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surffreak23
Guest
My last post was nagging at me until i edited it, made it sound like seeds were all you gained by waiting, fixed now...
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Clyde
Guest
Mmmm... poppy tea..
In my yard I've got some hens and chicks on the go that have just started to flower - I've got maybe about thirty plants and they're growing quite vigorously considering they don't get much sun and they're in pots among other plants. They are mostly around 80 cm tall. I haven't tried this variety but I've long had an affection for the odd wee cup of pod tea so I'm hoping these are suitably potent.
I think it's worth mentioning in passing the habit forming quality of poppy tea. I'm sure everyone is aware of this, but it can still sneek up on you if your not careful. I've noticed that tolerance can build rapidly if using tea regularly and a week or so is enough for me to start experiencing mild WDs when I stop - it varies with the individual of course but always worth being a little cautious if you find yourself with a large amount of pods on your hands - it's yummy stuff and I for one find it quite difficult to resist when it's lying around.
I'm considering brewing poppy beer with the leftover stems and leaves after I gather the pods for tea. Can anyone offer any practical advice on how to go about this? I figure simply steeping the straw in warm water and then straining it off and adding to the beer recipe in place of pure water will do the trick, but I'd welcome tips from anyone who has tried making poppy beer already.
In my yard I've got some hens and chicks on the go that have just started to flower - I've got maybe about thirty plants and they're growing quite vigorously considering they don't get much sun and they're in pots among other plants. They are mostly around 80 cm tall. I haven't tried this variety but I've long had an affection for the odd wee cup of pod tea so I'm hoping these are suitably potent.
I think it's worth mentioning in passing the habit forming quality of poppy tea. I'm sure everyone is aware of this, but it can still sneek up on you if your not careful. I've noticed that tolerance can build rapidly if using tea regularly and a week or so is enough for me to start experiencing mild WDs when I stop - it varies with the individual of course but always worth being a little cautious if you find yourself with a large amount of pods on your hands - it's yummy stuff and I for one find it quite difficult to resist when it's lying around.
I'm considering brewing poppy beer with the leftover stems and leaves after I gather the pods for tea. Can anyone offer any practical advice on how to go about this? I figure simply steeping the straw in warm water and then straining it off and adding to the beer recipe in place of pure water will do the trick, but I'd welcome tips from anyone who has tried making poppy beer already.
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surffreak23
Guest
Glad to see a new face on the poppy thread! Hens and chicks is one of my favorite strains because of the extra pods, (not to mention they're pretty) and the potency if fertilized well can be one of the strongest available! Good choice, you will be pleased if you let them go all the way to seed and then harvest!:booya:
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Clyde
Guest
That's good to hear...
. My plants have been fairly well looked after - I feed them with seaweed extract and a general purpose organic liquid feed, so here's hoping they are nice and strong. I'll take your advice and not cut them too early. I can be patient with such things if I know it's all going to be better in the end. Besides they look great in the garden amongst the other plants - I got purple iris, ferns, bamboo and a couple of tobacco plants.
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surffreak23
Guest
Nice! I have a pretty diverse garden as well for only three planters and some pots... Found some good pics of someone else' hens and chicks...
You can see that in the beginning there are lots of "chicks" (small pods), this is why it is one of my favorites, there are samplers along the way the whole time you're watching it swell! These extra pods can be pulled off and brewed, and where they were pulled a gob of raw opium takes its place while the main pod keeps going! Also note the difference in the crown on the ripe pod in the second photo... the upturned edges say "Pick me!"
You can see that in the beginning there are lots of "chicks" (small pods), this is why it is one of my favorites, there are samplers along the way the whole time you're watching it swell! These extra pods can be pulled off and brewed, and where they were pulled a gob of raw opium takes its place while the main pod keeps going! Also note the difference in the crown on the ripe pod in the second photo... the upturned edges say "Pick me!"
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Clyde
Guest
I just took some pics of my poppies. There not as far along as the ones in your pics, surffreaky. Maybe another month or so before they get the chop?
At first I thought they weren't real hens and chicks because the first pods had no chicks on them but I noticed they start to grow later. In the last photo you can just see the wee chicks starting to appear. Those are the oldest pods - they get the most sunlight.
My garden is surrounded by walls on three sides and on the fourth, there are houses blocking the sun - I get a couple of hours in the morning, but it sweeps evenly across all the pots and planters and I guess they're getting just enough light to grow; although, all my flowers are about a month behind others I see around town.
At first I thought they weren't real hens and chicks because the first pods had no chicks on them but I noticed they start to grow later. In the last photo you can just see the wee chicks starting to appear. Those are the oldest pods - they get the most sunlight.
My garden is surrounded by walls on three sides and on the fourth, there are houses blocking the sun - I get a couple of hours in the morning, but it sweeps evenly across all the pots and planters and I guess they're getting just enough light to grow; although, all my flowers are about a month behind others I see around town.
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surffreak23
Guest
From all of my experiences with hens and chicks, the time there are the most chicks is at the beginning, it is possible you got a different strain but not to worry, those are definitely opium producers! The last photo looks as though it might be 14-21 days away from harvest! Looking good! :drool:Admittedly the pictures I posted were of a best case scenario, and I'm not sure I can match it with my current conditions, just not enough light but it's my first season here so we'll see...
---------- Post added 07-21-2011 at 06:45 PM ----------
Forgot to mention what you are likely seeing as chicks are the stamens that held on swelling from the base of the pod...
---------- Post added 07-21-2011 at 06:45 PM ----------
Forgot to mention what you are likely seeing as chicks are the stamens that held on swelling from the base of the pod...
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Clyde
Guest
Stamens... yep. I had another look and I think you're right.I was looking for chicks because that's what it said on the packet, but they do look like just stamens. I got the seeds off eBay and it was the cheapest deal.... Oh, well.
But as you say, they still look the business. I don't know much about the names of different strains but I do know what opium poppy pods look like and that's them, for sure, isn't it? .....so, let's hope they deliver on the potency side. I'll wait a few weeks to harvest and then I'll post a 'consumption report' . I don't usually bother cutting pods and collecting sap to smoke. I've always got more out of them making tea. Maybe, I'm just lazy.
But as you say, they still look the business. I don't know much about the names of different strains but I do know what opium poppy pods look like and that's them, for sure, isn't it? .....so, let's hope they deliver on the potency side. I'll wait a few weeks to harvest and then I'll post a 'consumption report' . I don't usually bother cutting pods and collecting sap to smoke. I've always got more out of them making tea. Maybe, I'm just lazy.
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surffreak23
Guest
Naw, unless you're dedicated to all the work that goes along with collecting... I love tea but;... If you do have the energy (and a place where people will not see the cuts) you can actually harvest all the opium you want, several times on one pod, and as long as the pod was not cut all the way through it's wall, (shallow cuts are best anyway), it will continue to swell and you can still make tea with the end product... (some say slicing them gets them to produce more alkaloids in the pod!) And yes you for sure have some sort of opium pods! I'm positive that you will not be disappointed...
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NC420
Guest
Hey, Hell guys I've been missing all of the fun...:lol;
I've kind of handed the rains to Surffreak and been watching his grow but I will join in with some pictures of mine as soon as I go get the pictures...
Loving all the poppies:thumbs:
Looking to be some high mother F'ers very soon, Don't nod off and let a cig burn through your leg
I've kind of handed the rains to Surffreak and been watching his grow but I will join in with some pictures of mine as soon as I go get the pictures...
Loving all the poppies:thumbs:
Looking to be some high mother F'ers very soon, Don't nod off and let a cig burn through your leg
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