Opium
How To Harvest Opium
From Papaver Somniferum
Picture 1: papaver somniferum (opium poppy) flowering
The poppy will start dropping petals soon.
Picture 2: after the petals have dropped
After the last petal has dropped, keep an eye on the gray band at the top of the capsule where the petals were attached. It's hard to see because the pictures are dark, but you can see the gray band in Picture 2.
Picture 3: poppy ready for harvest
When the gray band is very dark (almost black) the opium is ready to harvest. This will be about 14-20 days after the petals fall off.
Picture 4: poppy releasing opium
Harvesting means making a shallow cut to release opium from the seed capsule. The cut should be less than one-sixteenth of an inch deep. Do it all around the pod. As you do so, you will see little blobs of white coming out.
Picture 1:
opium poppy flowering.
Picture 2:
after the petals have dropped.
Picture 3:
poppy ready for harvest.
Picture 4:
poppy releasing opium.
Leave the wounds to release opium for 3-6 hours. Then collect your opium. By now, the white blobs will have turned into yellow/brown blobs that can be scraped off and collected on a blunt putty knife or something similar.
images from the back cover of opium poppy garden
please link to this page, not directly to the images
Books Hydroponic Heroin:
How to Grow Opium Poppies Without Soil
Although this book is out of print, it is worth getting if you can find it for a good price. It shows how to grow opium poppies with a hydroponic set up. From how to sprout the seeds and care for the plants to harvesting. This is the book to get if you want to try growing the opium poppy indoors, in a hydroponic environment.
A short history of opium is presented along with the risks of addiction, pain of quitting, obtaining materials, laws, dosages, overdose antidotes and more. Shows how to harvest raw opium from the opium poppies you have grown and describes how to convert the opium to morphine or heroin.
Hydroponic Heroin Opium Culture:
The Art and Ritual of the Chinese Tradition
Although the title makes it sound strictly like a history book, in addition this is a very good introduction to smoking opium that anyone who has access to opium (but isn't sure how to smoke it) should read.
Thorough instructions on how to prepare the opium for use and how to use an opium pipe for the purpose. Includes addiction, withdrawal and medical issues as well as cultural insights and a social history of opium.
Opium Culture Opium Poppy Garden:
The Way of a Chinese Grower
A good small book (less than 100 pages). Part one, the first two-thirds of the book, is a novel about a young Chinese immigrant opium grower in South America. The second part of the book shows (using black and white photos and illustrations) how to cultivate and harvest the opium poppy outdoors with traditional tools that are easy to make and use.
Although less than 20 pages are about growing opium, it contains enough info to be used as a single introductory opium grow guide. If you grow poppies this book might be worth the price just for the page about how to harvest the opium capsule so it provides a maximum yield.
Opium Poppy Garden The Heroin User's Handbook
The author is a doctor and former heroin user. He does a very good job of describing heroin from the users point of view. Although it is written about heroin, anyone who uses opium based drugs will benefit from reading it. An important part of the book is how to use this class of drugs without becoming addicted.
In addition to how to use without getting addicted, the book covers many other aspects of heroin use including how to get it, safe injection techniques, smoking and snorting procedures, chemically purifying street heroin, dealing with the legal system, social aspects of heroin use, detoxing yourself, and more.
The Heroin User's Handbook
Opium Related Books About Opium And Related Drugs More Opium And Related Drug Articles Various Opium And Related Drug Links