Description
Water poppies should be planted in rich soil along pond margins or in shallow fresh water (pH 6.5-7.5). They prefer less than 15cm (6″) of water but can survive in depths up to 40cm (16″). Water poppies should be planted on pond bottoms in containers or wet loam—a fertile mud composed of equal parts sand, silt, and clay. If using a container, the bottom two-thirds should be filled with special aquatic soil (not lightweight potting mix) and the roots spread out over top. More aquatic soil should then be added so the base of the stem is in around 2.5cm (1″) of soil. If planted in pond margins, water poppies will grow outward onto the water’s surface with floating stems.
