I planted a few here last year and I guess they like this spot
I’m ready!
Yes it is addictive. It contains morphine. Please don’t get addicted to it. I’m old and been using it very seldom for many years. I’m fortunate to have that willpower and stability in life. Side effects include nausea and sleepiness, and it is probably possible to OD. I make a cup of tea from 5 average sized pods. Not a very strong dose. Tastes horrible. If you want to learn more look for a free PDF of the book Opium for the Masses.
Opium poppies are hard to grow as a gardener bc they are one of those plants that thrive on neglect. They seem to only grow by accident. But ya they’re easy to find seeds. Lauren’s Grape is a common variety that contains opium.
I’m the the US, and opium poppies are legal to grow and harvest but it is illegal to slice the pods to harvest opium. As far as I know there is no law against making tea from pods and it’s just an easy way to do it. Also once you recognize the shape of opium poppy pod (different shape from oriental poppy and corn poppy) you will see them in garden all over. Sometimes I’ve just asked nicely and been given them.
Seeds can be bought anywhere super easy. Papaver somniferum. Online or at garden centers. I like to wait until the pods dry out and then make a tea from them
Don’t tell the Gunslinger!
Am I sensing some judgement from Satans Maggoty Cum Fart? 🤣🤣
lol! I actually use it when I fly. I get so stiff in my back on a long flight, so I take some poppy tea and then I can just sleep and it’s wonderful.
Not these ones. But I do grow those too 🤫
For literature I find 100 years of Solitude to be without equal. An absolute joy to read.
For nonfiction I have learned so much from 1491. It was recommended to me by a friend though I have never heard of it elsewhere. The premise is that basically everything we think about Native Americans before Columbus arrived is wrong. I could go on but here is one tidbit: we tend to think of Native Americans as peoples without government. Now of course there are so many different groups of peoples all over the Americas and across so many eras it’s foolish to even think of them as being this way or that way because who and when are you referring to? But there were many types of government. In fact the Incas were total bureaucrats! Anyway I’m doing a poor job selling it i know but it’s a great read.
For self-help try How to Win Friends and Influence People. I know the title sounds like it’s a guide to manipulation but it’s really not. It’s 100 years old but still holds up so well. Times change, but people don’t, you know what I mean? People 100 years later still appreciate it when you remember their name and look them in the eye and make time to listen.
Well I have hope. It might be unlikely but that doesn’t make it impossible. And if it ever happens that one is officially captured or whatever I want you to remember me.
Sister you might want to sit down for this surprising info: Bigfoot isn’t real. The thylacine is. And extinct animals are rediscovered regularly. Like the Galapagos tortoise that was officially extinct for 113 years and the Voeltzkows Chameleon was extinct for 107. The University of Queensland considers it “highly probable” that the thylacine was still alive at least until the 90s based on video and photograph evidence, which again- Bigfoot isn’t real. The thylacine is. So it’s apples and oranges to try and make that comparison between them. Even the ivory billed woodpecker has just last year been likely photographed again. Like am I crazy here? Thylacine isn’t a cryptid. It just hasn’t been seen in a long time. Have you heard of the coelacanth? We only knew about it from fossil evidence until a fisherman found one living!
Good news! There have been sightings and paw prints found. She’s out there!
Woops. Not Apple. Warner music group
The variety is Homemade Pickles by Territorial Seed Co
This variety is called homemade pickles. I waiting until the first hot day of summer, which was June 8. I poured 1/2 cup of complete organic fertilizer into three spots each, then mixed it up with the soil. Then I billed those three spots up into low mounds 2 inches high and 18 inches wide. Then I watered the soil. After watering I pushed my fist deep into the middle of the hill and laid 5 seeds on top and sprinkled dry soil over. I DID NOT WATER until they sprouted, then I watered. As the days got hotter I laid down straw and watered wider and wider around avoiding the stem and the leaves. They just made the first male flower today. I’ll side dress fertilizer tomorrow. Hoping to can a years worth of pickles
The plants in front of them are called huazontle, a Mexican vegetable related to lambs ears.
I am making this post because after years of frustration, I have finally learned how to do it consistently. Most sources say that Papaver Somniferum needs to be cold stratified and have light to germinate and this is basically false. Forget about the cold part, that's completely unnecessary. Get a wet paper towel and squeeze out all the water. Lay it out and put the seeds on top. You can lightly mist the seeds but I don't think you have to. Put the paper towel with seeds on top into a ziploc and seal it. Put the bag on the counter in a bright room in your house. Not in direct sunlight, and keep it at room temp. The seeds will begin to open in 2-3 days.
Then drop those seeds onto the soil in a large pot. Lightly sprinkle some soil over them. Put the pot outside and keep it moist by misting it gently. If it's too hot outside to keep the soil moist, you can put the pot in a shady spot. They will sprout in another 2 days. Then move into the sun.
Poppies thrive on neglect. Don't overwater them, don't fertilize, and make sure that the soil drains very well. You don't want fertile soil for this. They would grow like dandelions out of a crack in the sidewalk and be happy. Just when they first begin to make buds, give them Calmag or something similar. I use lime and bonemeal.
The poppies are the most potent 10-14 days after the petals drop off. Look for a brown line to appear just under the round part of the pod. Look at the photo I posted. Do you see that brown line under the pod? That's NOT the one you're looking for. This brown line will appear ABOVE that line, right where the round pod tapers to it's 'neck'.
For years I tried leaving them out all winter, or putting them in the fridge, and nothing worked nearly as well as this method. Now that you're growing them on your schedule you can grow them in 3 seasons. The seeds are easy to purchase online. Look for one called Lauren's Grape. It's beautiful. In the US it's legal to grow them, but illegal to harvest opium from them- so don't do that.
What the heck? Is this normal?
Getting ready to change out the greens and garlic for cabbages and beets.
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Some of you may die, but that is a sacrifice I am willing to make