Poppy

Second followup:
This is another followup on the oriental poppies. After experiencing so much disappointment with them, I did a little research. Normally, I do this research prior to even purchasing a plant, but I 'assumed' that the Oriental Poppy required about the same care as the California Poppies that I've had such good luck with. Not so!

The orientals require a 'sweeter' soil (ph) and they don't like mulch up close to their stems. Needless to say, I pulled the mulch back from the stems; checked the ph (which was indeed low) then added some hydrated lime to the soil and watered it in good.

I think these poor cultivation practices along with the wet, cold winter we had all attributed to the bloom rot. I have new pods coming on now - and just pray that these are better than the last ones.

First follup:
In an earlier post I stated that this is my first year with Oriental Poppies.And I am quite disappointed at this point. ALL blooms, with the exception of the first one, have rotted prior to opening. The plants look fantastic, but a rotted bloom just ain't pretty.

I'll find out what causes this - meanwhile, if you know why this is happening, please share it with me.