Question
A friend has given me seeds from the perennial poppies they have in a field. Given that it is July and summers are warm in Connecticut where I live, should I germinate the seeds now,(indoors under lights in a cool area) and plant the started plants, or should I wait until next spring?

Thanks for your help.

Answer
Hi George,
Thanx for your question.  A lot of poppies don't transplant well so if you want to grow them indoors, sprinkle a few seeds in individual pots, keep moist and warm and they should germinate in a couple of weeks.  If you start them now, you can set them out in late August or early September and this will give them plenty of time to acclimate themselves to the outdoors and prepare themselves for winter.  Otherwise, you can broadcast the seeds in the desired area in the fall and they should germinate the following spring.  You can also broadcast them in the spring if you like.  I hope this helps.
Tom