Just edited my above post, you might not have seen it all. I'm not sure what you mean about "will it not destroy the other seeds of the mix I used?"
But no, you can't dig it over every year. Hire a rotavator maybe but you'll have to live with perennials if you don't want to do that. I don't know of any other way. Like I said I've only got a few poppies this year because I didn't dig over and I really wanted loads being the centenary of the first world war.
Grass is part of the meadow, and if you use wild grasses they're as important as the other flowers. Many moths will only feed on those grasses and those moths will feed the birds and bats. You're creating an ecosystem if you're doing it right. And my impression is you want to do it right. But anything you do is better than doing nothing so don't be disheartened.
Yeah, I was going to add, a turf stripper would make short work of it, but if don't have grass, then you don't have turf. Or, pretend, after all corn poppies aren't native anyway. Have some small flowered variety for oriental poppy.
I hope this inspires you to include some wild grasses which you can get from Emorsgate seed for very little. There's quite a bit of rye in here which you wouldn't normally want but my OH wouldn't let me strip the turf the first year we moved in an now it's almost too late, but as the meadow gets established I'll get a turf stripper and have an annual bit in a section every year. I'll just turn over the turfs so hopefully the perennials won't mind too much.
Yeah, I was going to add, a turf stripper would make short work of it, but if you don't have grass, then you don't have turf. Or, pretend, after all corn poppies aren't native anyway. Have some small flowered variety of oriental poppy. This one is a bit orange, but I've got a pillar box red variety waiting to take over. The bees don't mind though. These were in when I moved in and I've just not had the heart to yank them out. They've grown on me too much now.
Oo, that wasn't meant to happen, that's because I had two windows going at the same time.
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This dig-over & ground-cleared for corn poppies, will it not destroy the other seeds of the mix I used?
Craky, perish the thought of turning over the soil, of the quarter acre I will end up with, every winter, 85 is not a good year for this.
And grass, what grass?, I dug it all out, a ton of huge lumps, hoping the sawn flowers will keep it out. ....nick
Just edited my above post, you might not have seen it all. I'm not sure what you mean about "will it not destroy the other seeds of the mix I used?"
But no, you can't dig it over every year. Hire a rotavator maybe but you'll have to live with perennials if you don't want to do that. I don't know of any other way. Like I said I've only got a few poppies this year because I didn't dig over and I really wanted loads being the centenary of the first world war.
Grass is part of the meadow, and if you use wild grasses they're as important as the other flowers. Many moths will only feed on those grasses and those moths will feed the birds and bats. You're creating an ecosystem if you're doing it right. And my impression is you want to do it right. But anything you do is better than doing nothing so don't be disheartened.
Just scrape a bit of it Nick and have annuals in one part,
In the sticks near Peterborough
Yeah, I was going to add, a turf stripper would make short work of it, but if don't have grass, then you don't have turf. Or, pretend, after all corn poppies aren't native anyway. Have some small flowered variety for oriental poppy.
I hope this inspires you to include some wild grasses which you can get from Emorsgate seed for very little. There's quite a bit of rye in here which you wouldn't normally want but my OH wouldn't let me strip the turf the first year we moved in an now it's almost too late, but as the meadow gets established I'll get a turf stripper and have an annual bit in a section every year. I'll just turn over the turfs so hopefully the perennials won't mind too much.
Yeah, I was going to add, a turf stripper would make short work of it, but if you don't have grass, then you don't have turf.
Or, pretend, after all corn poppies aren't native anyway. Have some small flowered variety of oriental poppy. This one is a bit orange, but I've got a pillar box red variety waiting to take over. The bees don't mind though. 
These were in when I moved in and I've just not had the heart to yank them out. They've grown on me too much now. 
Oo, that wasn't meant to happen, that's because I had two windows going at the same time.
Thanx all, mouth watering those photos.