We find hundreds of seedlings too. They must have been dormant in the soil from previous owners as we have never put them in. We just hand weed as we go through the borders. Try to get them out when tiny. Any which do flower are dead headed as soon as the flower fall so that there is no seed for future colonisation,

I do the same as Owd. Hoe them off too when very small.

I love them and so do the bumbles. Easy to pull up by the roots though.

There is always something new to learn on GOY! I never realised that these were invasive and little mini thugs.

like most poppies they produce 100's of seeds per flower. the seeds are very fine and will lie dormant in the soil until they are disturbed. They need a 'flash' of light to trigger germination. They stay viable for a very long time [years] too.

I've learnt over the years to tolerate and enjoy just a few ones in my garden but they have to be just the yearlings! Any older than that and their roots try to reach Australia and are impossible to pull up without breaking off and regrowing.

Thank you all for your responses. I finished cutting the poppies all back today but I know full well that there will be others popping up everywhere. Like you say, Resi, their roots are very long so it’s difficult to pull the plants out. At least I’m now forearmed - or should I say four armed!

I love them. they pop up in the most unexpected places and always add brightness. But then mu garden does tend to be random...

I also love them, Yorkslass, but I don’t want a whole garden of them which is what’s happening. Since I cut them back yesterday more have popped up and I can see it’s going to be a never ending job clearing them. I miss their lovely colours in my small cottagey garden but I’m glad to see again the plants they’d smothered.

Strange but they aren't thugs in my garden. In fact, I would like more but they grow where they want to grow and not always where I want them to grow. I have dug some up in the past, taking great care with the long root, but they rarely take.
SBG I was interested in what you said about them needing a flash of light in order to germinate.

Lol Arbuthnot - agree you don't need a poppy monoculture!
I just get a few here and there.

Merlin, poppies don’t usually like being transplanted. You would need to get some seeds for them to stand a better chance.