Q.When poppies go dormant, do I cut back the stem?
When the poppies go dormant, do I cut the pod and cut back the stem? The oriental poppy is already dormant. I snipped the pod off…not sure if this was the right thing to do. Do I cut the stems back? If so, where should I cut it? I read that you should cut the stems 3″ from the ground.

You can just let the leaves die back on their own or cut them back if you want a little neater look to your garden beds.
Cutting the pods away will stop them from reseeding. Shake the seeds onto the ground if you want to increase your Poppy beds.
Here is a link about Poppies.
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/flowers/poppy/growing-oriental-poppies.htm