Petals & Roots: Sowing Icelandic Poppy Seeds in January will Give Your Cut Flower Garden a Head Start on Spring

Admittedly, few jobs seem appealing in the garden in January, but it's a time when I love to escape to the shed, even for just a few minutes, quieten my thoughts and sow some flower seeds. I find it a very hopeful thing to do when we are waiting for the sunlight to return to our yards.

Sowing Icelandic poppy seeds in January is a wonderful way to get ahead of the season and enjoy these florist-favorite flowers earlier in the year. I personally have loved these ethereal flowers for many years, using them in a lot of my floral design work for their unapologetic curves and large, paper-like pastel blooms that look unbelievably delicate but are in fact are surprisingly strong.

By sowing flower seeds in January, plants are ready to go out as soon as conditions allow in early spring, which often results in longer stems and a more generous flowering period. In this recent episode of Petals & Roots, I show you exactly how to do it, and the small amount of kit you need for the job.

What You Need to Sow Iceland Poppy Seeds

• Icelandic poppy seeds; I love this 'champagne bubbles' seed mix from True Leaf market, as it contains all my favorite shades
• A cardboard seed tray– these are the ones I use, bought from Amazon
• Seed compost, available from Amazon, or an organic seed starting mix
• Plant labels and a pencil
• A small watering can; this one from Amazon is ideal

How to Sow Icelandic Poppy Seeds

While they’re hardy enough to be direct sown later on, starting Icelandic poppy seeds now under cover allows seedlings to establish slowly and steadily while the garden is still dormant.

Once you have everything prepared for seed sowing you can find a quiet moment and get started.

Start by placing a few handfuls of seed compost into your seed tray, and tap it on your bench or table a few times to level it out.

All poppy seeds are absolutely tiny, so you may need a magnifying glass to be able to see them all individually. Tip some into the palm of your hand, or into a small bowl if you find that easier, and then place one seed into each plug within your seed tray.

You don't need to cover them with any compost, as they need the light in order to germinate.

I always label my seedlings to not forget what they are. I've made this seed sowing mistake too many times, and now understand the importance of not relying on memory alone when you are sowing lots of different varieties of flower.

Once you have given them a light watering, you can place them in a bright, frost-free greenhouse, cold frame or even a light windowsill in your potting shed is ideal. You do not, however, need to bring them inside.

Icelandic poppies dislike root disturbance, so sowing these into individual pots or cardboard root trainers in January gives each plant space to develop and means you can plant them directly into the soil in the cardboard.

The cooler conditions at this time of year suit them perfectly, helping to produce compact, sturdy plants rather than soft, leggy growth that can occur with later sowings.

This early start also spreads the workload of the growing season and ensures these delicate, tissue-paper blooms are among the first to bring colour back into the garden after winter.

For more flower seed inspiration, find out what your birth month flower seed is, and see if you can plant a few of those in the winter months, to look forward to come the summer.

Icelandic Poppy Seed Sowing Kit

Petals & Roots is a weekly video series fronted by me, Rachel Bull, Head of Gardens at Homes & Gardens. Every weekend on social, I share my seasonal gardening and flower arranging expertise and advice.