worried about harming them. Does anyone have tips for safely planting poppies in an outdoor garden? Also, will they grow back in my zone?
1 Answer
If you ended up with perennial poppies, good news—they should come back in your zone! Just make sure to harden them off before planting them in the ground. That means gradually introducing them to outdoor conditions over a week or so. But when planting, you should consider how deep to plant them: generally, going a little deeper will help those leggy stems, but trim off only the very bottom leaves if you do. Good luck!
How deep can I plant them? They are quite leggy.

You can usually plant them around 1-2 inches deep! Just make sure they have enough support. Watch them closely after planting.