Snapdragon (antirrhinum) is a flower that is perennial, but in our climatic conditions grown as an letnik, that is, only in the warm period of the year. Its variety of varieties is simply amazing. It can also be curb, up to 20 centimeters high, and gigantic, up to 1 meter high or more. The antirrinum gained particular popularity among flower growers also by the fact that its planting and further care do not cause any difficulties, because. it is indeed a very hardy plant. Cultivation is recommended to be carried out by seedlings, and reproduction - by seeds.

The most popular classification of snapdragon varieties is its division depending on the height of the bush:

By the way! Snapdragon flowers are simple and double. Terry inflorescences look especially good when composing bouquets.

When and how to plant snapdragon seeds for seedlings

Planting dates for seedlings

Growing snapdragon through seedlings is explained quite simply: the flower has a rather long period of development from the moment of the first shoots to the beginning of flowering.

The time and timing of sowing snapdragon seeds for seedlings naturally primarily depend on the climatic conditions of the growing region. So, antirrinum begin to sow end of February to mid April.

Note! The site already has a detailed article about, including auspicious days for landing in 2020 according to the lunar calendar.

Tank and soil

For growing snapdragon seedlings, any purchased and home-made containers are suitable. It all depends on how much you are going to grow the plant.

The soil can be purchased ready-made at a garden store or prepared with your own hands at home on your own.

Due to the fact that the size of the seeds of the antirrinum is small, they can even be said to be tiny, after preparing the soil mixture it will be required sift, the same applies to purchased land.

To prepare the soil mixture for snapdragon seedlings, you will need: peat and river sand.

Now the earth needs to be mixed well and then sieved. Further, in order to protect future seedlings from and extra shoots of weeds, the soil must be steamed in a double boiler or heated in the oven for 60 minutes.

By the way! Mix into the soil an additional 2-4 tbsp. spoons, Snapdragon It sprouts well and grows in slightly alkaline soil.

Direct landing

When sowing snapdragon for seedlings, follow the following step-by-step instructions:

Video: sowing snapdragon for seedlings in February

Antirrinum seedling care after germination

As a rule, shoots appear after an average of 2 weeks, although it may take longer. It all depends on what temperature conditions there will be a landing tank with an antirrinum.

As soon as the seedlings look out, it is necessary to lower the temperature to 18-20 degrees. Also, so that young shoots do not begin to stretch, good lighting is necessary. As always, you can use phytolamps or more economical LED lights.

At the beginning of their journey, seedlings grow and develop somewhat slowly. Watering should be neat, frequent airing. After 7 days after the emergence of shoots, the shelter must be removed completely. However, at first it is recommended that the direct rays of the sun do not fall on the plant.

Periodic loosening of the earth as one of the elements of growing seedlings will help to avoid the appearance.

picking

Upon reaching 2 true leaves in development, it is necessary to pick a snapdragon, which he tolerates quite cheerfully, and then easily takes root.

For transplanting, you should use the same composition of the earth as for seedlings, but this time it no longer needs to be sieved. There is nothing to worry about if this time large fractions fall into the soil mixtures. This will be a kind of hardening for the roots of a young plant.

The weather for snapdragon picking is better to choose cloudy (during the day) or when there is no more sun, that is, it is better in the evening. The fact is that in this case we will give the plant a whole night to strengthen, and by morning the dived seedlings will already feel fine.

The step-by-step process of snapdragon picking:

Video: picking snapdragon seedlings

Seedling care after picking

Top dressing of snapdragon seedlings must be carried out on the 5-7th day after picking. It is best to feed with nitrogen-phosphorus-potassium complex fertilizers having an element content in equal parts, such as nitroammophoska. You can water both under the root and along the leaf, which will positively affect the development of the plant itself and give more abundant flowering.

When the plant reaches 4-5 pairs of true leaves, it is necessary to carry out topping, which stimulates the active growth of side shoots. When the side shoots reach 3 pairs of true leaves, you will need to do a circular pinching of the side shoots. This will start the mechanisms for the development of additional shoots, which will subsequently lead to even more flowering of the plant. In this way, it will be possible to grow a real round ball with hundreds of beautiful flowers at the same time.

Video: rules for pinching adult snapdragon seedlings

When and how to plant snapdragons in open ground

A couple of weeks before planting in the garden, begin to gradually take out the seedlings, first just to the balcony, and then to the open air. Antirrinum seedlings hardened in this way will easily take root in a new place and will not suffer in the event of return frosts.

As a rule, snapdragon seedlings can be planted in open ground as early as May. Such early term due to the exceptional frost resistance of the plant.

Snapdragon is a light-loving plant, but it also tolerates light partial shade, so choose the appropriate place for planting seedlings. However, it is worth knowing that in partial shade the antirrinum will bloom much more modestly.

As you already understood, antirrinum loves loose and slightly alkaline soils. If the earth is too heavy and clayey, then the roots of the plant will not be able to develop normally. Therefore, in order to make such a (heavy and clayey) soil more suitable for planting, or should be added to it, as well as some sand.

Plant seedlings in pre-prepared planting holes along with a clod of earth. The landing pattern for each variety is different. For example, it is optimal to plant dwarf and low varieties at a distance of about 20 centimeters, medium-sized ones - 25-30 centimeters, and tall ones - 45 centimeters.

As soon as you land, you can water abundantly and, if desired, mulch with peat.

Video: planting a snapdragon in open ground

Outdoor antirrinum care

Further care for the antirrinum consists of regular watering, occasional fertilizing, weeding and regular loosening of the soil.

It is recommended to feed snapdragons, as during the cultivation of seedlings, with a complex mineral fertilizer, such as nitroammophoska (ammophoska and nitrofoska can also be used).

Snapdragon is very demanding on moisture, but in case of excessive drought, it quickly recovers after abundant watering. However, if you forget about regular watering, the plant will not open well, and flowering flowers may fall off. Therefore, we strongly recommend that you do not allow drying out. The best time for watering is in the morning.

Watering snapdragons is desirable to carry out directly under the root. If this is done superficially, then the flowers will be filled with water and gradually slope. Some may even fall, you hardly want to admit it.

The antirrinum blooms in waves, that is, periods of lush flowering are replaced by some fading, when all the flowers have faded. Do not worry, this means that the next wave of flowering is on the way. Such waves can continue until the very frost, in other words, until late autumn.

Thus, if you use approximately the same scheme for sowing seedlings and the recommended agricultural practices for growing snapdragons, then it will bloom all summer and delight you with its lush and abundant flowering until the end of autumn.

Video: the subtleties of growing snapdragon seedlings

In contact with

Antirrinum or snapdragon is a perennial, annual or semi-shrub herbaceous ornamental flowering plant, whose homeland is warm countries Mediterranean. In nature, the flower also grows in North America and Europe. The snapdragon plant is also very popular among gardeners. And this is understandable, because the amazing colors of the buds, bizarre flower shapes and long flowering can decorate any part of the garden throughout the season.

Pictured is a snapdragon plant

The antirrinum flower is distinguished by green, straight, finely furrowed, large stems, the height of which can be from 15 to 100 cm. The plant has opposite lower leaves and oval or lanceolate elongated upper leaves. By the beginning of summer, racemose inflorescences with numerous large, two-lipped flowers are formed on the stem. They have an irregular shape and can be simple or terry. The color of the flowers can be pink, red, dark brown, orange, yellow, white. There are varieties with flowers painted in two or three colors at once. Snapdragon blooms from the beginning of summer until the onset of autumn frosts.

In nature, the snapdragon flower is a perennial, however, in regions with cold winters, the plant is grown as an annual. Under favorable conditions and good care, antirrinum in the garden can be grown as a perennial plant.

Growing snapdragons from seeds

Sowing seeds in open ground

In regions with a warm climate, antirrinum can be grown as a perennial, planting seeds directly in a flower bed. Sowing is carried out in early spring or from mid to late April. It all depends on the weather in your area. Shoots will appear in about three weeks and can survive even a slight cold snap.

On a bed prepared in advance, the seeds are planted in a nesting way, sprinkled with a thin layer of earth, watered from a watering can with a shower head and covered with a film. Crops are ventilated daily, and the soil is moistened as necessary. As soon as seedlings appear, the film is removed on warm days. It is better to leave shelter at night.

Slightly grown seedlings will need to be thinned out, removing the weakest plants. In order not to damage the roots of closely growing bushes, it is better not to pull out unnecessary seedlings, but to pinch off. When caring for them, watering should be regular, but not frequent. Seedlings are sensitive to soil moisture, when waterlogged, young plants can get sick with a "black leg". Watering is recommended to be done in the early morning.

Growing seedlings of antirrinum (snapdragon)

With the seedling method of growing annuals, sowing seeds should be done as early as early March. For this, seedling containers with drainage holes are prepared. You can fill them with store-bought potting soil or make your own with compost soil and sand.

Seeding procedure:

1. Snapdragon seeds are very small, so they are pre-mixed with sand.
2. The soil is poured into containers, leveled and moistened.
3. Seeds are distributed over the surface of the moist soil, which are covered with a thin layer of the prepared soil mixture and gently moistened with a sprayer.
4. The container is covered from above cling film, glass or polyethylene to make a greenhouse.
5. Seedling boxes are placed in a place where the air temperature is maintained within +23 degrees.
6. When caring for crops, it is necessary to ventilate the soil daily for several minutes, removing shelter for this. As necessary, the soil is moistened with a sprayer. To do this, use settled water at room temperature.
7. After about two weeks, the first seedlings will appear. They need to be immediately put in a well-lit place. Plants should not be exposed to direct sunlight.
8. After another three or four days, all the seeds should hatch, after which the film or glass will need to be removed.

Features of caring for snapdragon seedlings

The air temperature for the growth of seedlings should be + 20 ... + 23 degrees. They are moistened in a timely manner, and after the appearance of two true leaves, they are seated in disposable cups or other containers. You can use spacious pots by planting three bushes in them at once.

When transplanting seedlings, you can use a special spatula or a simple fork, with which the plants are taken along with a clod of earth and carefully placed in a pot filled with earth. Antirrinums do not tolerate transplantation well, so everything must be done so as not to damage the roots. Planted plants are carefully watered.

Grow speared seedlings in a well-lit place, otherwise, with a lack of light, the stems will begin to stretch. When watering the bushes, it should be borne in mind that snapdragons do not like waterlogging of the soil. Constantly wet soil can lead to root rot and blackleg disease. However, it is impossible to overdry the soil.

To stimulate the growth of side shoots in seedlings 10 cm high, pinch the top. At this time, they should have 4 or 5 true leaves. After such a procedure, the snapdragon will turn into a beautiful, lush bush. If the overgrown side shoots begin to grow too actively, they can also be pinched.

Approximately two to three weeks before planting the antirrinum in open ground, the seedlings begin to harden off. On warm days, it is put out in the garden or on the open balcony. On the first day, hardening of plants is carried out for one hour. Every day, the time the seedlings stay in the fresh air increases. IN last days before planting, seedlings should be on the street for a day.

Planting snapdragons in open ground

For antirrinum, a sunny or slightly shaded area is selected, which should be protected from strong winds.

When to plant snapdragons?

Hardened and grown seedlings in a flower bed in the garden can be planted in late May or early June. Should be installed warm weather, however, plants are able to survive small, short-term night frosts.

How to plant a snapdragon?

The soil for antirrinum should be well-drained, nutritious and light. It is best if it consists of compost, sand and peat (1:1:1).

For each bush, a separate landing hole is made, the distance between which depends on the height of the plant:

1. Dwarf antirrinums are planted in a flower bed with a distance of 15 cm from each other.
2. Between undersized specimens, the gap should be 20 cm.
3. High snapdragon bushes are seated from each other at a distance of 40 or 50 cm. Immediately during planting, it is recommended to install supports near high specimens, to which grown plants will need to be tied.

After planting, seedlings must be watered.

Snapdragon - care

Snapdragon refers to unpretentious plants that do not require much attention to themselves during the season. Bushes will bloom luxuriantly and for a long time if you follow simple recommendations for caring for them:

1. In dry and hot weather, plants require watering. This should be done early in the morning. At night, snapdragons are not recommended to be watered. If it rains, then you do not need to water the flowers.
2. After rain or watering about once a week, it is recommended to remove weeds and loosen the soil around the plantings. Such a procedure will not allow a crust to form on the ground, and air will flow to the roots of the plants.
3. After about two weeks, when the seedlings are rooted and begin to grow, they are fed with an all-purpose fertilizer for flowering plants.
4. During budding, the bushes are recommended to be fed with a solution prepared from a mixture of potassium sulfate, urea and superphosphate. For its preparation, a tablespoon of each fertilizer is taken. The mixture is diluted in 10 liters of water.
5. Withered flowers should be removed regularly so that new buds form faster.
6. After flowering on the peduncle, fruits begin to form and ripen. If you do not need seeds, then the faded peduncle under the lowest flower is cut off. In this case, after some time, new arrows will appear on the bush and begin to grow, which will soon bloom.
7. In regions with not very cold winters, where snapdragon is grown as a perennial plant, in the fall, with the onset of cold days, the stem of the plant should be cut. The rest of the stem should have a height of 5 to 8 cm. After that, the bushes are covered with dry foliage or peat mixed with sawdust.

Pests and diseases of snapdragon

Observing all the rules for caring for antirrinum, plants will not be afraid of any diseases and pests. Preventive measures include:

1. Moderate moisture area.
2. Planting bushes at a distance from each other from 15 to 50 cm (it all depends on the snapdragon variety).
3. Insects affected by pests and diseases must be removed immediately.
4. Watering the bushes should be only under the root, so that water does not fall on the leaves.

If, however, pests have settled on the plants, then the bushes are treated with insecticidal preparations. Of the pests for snapdragons, caterpillars and butterflies that lay eggs, fly larvae, and scale insects are dangerous.

Of the diseases, the flower can be affected by gray or root rot, black leg and septoria. All these diseases cannot be cured and at the same time they quickly spread to other plants. Therefore, diseased bushes break out and are burned. The soil on which they grew must be shed with fungicidal antifungal drugs.

Abundantly flowering beautiful plant antirrinum (snapdragon) will decorate the garden with its bright or delicate flowers until late autumn. Its undersized varieties can be planted in a box or flowerpot and decorate a balcony or loggia.

snapdragon flower

The snapdragon flower has a number of undeniable advantages. First of all, it is unpretentiousness and bright, long flowering from mid-summer to late autumn. You can grow it not only in flower beds and slides, but also on loggias in pots and hanging baskets.

Snapdragon flower (Antirrinum) - but it blooms and produces seeds in the first year. That is why it is mainly grown as an annual. This flower can form a powerful shrub with a well-developed root system. Such bushes are able to safely winter even in the middle lane.

Thanks to the work of breeders, flower growers can grow hundreds of varieties of Antirrinum. There are dwarf varieties (15 - 20 cm), medium-sized (40 - 50 cm) and tall (90 - 100 cm). In addition, ampelous snapdragon forms with drooping shoots have recently appeared, the length of such shoots reaches 1 meter.

Snapdragon ampelous.

Growing snapdragons from seeds

When to sow.

When growing snapdragons, seeds should be sown in early March.

Substrate for seed germination.

The flower does not like to grow on peat soils. For seed germination, it is better to use earth from a compost heap and river sand in a ratio of one to one.

How to sow the seeds of Antirrinum.

Growing snapdragons from seeds is conveniently done in plastic containers with tight-fitting lids. You can sow the seeds immediately in cups, and several seeds in one cup. If 3-4 seeds germinate, then there is no need to thin them out, let them continue to grow in one bush.

Before sowing, the container or cup is filled with soil, the soil is leveled and abundantly moistened. Snapdragon seeds are very small, for convenience, snow is poured on top of the substrate and the seeds are sown in the snow, then they are clearly visible. It is only necessary to take into account that the snow in the room melts quickly. You can mix the seeds with sand, this also greatly simplifies the sowing process.

Seedling care.

After the seeds are sown, they are sprinkled with a thin layer of soil, moistened again with dewdrops and covered with a lid or film. For germination, the seeds will need high humidity and a temperature of 23 - 25 degrees. Keep an eye on soil moisture; when the substrate dries, it must be moistened periodically.

young seedlings

With proper care, the seeds will germinate in 10-15 days. After the appearance of young sprouts, the seedling container is transferred to a well-lit place. Otherwise, with a lack of lighting, the seedlings will quickly stretch. The film can be removed a few days after seed germination.

Young plants grow slowly at first, this should not disturb you. At this time, Antirrinum seedlings should be watered very sparingly. If signs appear, immediately remove all affected seedlings, and sprinkle the soil with ash or crushed activated carbon.

As you probably already noticed, there is nothing unusual in growing snapdragons from seeds, and all other flowers are grown from seeds in much the same way.

Seedling picking.

When the seedlings have a second pair of true leaves, you can start diving seedlings. At Antirrinum, a powerful root system grows already in the seedling period, so plants should be dived into large cups with a volume of 0.5 liters.

Antirrinum seedlings after picking.

If the seedlings grew densely, then sometimes the roots of neighboring plants grow together. In such cases, do not try to separate them, just plant a few in cups.

Snapdragon easily tolerates a pick and is quickly accepted in a new place. But while the seedlings have not started to grow, they must be kept in the shade, and taken out in the sun a few days after transplantation.

Pinching seedlings.

Do not grow this flower in one stem. The plant looks much more attractive when it grows into a bush. To do this, pinch the shoot over the fifth leaf. If side shoots begin to grow rapidly, it is better to pinch them too. As a result, a powerful, beautiful snapdragon bush grows.

Growing from seeds in open ground

You can grow snapdragons from seeds in open field. You just have to say right away that these flowers will bloom only at the end of July or at the beginning of August, but they will bloom until frost.

Antirrinum grown from seeds.

It is customary to sow snapdragons into the ground in so-called curtains. Curtains are formed about 40 by 40 cm in size. 4-5 Antirrinum bushes are grown in one curtain, but much more seeds need to be sown there. Excess seedlings can later be pulled through.

Sow seeds in the ground in late April, early May. Since spring frosts can destroy seedlings, curtains are covered with some kind of covering material.

Growing and caring for Antirrinum

Flower growers rarely plant snapdragons in the foreground, considering this flower not to be spectacular enough. But this is because few people know how to properly grow this flower. Most often it is grown in one stem, and even varieties are selected with a height of 30 - 40 cm.

Antirrinum should be grown in bushes. To do this, just cut off the top of the plant. You can cut off the upper part of the shoot in seedlings, and in adults, and even flowering plants. After a while, it will grow not one, but as many as 8 - 12 shoots.

When growing tall varieties, the height of which reaches one meter, a huge flowering bush is obtained. Fading shoots should also be removed and then new, young stems will grow again instead of them.

Snapdragon can grow in the sun, in partial shade and on almost any soil. It is grown in mixborders, discounts and separate curtains. Ampel hybrids are good for planting in hanging baskets.

Wintering snapdragons in the open field

Antirrinum is a perennial plant that can winter in the middle zone. It is prepared for winter in the same way as most perennial flowers. In autumn, all shoots are cut off, and the roots are covered with leaves, grass, peat. After a successful wintering, many shoots grow from the roots, which can be dug up and used to decorate the site.

Snapdragon diseases

In cold rainy weather, red spots may appear on the leaves of Antirrinum. If this happens, treat the flowers with Zircon (5 drops per 1 liter of water). Plants can also be treated with the same preparation for prevention, only in smaller doses (2 drops per 1 liter of water).

For preventive purposes, snapdragons are sprayed when planting seedlings in the ground and before flowering. Heavily affected plants are best removed from the garden immediately.

Snapdragon or antirrinum belongs to herbaceous or semi-shrub plants of the Plantain family (formerly belonged to the Norichnikov family). Flowers snapdragons amaze the imagination with their beauty and variety of colors. Serves as an irreplaceable decoration balconies , loggias And garden plots. They delight with their flowering all summer and until mid-autumn.

Strongly branched or single-stemmed plants with dense foliage can reach a height of 20-80 cm. Their taproot, branched roots penetrate deep into the soil. Snapdragon is a perennial. Blooms until late autumn. In warmer regions it is adapted to overwintering in open ground. In spring, the plant produces young sprouts and blooms until frost.

These flowers can also be grown as annuals. Snapdragon in this case is pulled out of the soil in late autumn, and its seeds are stored until spring sowing. About 50 species of this plant are cultivated.

Species and varieties

The very first in the 19th century, German scientists were engaged in the selection of snapdragons or antirrinum. To date, a huge number of varieties have already been bred, classified mainly by plant height:

• 80 cm - high (cut);
• 40-60 cm - semi-high (universal);
• 25-40 cm - low;
• 15-20 cm - dwarf.

Tall or cut flowers are mainly used to create bouquets that can last up to 10 days in water. This group includes the following types:

• "Alaska"- has greenish-white flowers

• "Anna German"- with light pink shades of inflorescences

• "Canary"- has bright yellow flowers

• "Rocket Orchid" And "Rocket Lemon"- flowers of lilac and pale lemon shades

• "Arthur"- large cherry blossoms

• "Goshenka"- orange

• "Swallowtail"- flowers of two colors: raspberry and yellow

The main shoots of semi-high varieties of antirrinums rise above the shoots of the second order. These types include:

• Golden Monarch
• White Monarch
• Scarie Monarch
• Ruby
• Lipstick Silver
• Tequila Sunrise

Low, as well as dwarf varieties are represented by the following species:

• Floral Showers
• Tip Top
• Magic Carpet
• Tom Thumb
• Kimozi
• Chimes
• hobbit and many others

In dwarf varieties, dense and short inflorescences have a flattened shape. Dwarf snapdragons bloom more profusely than undersized varieties.

A species called "Ruby Star" has appeared recently. It has cherry blossoms. Snapdragon ampelous, called "Lampion", bred for. It is great for hanging baskets.

reproduction

The plant is propagated by seeds or cuttings. The second option is used quite rarely, only for breeding some terry forms. Therefore, growing snapdragons from seeds is the most popular, easy and affordable way.

In warm climates, snapdragons can be sown outdoors in early spring. Seeds are sown in well-moistened soil, sprinkled with a thin layer of earth and covered with a film. To ventilate the seedlings, the film must be removed daily for a while. Snapdragon seeds can not be poured, excess moisture is detrimental to them.

In more severe climatic conditions, snapdragon seedlings are grown at home or in greenhouses. At home, flower containers are used for this, in which seeds are sown in early spring. They germinate in 3-4 weeks temperature regime 22-25°C.

For the substrate, a mixture of peat, garden soil and humus is used. All components are taken in equal amounts. Seeds spill well and are covered with a film or glass jar. When the first shoots appear, the coating is removed. Planting snapdragons in the ground is carried out in the middle of May. For better adaptation, seedling boxes should be left outdoors for a few days before planting.

Snapdragon. Landing and care

Although this plant is unpretentious, it grows better and develops well in places well lit by the sun and in fertilized soils. The soil is prepared a week before planting snapdragons in the ground. To do this, for each square meter of the site selected for planting, you must make:

• 200 grams of wood ash;
• 3 kg of humus or compost;
• one tablespoon of nitrophoska.

The soil with additives is dug up and levelled. Snapdragon seedlings are best planted on a cloudy day. Young shoots planted in sunny weather do not take root well. The distance between seedlings is 25-30 cm. The soil must be loosened during the entire summer period and weeds must be removed from it.

Watering and feeding

It will take about two weeks for the seedlings to take root. After that, the first feeding of the plant with organic fertilizer is carried out. This may be nitrophoska or other fertilizer, which contains the trace element boron.

Snapdragon flowers need constant watering, but excess moisture can kill the plant. Therefore, it is better to water the antirrinum as the soil dries. And to maintain the required level of moisture, you can mulch the soil with freshly cut grass or humus.

Snapdragon ( Latin name Antirrhinum) is a pretty letnik, which the Russians call "dogs", the Ukrainians - "mouths", the British - "biting dragon", and the French - "wolf mouth". All these names indicate the external similarity of the flowers of the plant with the open mouth of animals. The article will discuss how to plant an antirrinum and how to care for it in the open, that is, in a flower bed, on the ground. Colorful photos of these interesting flowers and information about when it is better to plant a plant will complete the picture.

This plant, covered with myths and legends, has existed in culture for about 500 years. Thanks to breeders who began work on the large antirrium in the 19th century, there are now about 1000 flower varieties.

The plant can be described as follows:

1. Herbaceous culture (semi-shrub) with vertical stems from 15 cm to 1 m tall.
2. The leaves are oblong-oval. Below they are located opposite to each other, and in the upper part of the plant - alternately.
3. In different varieties, the green tone of the leaves may vary slightly. The presence of red veins is often noted.
4. flowers irregular shape, two-lipped, simple and terry. Endowed with a delicate, pleasant aroma. The coloring can be both monophonic and two-, and three-color. All qualities depend on the variety.
5. The fruit of the plant is a two-celled box, in which from 5,000 to 8,000 thousand small seeds can ripen.
6. The first snapdragon buds open in June. Flowering stops in late autumn.

snapdragon flower

There are several classifications of antirrium. The most convenient of them is the height of the plants.

• Gigantic - the length of the stem is 90-130 cm. For example, the Arthur variety is 90 cm high with cherry flowers. Pink and red XL hybrids are also popular.
• High - 90 cm. A series of varieties Rocket with white-yellow elegant flowers and Madama Butterfly with double flowers of various colors are used for cutting.
• Medium height - 40-60 cm. They are distinguished from other varieties by strong branching. Wildrose - pure pink flowers, Defiance - red-orange with a lilac tint, Ruby - hot pink.
• Low varieties - 25-40 cm. Lampion ampelous hybrid, Ruby Star variety with flowers of the corresponding color, Tip-top - color in pastel colors.
• Dwarfs - height 15-20 cm. Top Thumb - a sphere-shaped bush with bright yellow flowers, Floral - a group of hybrids with 13 color options.

The difference in height and a wide range of colors of plants makes it easy to decorate a flower bed or container with them.

Growing snapdragons

Before purchasing seeds, you need to decide on the variety. For example, tall plants are suitable for growing outdoors, and dwarf and ampel varieties are ideal for balcony boxes.

Seeds can be collected independently, but it should be borne in mind that hybrids do not retain parental qualities. The collection begins at the time when the boxes at the bottom of the inflorescence are fully ripe. The unripe green top is removed. A simple paper bag is put on the remains of the flower arrow, the plant is hung in a dry place and they wait until the seeds begin to pour from the opened boxes.

Snapdragon can be grown on the balcony

This popular flower is grown in two ways:

• sowing in the ground;
• through seedlings.

The first option is simpler, but it is much more difficult to plan a flower bed with it. Everything here depends entirely on weather conditions. In the case of prolonged cold weather, some of the seeds simply may not germinate.

Advice. If it is not possible to grow seedlings, then it is better to cover the flowerbed with snapdragon crops with agrospan or polyethylene.

Seeds for seedlings are sown as follows:

1. A low container, such as a box, is filled with fertile soil. For snapdragons, garden soil, sand and humus are suitable in a ratio of 2: 1: 1.
2. Small brown seeds are evenly scattered over the surface of the soil. Using a sieve, cover them with a thin layer of soil.
3. Crops are moistened (preferably from a spray bottle).
4. The top of the container is covered with a film or covered with glass.
5. The box is arranged in a warm place.

Taking care of snapdragon seedlings will not cause difficulties

Shelter is immediately removed as soon as shoots appear and small plants are exposed to a well-lit place. In separate containers, snapdragons are seated in about a month. The signal for picking is the formation of two leaves. After the development of 4-5 leaves, the top of the plant must be pinched. This will intensify the tillering.

How to plant seedlings in a flower bed and care for the plant in the future

Shortly before planting, the plants are hardened off, placing pots of seedlings daily on Fresh air.
The flower bed where the snapdragon is planned to be planted should be located in the sun, without shading. There are no special requirements for the soil, but loam with a neutral reaction is preferable.

Attention! Planting seedlings in a flower bed is possible only with the onset of stable heat. Even slight frosts can kill the plant.

When planting different varieties, the following intervals should be observed:

• for tall varieties - up to half a meter apart;
• 30 cm will be enough for medium height;
• low varieties are best planted after 20 cm;
• dwarfs require a spacing of 15 cm.

Directly planting snapdragons occurs in the same way as most flower crops. After rooting, the seedlings grow very actively and turn into a beautiful bush.

To create a beautiful composition in a flower bed, choose plants of different heights.

Flower care consists of traditional garden work:

• glaze;
• loosening the soil around the plants;
• weeding as needed;
• top dressing.

Water the plant only in dry and hot periods of summer. The rest of the time, natural precipitation is quite enough for him. The next day after watering, you need to loosen the ground under the plants (this will contribute to better aeration of the roots) and remove the weeds that have appeared.

From top dressing, immediately after planting, nitrophoska is suitable, and during budding good option there will be an aqueous solution of urea, superphosphate and potassium sulfate (1 tablespoon each per 10 liters of water).

Advice. In order for the plant to bloom for a long time, wilted flower stalks should be removed regularly.

Snapdragon is a very colorful culture with which you can easily decorate any site. Huge selection varieties that differ in height and color, allows you to create interesting garden compositions with the participation of only one type of plant.

The subtleties of growing snapdragons: video