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Snapdragon growing from seeds at home. Snapdragon - planting, care and cultivation features

Snapdragon (antirrhinum) - often found on garden plots ornamental plant. They often decorate flower beds in city parks and boulevards. These flowers are popularly known as “dogs”. The popularity of the plant among summer residents is also explained by the fact that caring for it is not particularly difficult.

Antirrhinum is herbaceous plant, whose straight stems grow up to 1 m in height. Elongated leaves can be either light or dark in color. The flowers have a pleasant aroma and are shaped like an open lion's mouth. This is the secret of such unusual name. Smooth or double flowers growing at the top of the stem are collected in an inflorescence in the form of a spike.

On a note! The flower is grown on balconies and loggias. On the street it is planted both in flower beds and in hanging structures.

There are white, pink, red and yellow flowers. Flowering continues throughout the summer and ends in the fall with the onset of frost. The plant is perennial, but is usually replanted every year. Blooms Snapdragon in the year of landing. At the same time, the seed pod ripens.

Antirrinum varieties

These plants, depending on the variety, can be either very small or very tall. According to this principle, snapdragons are divided into the following groups.

  1. Dwarf, maximum 20 cm in length. They decorate borders and flower beds. These antirrinums are grown in pots as houseplants. Among them there are such varieties as “Sakura Color” and “Candy Showers F1”.

  2. short, growing from 25 to 40 cm. They can also be found in borders and flower beds. These include the varieties “Tip-top”, “Lampion”, “Hobbit”.

  3. Average, extending up to 40–60 cm. Used for landscape design or creating bouquets. The most common are pink “Ruby”, yellow “Golden Monarch” and pale pink “Lipstick Silver”.

  4. High, up to 60–90 cm long. They make wonderful fragrant bouquets or original flower beds. A cut flower can stand in water for more than a week. The best ones: terry varieties“Madame Butterfly F1”, yellow “Canary”, pink “Anna Herman”.

  5. Giants, reaching 1.3 m. These are varieties such as cherry “Arthur F1” and others.

Breeding methods

Antirrinum is usually propagated using seedlings. Tall varieties will bloom later than their low-growing counterparts. This must be taken into account when sowing.

On a note! Plant seeds can also be sown directly into open ground. This applies only to low varieties of snapdragon. The right time for sowing is the first ten days of May. Flowering should be expected later than for plants planted by seedlings.

If you do not destroy faded antirrinums, then it is likely that, having survived the winter, their seeds will germinate in thawed soil. Such plants produce strong, lushly flowering bushes.

When to plant seeds for seedlings

The time for sowing seeds depends on the climatic conditions of the region and the plant variety. Tall antirrinums are sown in the third ten days of February. Low- and medium-growing - during March. Sowing of dwarf varieties is allowed until April 15.

In the northern regions, snapdragons can only be grown by seedlings. The plant is planted in open ground later due to the fact that cold weather is likely to return throughout almost the entire spring. This must also be taken into account when planting seeds for seedlings. How to grow antirrhinum perennial It won't work in cold climates.

On a note! Sufficiently developed plants are transplanted into flower beds only in late spring or early summer. During this period, the flowers will not suffer from lower temperatures at night.






Sowing seeds for seedlings step by step

Table. Instructions for growing snapdragons in seedlings.

Steps, photoDescription of actions


For antirrinum seedlings, a universal soil mixture is suitable, which can be purchased at a specialized store. So that the small seeds of the plant can hatch, the soil is sifted and washed sand is mixed into it. The mixture can also be prepared from soil, peat and sand, mixing them in a ratio of 1: 2: 0.5. To protect seedlings from diseases and weeds, it is recommended to steam the soil mixture using a steamer. Steaming for 1 hour will protect the plant from blackleg. In order to make the soil slightly alkaline, after steaming it is necessary to add half a tablespoon of dolomite flour or 1 tablespoon of ash per 0.5 kg of soil. The soil mixture needs to be slightly moistened.


Fill the container with the soil mixture, level the surface and tamp it down quite a bit. Place the seeds on the fold of a piece of paper and carefully spread over the entire surface. Sprinkle soil on top with a layer of no more than 1 cm.


Spray with water from a spray bottle upper layer soil. In this case, some seeds may float to the surface. This is not a problem, since they need more light to germinate.


Cover the container with a transparent lid or plastic bag. Then install it in a lighted place. For seedlings to emerge, it is necessary to maintain a room temperature of +21-24°C. The soil must be periodically irrigated with water, otherwise the seeds will dry out and not germinate.


In about a week, the shoots will begin to hatch. After emergence, it is recommended to maintain a temperature of +16+29°C. At first, the seedlings grow at a slow pace. At this time, it is especially important not to allow excess water. Watering should be done so that moisture does not fall on the leaves. Frequent ventilation is required. The container lid must be removed after 7 days. Immediately after this, the plants must be protected from direct sunlight.


If the seedlings are too dense, thin them out using tweezers.


Picking is done after the first two true leaves grow. Snapdragon is not afraid of this procedure. In the new place he will feel good almost immediately. The same soil mixture is suitable, but without preliminary sifting and steam treatment. Fill cups or pots with soil and lightly compact the soil. Then you need to make holes so that there is enough space for the roots. Deepen the sprout by 3 mm and sprinkle with soil. Lightly compact the soil, otherwise the sprout may tilt when wet.


After picking, the seedlings must be carefully watered. In this case, it is advisable to hold the sprouts until the moisture is completely absorbed.


It is recommended to apply to the soil liquid fertilizer once every 14 days. Grown seedlings can be pinched between the fourth and fifth pairs of leaves to improve growth and further lush flowering.


In the second decade of May, you can plan to transfer the seedlings to open ground. Snapdragons require a well-lit place. In shady areas, antirrinum will not bloom so profusely. If the seedlings have been hardened, then they are not afraid of even slight frosts. Land for good growth plants should be loose. Fertile, slightly alkaline soil is suitable (otherwise the roots will not be developed enough). Heavy soil must be diluted with sand, dolomite flour or ash. Before planting seedlings, mineral fertilizer should be added to the soil, including phosphorus, potassium and nitrogen.


Holes for planting must be dug at a distance of up to 45 cm from each other, depending on the height of the future plant. The specified distance between plants must be maintained if a tall variety is planted. For medium-sized antirrinums, this interval is 30 cm. And plants of small varieties of snapdragons will get along well at a distance of 20 cm between them.


Planting must be completed with generous watering, after which it is necessary to cover the soil with a layer of peat.

Video - How best to sow snapdragons

Plant care

Further care of the plant does not require much effort. It needs to be weeded periodically, and the antirrinum also needs frequent loosening of the soil. During active growth The crop should be fed with a complex of mineral fertilizers. It is undesirable to allow both waterlogging of the soil and lack of moisture. Watering should be done moderately. Wilted inflorescences must be removed in a timely manner.

Snapdragon - cultivation and care

Diseases of the snapdragon

If the root system of seedlings is exposed to excess moisture, the antirrinum may develop root rot. This can completely ruin the seedlings. You can cope with the problem with the help of a drug called “Hom”. A teaspoon of the product is diluted with 1 liter of water and the seedlings are treated. Repeated treatment is carried out after transferring the plants to open ground. To do this, take 1 liter of solution per 10 m2 of flower beds. The procedure must be done before flowering.

Cool, damp summers provide suitable conditions for rust development. Red spots quickly spread on the foliage, leading to the death of the flower. It is recommended to combat this disease with the help of special fungicides (Cumulus, Strobi, Abiga-Pik, Polyram) and one percent Bordeaux mixture. Products containing sulfur are effective. Plants affected by the disease must be burned.

On a note! Gray spots with yellow edging on snapdragon leaves indicate infection with septoria. This usually happens in hot but rainy summers. To eliminate the infection, such products as “Skor”, “Previkur”, “Fundazol”, “Acrobat MC”, “Ordan”, “Profit Gold” are used.

The following pests pose a danger to snapdragons:

  • scoop;
  • slugs;
  • avocado scale insect;
  • root-knot nematode.

To destroy them, the plants and the land on which they are planted should be treated with insecticides. Infected bushes must be removed from the flowerbed and burned.

Until late autumn, snapdragon is able to surprise with its lush color, as it is not afraid of light frosts. If you follow simple rules, every amateur gardener can plant and successfully grow these colorful flowers on their own plot.

- a perennial herbaceous plant with large green stems of the Plantain family, grown in our country as an annual. The plant produces many stems. The stems of snapdragon are straight, branched, of very different heights: yes low-growing varieties, only about 20 cm, but there are tall ones, up to one meter high, that form pyramidal bushes during the growing season. The leaves of snapdragon are elongated, lanceolate or slightly oval green in color, pubescent with thin hairs.

Snapdragon flowers large, irregularly shaped, two-lipped, reminiscent of a gaping lion's mouth, pubescent on the outside. There are varieties with simple and double flowers. The flowers are collected in racemose inflorescences. Coloring of snapdragon flowers will be able to please you widely color scheme: They come in white, pink, yellow and bi-color. In the wild, there are snapdragon species with yellow, blue, and purple flowers.

The plant's birthplace is considered North America. In Russia, snapdragon has long been popular and is very common garden plant decorating flower beds and flower beds. Snapdragon is a wonderful sunny annual that will fill your garden with a pleasant fragrant aroma and attract not only bees, but also butterflies.

Growing snapdragons from seeds

Sowing snapdragon seeds for seedlings can be done from the end of February, in March, to the beginning of April. Snapdragon Seeds When sowing, lightly sprinkle with soil. The first shoots begin to appear after ten days, but germination of snapdragon seeds can take a whole month. For better germination cover the container with snapdragon seeds with glass or plastic bag. As soon as the shoots begin to appear, the film or glass must be removed. For better germination, keep the container with snapdragon seeds at an air temperature of at least +18 o C. Snapdragon seeds can be sown directly in open ground in May, covering the bed with film or agrospan.

During the first time after snapdragon germination, monitor the soil moisture: overdrying, as well as severe waterlogging of the soil, can lead to the death of seedlings. Transplanting snapdragon seedlings do not delay for too long: it must be carried out at the stage of the first two or three true leaves. When snapdragon seedlings grow to 4-6 pairs of true leaves, the tops of the plants need to be pinched to form additional stems.

Caring for snapdragons in open ground

In open ground snapdragon seedlings planted already partially blooming in late May - early June, when the threat of frost has passed, leaving 30 cm between plants. Snapdragon grows best in open sunny places. If you have absolutely no open sunny places left, snapdragons can be planted in partial shade. Only the flowering will be delayed a little, it will not be too abundant, the color of the flowers will be more delicate, and not as bright as in the open sun.

Soil for snapdragons should be well fertilized. If you have clay soil on your site, add more organic matter, peat, peat, sand to it in order to make the soil looser and eliminate stagnation of excess moisture. If your site has sandy loam soil, add black soil, rotted organic matter, leaf soil, try to improve the structure of the soil so that it can retain water and remain moist longer.

Don't forget to water the snapdragons. Do not water the next time until the top layer of soil has dried out. To preserve precious moisture, mulch the snapdragon plantings with a layer of freshly cut grass, humus, and rotted sawdust. With severe waterlogging, snapdragons are susceptible to various rots, including root rots.

First feeding snapdragons after transplanting into open ground - no earlier than two to three weeks, so as not to burn the roots of the plant damaged by transplantation. This is when the plant fully adapts to open air, new leaves will begin to grow, then you can carry out the first fertilizing with mineral fertilizers. It is desirable that fertilizers have a full NPK formula; additional microelements are welcome. The plant especially needs feeding during the flowering period. And a strong, healthy plant can resist diseases and pest attacks.

When grown from seedlings, snapdragons bloom as early as June and continue to bloom until frost. Try to remove faded inflorescences in a timely manner. This procedure greatly extends the flowering period of all plants.

Healing properties of snapdragon

In addition to the fact that snapdragon is very decorative, its flowers can be used in folk medicine. An infusion of snapdragon flowers is drunk for intestinal bloating; it can be used as an additional remedy for certain liver diseases. A mixture of snapdragon flowers, immortelle and corn silk is especially good during the recovery period after hepatitis. Infusions and decoctions of snapdragon flowers are used for severe headaches, dropsy and shortness of breath. When used externally, infusions and decoctions of snapdragons help with hemorrhoids, open ulcers on the skin, and boils.

Snapdragon will not only decorate your flower beds and flower beds. It can be used for growing on balconies, terraces, and decorating windows from the outside. Snapdragon flowers make excellent cut flowers.

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Almost everyone knows about snapdragon. Such a plant can revive any garden, country cottage area, decorate the flowerbed. Snapdragon brings brightness and originality to the overall composition. The culture is very widespread. Since it is unpretentious in maintenance, it is often chosen for decorating the territory. What is snapdragon: growing seedlings from seeds and care features - this article will tell you about it.

Snapdragon or antirrhinum is a plant that reaches a height of 15 centimeters to a meter. It is grown as an annual or perennial. The shoots are straight and branched. They form pyramidal or cone-shaped dense bushes that look very elegant. Stems are painted green tone. Sometimes a purple coating is present.

The shape of the leaf blade is lanceolate or oval. Foliage is more of an original background for beautiful buds rather than decoration. The inflorescences captivate with their attractiveness even experienced gardeners. The flowers are very similar in shape to the muzzle of a lion: two-lipped, less often double. They densely cover the bushes. If you press on them from the side, the bud opens like a lion's mouth. This is especially noticeable in large species. But the dwarf snapdragon looks less impressive, but is also very attractive. During flowering, the crop looks festive, lush and elegant.

What types of snapdragons are there?

The genus Antirrhinum numbers over 100 various types. However, only a few varieties are widely used in ornamental gardening. All varieties of snapdragons are grouped according to their growth into several groups. Below are the varieties of snapdragons.

Tall snapdragon

Snapdragon is a tall annual herbaceous plant that reaches a height of 65-110 centimeters. The bush is weakly branched, dense and looks quite compact. The inflorescences are dense, large, and showy. This best variety for cutting.

This category is represented by the following varieties: Rocket Lemon, Rocket Orchid, Tip Top, Rocket Golden, Rocket Bronze. Madame Butterfly snapdragon is also popular among gardeners: growing from seeds is easy. The culture looks original, covered with elegant multi-colored buds. The Alaska variety is highly valued for its durability. The bush looks boring and has weak branches. However, during flowering it is covered with luxurious shining snow-white buds with a diameter of up to 25 centimeters.

When choosing a tall snapdragon: cultivation from seeds must be carried out in accordance with all the rules and recommendations, and only then the gardener will be able to get a spectacularly flowering crop.

Medium-sized snapdragon

Includes abundantly flowering, compact varieties. The height of the crop varies from 20 to 60 centimeters. Branching is stronger than in tall species. However, their inflorescences are somewhat smaller. The best representatives are the Black Prince, wild Rose, Golden Monarch.

Medium-sized snapdragon

Low growing snapdragon

The snapdragon is characterized by a short height of about 30-40 centimeters. The shrub consists of a large number of shoots. In appearance they are semicircular and sloping. The inflorescences of these varieties are loose and small. Flowering early or mid-early. The most famous are Crimson Velvet, Crown and Schneeflocke.

Snapdragon low growing

Dwarf snapdragon

Their height does not exceed 20 centimeters. The plant is highly branched, covered with short, small flowers. Most often, varieties such as Hobbit and Floral are chosen from this group. Many people also buy snapdragon Tom Thumb: growing from seeds is not particularly difficult. The variety stands out for its thin shoots, short and bright inflorescences, large leaves. The bud is colored in a rich lemon tone, there is a dark spot. Tom Thumb looks very original.

How to grow a plant on the site?

This culture reproduces by vegetative and generative methods.

Seeds collected from a flower retain the ability to germinate for several years. For residents of regions with warm climates who choose ampelous snapdragon: growing from seeds will be the most the best option. This method is easy to implement and not labor intensive.

Sowing seeds for seedlings

The question of when to sow snapdragon worries almost all beginning gardeners. The first days of March are most suitable. Although, a lot depends on the climatic characteristics of the region.

The algorithm is as follows:

  1. Take a container with a diameter of about 10 centimeters. Make holes in it for drainage.
  2. Pour coarse sand.
  3. Lay out the next layer with a mixture of compost soil and sand.
  4. Compact and level everything.
  5. Lightly moisten with water.
  6. Mix the seeds with sand and spread them on the ground.
  7. Sprinkle a thin layer of substrate on top.
  8. Water moderately.
  9. Cover the container with glass.

Caring for seedlings

Having chosen a snapdragon flower, cultivation from seeds should be carried out competently: it is important to create optimal conditions for this crop and take good care of it. Every day the substrate should be moistened with a fine spray bottle and condensation should be removed from the glass. The optimal temperature is +23 degrees. With this content, sprouts will appear within a couple of weeks. From this moment, the container is transferred to a bright place where there is no exposure to direct rays of the sun. When all the seeds have sprouted, the protective glass can be removed.

Usually seedlings grow slowly, during this period main task is to moisten the soil so that there is enough moisture. You cannot flood the culture. As they grow, they pick, planting the sprouts in different pots. Already at the end of May, the strengthened and grown seedlings are transferred to an open area.

Transplanting plants into the garden

Landing is carried out according to the following scheme:

  • Low-growing varieties are planted at a distance of 20 centimeters from each other.
  • Medium-sized - with an interval of 30 centimeters.
  • The tall ones are placed 40 centimeters from each other.
  • Between dwarf varieties leave 15 centimeters.

As soon as the bush takes root, it will begin to actively grow and develop, quickly turning into a luxurious flowering crop.

Which variety should I choose?

There is a wide range of snapdragons on the market. And it is sometimes difficult for beginners to make a choice. To purchase suitable variety, you should understand what types of plants exist. It is also worth paying attention to the most popular options.

The following varieties are in demand among gardeners:


Snapdragon is a herbaceous perennial plant that belongs to the Plantain family. The flower is also called antirrhinum. Different peoples have other names: cleft palate, dogs, biting dragon, mouths. It is not difficult to grow these flowers in your own garden. They will delight you for a long time with beautiful flowering in flower beds, rock gardens, ridges, and near borders.

The crop has varieties with inflorescences that are not only two-lipped, but also open-shaped. For example, there are varieties in which the petals do not grow together, forming a visual “lip”.

Description and types

Snapdragon is a crop that comes in both herbaceous and semi-shrub forms. There is also an ampelous type.

Botanical description of the plant:

  1. 1. The bushes form the shape of pyramids.
  2. 2. The stems are straight, highly branched, have furrows, and reach a height of 15 cm to 1 m.
  3. 3. The leaves are arranged alternately, and in the lower part - opposite. They are usually either lanceolate or oblong oval. Painted in all shades of green. The veins on them are red.
  4. 4. The flowers are large, fragrant, large. Have irregular shape, two-lipped. There are both simple and terry ones - it depends on the variety. They gather in spikelets. Flowers can be yellow, white, red, pink. There are not only one-, but also two- and three-color varieties.
  5. 5. The fruit looks like a seed capsule. There are from 5 to 8 thousand seeds per 1 g.
  6. 6. Flowering time - from the beginning of summer until the onset of frost.

The plants look good in the garden in flower beds.

Antiriums are classified by height:

Description

Names and photos of varieties

GiganticReach 0.9-1.3 m. The main shoot, located in the center, is higher than the side shoots

Pink and red hybrids

HighThese include varieties with a height of 0.6-0.9 m. They are usually grown for cutting into bouquets or as an accent in group plantings

Canary

Madame Butterfly

Anna German

Goshenka

Medium heightThey are also called semi-high. They are 40-60 cm long. The plants branch greatly. They are considered universal - suitable for bouquets and flower beds

Golden Monarch

Lipstick silver

shortThey are 20-40 cm in height. Such varieties are used as border and flower bed crops. Their main stem is located on the same level with shoots of the second and third order

Lemon sherbet

apple blossom

Sun Ray

Peach with cream

DwarfThey are 15-20 cm in height. Border mixtures are usually made from such varieties. The plants are also suitable for ridges and rock gardens. They can be grown in pots at home. The peculiarity of these crops is that their main shoot is lower than the side shoots.

Candy Showers

Sakura color

Planting at home

The main way to grow snapdragons is from seeds. If you sow before mid-March, the first buds will appear by the end of spring or in the first days of summer.

It is best to first grow antirrinum at home using the seedling method. You need to sow the seeds like this:

  1. 1. Select containers. These can be low but wide boxes and containers. They need to have holes at the bottom to allow excess water to escape after watering.
  2. 2. Pour small stones and expanded clay onto the bottom of the pots. They will serve as drainage. The layer should be 2-3 cm thick.
  3. 3. Fill the container with substrate and moisten it. Ready soil can be purchased at a specialty store. For his self-cooking you need to mix compost soil in half with river sand. Another option: take 2 parts of light turf soil and 1 part of non-acidic peat.
  4. 4. Mix the seeds with sand, since they are very small - this will make working with them easier. Then sow them on the soil. You can do it differently: lay snow on the ground, and then place seeds in its top layer. The snow cover will melt quickly, and planting material will fall to the ground. In the end, all that remains is to sprinkle the seeds with a thin layer of substrate and spray it with water from a spray bottle.
  5. 5. Cover the container with film or glass. Place it on a windowsill or under a lamp for good lighting. It is required for seed germination.

Every day you need to temporarily remove the shelter for ventilation, spray the soil if necessary and remove condensation from the film or glass. Then the container is covered again. If the temperature in the room where the container with the seeds is located is about 230 C, then the first shoots will appear in 2 weeks. After another 3 days, the film or glass should be removed and the pot with seedlings should be moved to a cooler place.

In the first weeks, the growth of seedlings is very slow. At this time you need to water them a little. The soil must not be over-moistened, otherwise the sprouts will rot due to a disease such as blackleg.

When 4 true leaves appear on the seedlings, they should be plucked, that is, all the plants should be planted in separate small pots (you can also use plastic cups). Up to 3 seedlings are allowed per container. If the pots are on the windowsill, then during the day you can open the window so that the plants begin to get used to the street and harden. But you need to make sure that there is no draft.


When the plants begin to bush, it is necessary to pinch their tops. If side shoots grow upward quickly, it is also recommended to subject them to this procedure. While the seedlings are indoors, it is advisable to feed them using complex mineral fertilizers.

Planting in open ground

Snapdragon sprouts should be planted in open ground in the second half of May or already at the beginning of summer, when it is known for sure that frost will not return. Even if there is a cold snap at night, it will not be dangerous for plants that were previously specially hardened off.

Be sure to choose a well-lit place. Partial shade is also allowed. But the territory must be protected from drafts and strong winds, otherwise the branches with inflorescences will bend to the ground.

Fertile, loose soil is more suitable for snapdragons. You can make a mixture of garden soil, peat, compost and sand. A distance of 40 cm should be left between low-growing crops, plants with an average height - 30 cm, and dwarf varieties - 20 cm.

It is necessary to carefully remove the seedlings along with the earthen lump from the pots (cups), and then place them in prepared holes with pre-moistened soil. Then all that remains is to sprinkle them with soil and water them.

Antirrinum can be used for:

  1. 1. Decorating the edges of paths in the garden.
  2. 2. Group plantings on the lawn. Snapdragon goes well with bush petunias, sage, phlox, poppies, annual chrysanthemums, cosmos.
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    Rules of care

    Caring for snapdragons is quite simple. For its development it is enough to create the minimum conditions:

    1. 1. Watering. It should be moderate and regular. It is best to water the plants early in the morning. It is recommended to use distilled or filtered water. If the weather is rainy, then there is no need to irrigate the soil. Watering is very important during the period when buds form and open. But water stagnation should not be allowed, as this may cause the plant to rot.
    2. 2. Weeding and loosening the soil. This is beneficial for the root system - this way it receives more useful components, air and water, and weeds do not interfere with the development of flowers. It is recommended to loosen the soil the next day after watering.
    3. 3. Tying. If the antirrinums are tall, they should be tied to a fence or stakes so that they do not bend due to wind or rain.
    4. 4. Trimming. All fading inflorescences must be removed so that they do not interfere with other buds opening. If you need to collect seeds, you need to leave 2-3 boxes at the bottom of the flower for ripening. The rest can be deleted.
    5. 5. Feeding. There should be 2 of them during the season. The first one is carried out 10 days after transplanting the plants. It is necessary to use nitrophoska. The second feeding is carried out when the buds appear. It is best to use special complex mineral fertilizers that are intended for flowering plants.
    6. 6. Insulation. In autumn and winter, some varieties need to be insulated. To do this, you can use sawdust, dry leaves, spruce branches or special agrofibre.

    Caring for snapdragons also involves prevention various diseases. If you create the right conditions content, then the flower will not get sick, but if the rules are violated, then the risk increases greatly. Snapdragon can suffer from rust, septoria, rot, and fusarium. The diseased plant should be removed, and nearby bushes should be treated with fungicides (Fundazol, Fitosporin, Topaz). To combat insect pests, it is recommended to use insecticidal agents (Aktara, Aktellik).

Snapdragon flower

The snapdragon flower has whole line undeniable advantages. First of all, it is unpretentiousness and bright, long-lasting flowering from mid-summer to late autumn. It can be grown not only in flower beds and hills, but also on loggias in pots and hanging baskets.

The snapdragon flower (Antirrinum) is a flower, 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 bush with a well-developed root system. Such bushes are able to winter safely even in the middle zone.

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 forms of snapdragons with drooping shoots have recently appeared; the length of such shoots reaches 1 meter.

Snapdragon is ampelous.

Growing snapdragons from seeds

When to sow.

When growing snapdragons, you need to sow the seeds in early March.

Substrate for seed germination.

The flower does not like to grow on peat soils. To germinate seeds, it is better to use soil from compost heap and river sand in a one to one ratio.

How to sow Antirrinum seeds.

It is convenient to grow snapdragons from seeds in plastic containers with tight-fitting lids. You can sow the seeds directly into cups, with 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. You just need to take into account that snow indoors melts quickly. You can mix the seeds with sand, this also greatly simplifies the sowing process.

Caring for seedlings.

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. To germinate, the seeds will need high humidity and temperature 23 - 25 degrees. Monitor soil moisture; when the substrate dries out, it must be moistened periodically.

Young seedlings

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

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

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

Picking seedlings.

When the seedlings have a second pair of true leaves, you can start picking the seedlings. Antirrinum already grows a powerful root system during the seedling period, so plants need to be planted in large 0.5 liter cups.

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 several pieces in cups.

Snapdragon easily tolerates picking and is quickly accepted in a new place. But until the seedlings begin to grow, they must be kept in the shade and taken out into the sun a few days after transplantation.

Pinching seedlings.

This flower should not be grown in one stem.. The plant looks much more attractive when it grows as a bush. To do this, the shoot is pinched above the fifth leaf. If side shoots begin to grow quickly, it is better to pinch them too. As a result, a powerful, beautiful bush snapdragon.

Growing from seeds in open ground

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

Antirrinum grown from seeds.

It is customary to sow snapdragons in the ground in so-called clumps. Curtains are formed with a size of approximately 40 by 40 cm. 4 - 5 Antirrinum bushes are grown in one clump, but much more seeds need to be sown there. Excess shoots can later be pulled back.

Seeds are sown in the ground at the end of April, beginning of May. Since spring frosts can destroy the seedlings, the clumps are covered with some kind of covering material.

Growing and caring for Antirrinum

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

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

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

Snapdragon can grow in full sun, partial shade and in almost any soil. It is grown in mixborders, ridges and individual clumps. Ampelous hybrids are good for planting in hanging baskets.

Wintering snapdragons in open ground

Antirrinum is a perennial plant that can overwinter in conditions 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, and peat. After a successful winter, many shoots grow from the roots, which can be dug up and used to decorate the area.

Snapdragon diseases

In the 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). The same drug can be used to treat plants 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 begins. It is better to immediately remove severely affected plants from the garden bed.