Grow Your Own Poppy - Better Taste and Aroma

In short: Sow poppy seeds in early spring and no later than April, 1.5 to 2 cm deep and 30 to 40 cm apart, in nutrient-rich sandy-loam soil. Plants reach up to 1.5 m and flower from June to August. Harvest heads when the seeds rustle, cutting 10 to 15 cm of stem, and dry them under a roof.

Poppy Brought Sleep in the Middle Ages

Opium poppy (lat. Papaver somniferum) is an annual plant that is both a widely cultivated agricultural crop and a medicinal plant. Poppy is primarily known from the food industry and pharmaceutical industry.

Today's opium poppy is a descendant of the wild form of the prickly poppy. Opium poppy originally comes from Asia. It is grown in fields, gardens and farmlands. Its Latin name papaver was already known to the Romans, while the Greeks called it mékón. The word somniferum from the Latin name is derived from the word somnus, which means sleep, and ferre, which translates as to bring.

We distinguish 2 types of poppy:

• oil poppies - in our region commonly known as slepáky with dark blue seeds.

• opium poppies - have a well-developed system of lactiferous vessels that produce large amounts of sap called latex

Opium poppy differs from the wild form of corn poppy mainly in flower color. Cultivated poppy has white flowers with a purple spot and wild poppy has bright red flowers. Wild-growing poppy, when spreading into opium poppy beds, can grow as a weed, but it looks beautiful.

A History Full of Opium

Historical sources indicate that tiny poppy seeds, as well as poppy capsules, were found during archaeological research even at Neolithic pile dwellings, which proves its presence in Central Europe as early as 2000 years ago. The Sumerians worshipped poppy as a cult plant in 3000 BC. Already in Mesopotamia, they used opium from it. (Opium is a raw material used by the pharmaceutical industry to produce important medicines).

Poppy contains 26 different alkaloids. The most important of these are codeine, morphine and papaverine. In ancient Egypt, poppy was used as a sedative for treating injuries, various types of cramps, and for treating skin diseases. In ancient Greece, poppy was associated with the god of sleep, and poppy smoking was connected with various rituals.

In Homer's legendary works Odyssey and Iliad, we find mention of poppy as a food. The medicinal effects of the milky sap were also known to advanced civilizations such as the Arabs and Chinese. Later authors state that poppy was used for medical purposes. A typical example is Galen, who in his work from the 1st century states that the juice from poppy capsules - opium was still the most effective and strongest medicine.

In the Middle Ages, opium poppy was cultivated based on instructions from Charlemagne as a garden plant. Slavic nations remember the poppy plant in their folk tales, superstitions and songs. In a statistical description of Hungary, it is said that "Slovaks are very fond of poppy dishes and always set aside a piece of land for its cultivation."

In the past, people added it to flour-based dishes and cakes. Old cookbooks contain recipes for poppy seed soup. At the beginning of the 19th century, poppy began to be cultivated as an oil crop on a large scale. Historical sources indicate that in the territory of former Hungary, specifically in its part in Slovakia, a lot of poppy was grown, which made it an important oil crop.

Between the two wars, Czechoslovakia was the second largest poppy producer among European countries, just behind Hungary. For this reason, poppy breeding began in our territory after World War II.

Czechs as the Poppy Elite

In the Czech lands and Slovakia, opium poppy has been cultivated long-term. The Czech Republic is even the largest grower of poppy for food purposes.

In pharmacy, poppy varieties containing high levels of morphine-type alkaloids are used, from which analgesics are later produced. In the food industry, confectionery, and bakery, varieties with very low alkaloid content are used.

In many countries, poppy may be grown under strict conditions regulated by specific legislation to prevent potential misuse of poppy plants for illegal purposes. However, the rules differ from country to country and may also apply to small-scale growers, so check your local regulations before sowing. If you would like to sow poppy over a larger area, you must obtain a permit.

How to Grow Poppy

Opium poppy, in Latin Papaver somniferum, is an annual herb that grows up to 1.5 m in height. We classify it in the Poppy family (Latin: Papaveraceae).

The poppy plant flowers during June - August. The fruits of opium poppy are capsules called poppy heads. They have a spherical or conical shape and are slightly flattened. When the poppy heads are ripe, they may open between the stigma rays or remain closed. The poppy plant provides bees with plenty of pollen, but it is not a honey plant for them.

We grow poppy exclusively from seeds, which we ideally plant in spring. During autumn, it is therefore necessary to prepare the soil for sowing. We plant poppy seeds early in spring, but only when the topsoil is dry enough. We plant poppy no later than April. We place the seeds at a distance of 30-40cm from each other, at a depth of 1.5 - 2cm. Sandy-loam soil with sufficient nutrients is suitable for growing poppy. Heavy clay soils and locations with a high groundwater level are unsuitable.

The best pre-crop for growing poppy is legumes, or alternatively root vegetables that have been fertilized with farmyard manure.

During the growth period, from sowing until flowering, the poppy plant requires moisture but doesn't need much heat. Later, the conditions for successful poppy cultivation reverse - from flowering until the seed heads mature, warm and dry weather with plenty of sunshine is most suitable, as light supports seed development. Throughout the entire growing season, we hoe around the poppies and remove weeds from their vicinity.

Harvesting Poppy Heads

We harvest mature poppy heads in which the seeds rustle when shaken. We cut the poppy heads together with 10-15cm of stem. We dry them under a roof, and only after complete drying do we cut off the top part of the poppy head below the crown and shake out the seeds. Properly dried poppy seeds must not change colour after being shaken from the head.

The highest quality comes from hand-shaking the poppy, as the seeds aren't damaged and therefore won't turn bitter even during longer storage. Be careful not to damage the seeds - they contain up to 45% oil. When drying the seeds, the oil is released, subsequently oxidises, and this degrades the poppy seed quality.

In some cases, we also collect poppy flower petals, which become part of tea blends. We can only collect them in dry weather and only from flowers that have just bloomed. We then dry them in thin layers, as they're prone to steaming.

We use dried poppy petals to prepare tea by pouring 250ml of boiling water over 2 teaspoons of the dried mixture. We let it steep and strain the mixture.

Poppy Milk and Poppy Seed Oil

Poppy seeds contain 20% proteins, 40% fats (especially glycerides of stearic, palmitic and linoleic acids), 4.5g fibre, vitamins - mainly vitamin E, and minerals such as magnesium, calcium and iron.

Research has shown that poppy seeds have a very significant content of minerals such as potassium and calcium, as well as phosphorus, zinc, magnesium, copper, iron, manganese and aluminium. In 100 grams of dried poppy seeds, there is 9.76mg of iron and up to 1400mg of calcium. At the same time, poppy seeds contain morphine, which can constitute up to 20% of opium, which has a sedative effect on the nervous system, relieves irritating coughs and intestinal peristalsis, and naturally soothes pain.

It's said that regular consumption of poppy is important in preventing osteoporosis, whilst also having a beneficial effect on the condition of hair, nails and teeth. The remedy also has a preventive effect on migraines, influences the psyche - calming mind and body, helps with rheumatism and chronic fatigue. We can use poppy locally in the form of oil, which is often one of the components in therapeutic cosmetic preparations.

From poppy seeds we can prepare - press poppy seed oil, which finds its use in gastronomy, cosmetics, medicine and painting. Poppy oil is a very beneficial substance for human health due to its content of polyunsaturated fatty acids such as linoleic acid, oleic acid, palmitic acid and others.

In cosmetics, poppy seed oil is a component of fragrant ointments, conditioners and moisturising creams, while in medicine, iodised poppy oil is used as a contrast agent.

The preparation of poppy seed milk is well-known and increasingly popular.

Recipe: Put poppy seeds and water in a bottle in a ratio of 1:5. Leave the mixture to stand overnight at room temperature. In the morning, blend the mixture well and strain through a cloth. The poppy seed milk prepared in this way can be flavoured to taste with honey, sugar, or used to make cocoa.