How to grow snapdragons from seeds at home?

Snapdragon (antirrinum) is an ornamental plant often found in garden plots. They are often decorated with flower beds in parks and city 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.

Snapdragon

Snapdragon: growing from seed, when to plant

Peculiarities

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

Snapdragon flower

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

Luxurious flowerbed with antirrinums

A riot of colorful snapdragons in a hanging planter

There are antirrinums of white, pink, red and yellow colors. Flowering lasts all summer, and ends in autumn with the onset of frost. The plant is perennial, but is usually re-planted every year. Snapdragon blooms in the year of disembarkation. Then the seed box ripens.

Antirrinum varieties

Snapdragon large

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

Dwarf, maximum 20 cm in length. They are used to decorate borders and flower beds. These anti-rhinums are planted in pots like houseplants. Among them there are varieties such as "Sakura Blossom" and "Candy Showers F1".
Snapdragon Candy Showers F1 Orange
Undersizedgrowing from 25 to 40 cm. They can also be found on borders and flower beds. These include the "Tip-Top", "Lampion", "Hobbit" varieties.
Snapdragon ampelous "Lampion"
Averagestretching up to 40-60 cm. Used for landscaping or creating bouquets. The most common are pink Ruby, yellow Golden Monarch and pale pink Lipstick Silver.
Snapdragon (Antirrinum) Golden Monarch
High, up to 60–90 cm long. They make wonderful fragrant bouquets or original flower beds. A cut flower can stand in water for over a week. The best of them: terry varieties "Madame Butterfly F1", yellow "Canary", pink "Anna German".
Snapdragon F1 "Madame Butterfly"
Giantsreaching 1.3 m. These are such varieties as cherry "Arthur F1" and others.

Tulips and snapdragons in one flower bed

Breeding methods

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

Snapdragon seedlings

On a note! Plant seeds can also be sown directly into open ground. This only applies to small varieties of snapdragons. The right time for sowing is the first decade of May. Flowering should be expected later than seedlings.

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

Vivid variety of snapdragons

When to plant seeds for seedlings

The sowing time of seeds depends on the climatic conditions of the region and the plant variety. High anti-rhinums are sown in the third decade of February. Low and medium height - during March. Sowing dwarf varieties is allowed until April 15.

Snapdragon seeds photo

In the northern regions, snapdragons can only be grown in seedlings. Planting the plant in open ground is carried out later due to the fact that during almost the entire spring, the return of cold weather is likely. This must be taken into account when planting seeds for seedlings. Growing antirrinum as a perennial plant in cold climates will not work.

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

Sowing seeds for seedlings step by step

Table. Instructions for growing a snapdragon seedling method.

Step 1	For seedlings of antirrinum, 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 added to it. The mixture can also be prepared from earth, peat and sand, mixing them in a 1: 2: 0.5 ratio. To protect seedlings from diseases and weeds, it is recommended to steam the soil mixture with a double boiler. Steam for 1 hour will protect the plant from the blackleg. In order to make the soil slightly alkaline, after steaming, add to it 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.
Step 2	Fill the container with a mixture of soil, level the surface and tamp quite a bit. Place the seeds on the fold of a piece of paper and spread carefully over the entire surface. Pour the earth on top with a layer of no more than 1 cm.
Step 3	Spray the topsoil with water from a spray bottle. However, some seeds may float to the surface. This is not scary, since more light is needed for their germination.
Step 4	Cover the container with a transparent lid or plastic bag. Then install it in a lighted place. For the emergence of seedlings, it is necessary to maintain the temperature in the room + 21-24 ° C. The soil must be periodically irrigated with water, otherwise the seeds will dry out and not germinate.
Step 5	After about a week, sprouts will begin to hatch. After emergence, it is recommended to maintain a temperature of + 16 + 29 ° C. Seedlings grow at a slow rate at first. It is especially important to avoid excess water during this time. Watering should be done so that moisture does not get 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.
Step 6	With an excessive density of seedlings, they are thinned out using tweezers.
Step 7	The pick is made after the first two true leaves grow. Snapdragon is not afraid of this procedure. In a new place, he will feel good almost immediately. The same soil mixture is suitable, but without preliminary sieving and steaming. Fill the cups or pots with soil, lightly tamp the soil. Then you need to make holes so that there is enough space for the roots. Deepen the sprout by 3 mm and cover with soil. Lightly tamp the earth, otherwise the sprout may tilt when moistened.
Step 8	After picking, the seedlings must be carefully watered.In this case, it is advisable to hold the sprouts until the moisture is completely absorbed.
Step 9	It is recommended to apply liquid fertilizer to the soil every 14 days. The grown seedlings can be pinched between the fourth and fifth pairs of leaves to improve growth and further lush flowering.
Step 10	In the second decade of May, you can plan to transfer seedlings to open ground. Snapdragon needs a well-lit area. In shady areas, antirrinum will not bloom so abundantly. If the seedlings were hardened, then even small frosts are not afraid of it. The soil for good plant growth must be loose. A fertile slightly alkaline soil is suitable (otherwise the roots will not be sufficiently developed). Heavy soil must be diluted with sand, dolomite flour or ash. Before planting seedlings, mineral fertilizing should be applied to the soil, including phosphorus, potassium and nitrogen.
Step 11	Planting holes must be dug up to 45 cm apart, depending on the height of the future plant. The specified distance between plants must be observed if a tall variety is planted. For medium 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.
Step 12	Planting must be completed with generous watering, after which it is required to cover the soil with a layer of peat.

Snapdragon in composition with other flowers

Composition using snapdragon flowers

Video - How best to sow snapdragon

Plant care

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

Antirrinum (snapdragon). Types and terms of work when growing

Snapdragon - growing and care

Snapdragon diseases

If the root system of the seedlings has been exposed to excessive moisture, then the antirrinum can get sick with root rot. This can ultimately ruin the shoots. To cope with the problem, you can use a drug called "Hom". A teaspoon of the product is diluted with 1 liter of water and the seedlings are treated. Re-processing is carried out after the transfer of plants to open ground. For this, 1 liter of solution is taken for 10 m2 of flower beds. The procedure must be done before flowering.

Diseases and pests of antirrinum

In cool, damp summers, there are suitable conditions for the development of rust. Red spots quickly spread on the foliage, which lead to the death of the flower. It is recommended to fight this disease with the help of special fungicides ("Cumulus", "Strobi", "Abiga-Peak", "Poliram") and 1% Bordeaux liquid. Products that include sulfur are effective. Plants affected by the disease must be burned.

"Strobe"

"Abiga Peak"

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

"Speed"

Fundazol

The following pests are dangerous for snapdragons:

aphid;
scoop;
slugs;
avocado scabbard;
rootworm nematode.

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

Snapdragon is a beautiful flower that is undeservedly forgotten by many growers.

Snapdragon is able to surprise with its lush color until late autumn, as it is not afraid of light frosts. Subject to simple rules, these colorful flowers can be planted and successfully grown on their site by every amateur gardener.

Snapdragon needs no introduction as it is one of the most famous ornamental plants. Moreover, it has such pronounced decorative properties that it can radically transform any place, regardless of whether it is planted in a flower bed in a garden or in an ordinary summer cottage. This flower is not only very beautiful, but also does not pose any problems in its care. This can be noted in relation to planting a snapdragon, so even a novice florist can cope with this task.

Snapdragon is one of the brightest representatives of perennial plants, which by its presence is able to decorate a flower bed in the garden, making it even more expressive. First flowers formed already in the first month of summer, subsequently they will give aesthetic pleasure to the summer resident until the first frost. At the same time, the owner does not have to spend a lot of time and effort caring for this plant.

Plant varieties

Snapdragon is different in that it provides for many types. Breeding new varieties of this crop is the goal of many breeders. In view of such an increased interest in snapdragon, to date, a large number of its species and hybrids, differing in their color, have been bred.

Just look at the seed packages to see how varied these colorful flowers can be. Moreover, in each case, it will be about the snapdragon. Unfortunately, the varieties available today have not been able to cover full color palette, in which there are no blue and blue shades.

Snapdragon, also known as doggies, is one of the well-known herbaceous plants that develop many straight, branched stems during development. The varieties of this plant differ in stem height. The leaves of the snapdragon are usually elongated, green in color, and also necessarily decorated with a thin fleecy cover. If we turn to the name of the plant, then it is associated with the shape of the flowers, which are very similar to the open mouth of a lion.

How does snapdragon plant propagate?

Planting and leaving - the main events, on which the flowers will turn out depends. One of the available plant propagation methods is sowing seeds. Moreover, you can get new seedlings in two ways:

with the help of seedlings;
by planting in open ground.

In very rare cases, summer residents resort to the latter method. The reason for this is due to the fact that at the beginning of spring, when it is already time to sow seeds in open ground, the earth does not have time to warm up, as a result, it becomes very difficult to grow snapdragons in this way. Therefore, many growers most often use the seedling propagation method: provided that all recommendations for growing at home are followed, you can get quite strong seedlings of flowers.

However, you can save yourself the time-consuming work and buy ready-made seedlings of snapdragon flowers. But in this case, it is necessary in the most careful way inspect the purchased planting material... It must be of very high quality. Then you will have confidence that beautiful and healthy flowers will grow out of it.

First of all, you need to pay attention to the leaves and root system. The roots should not show signs of disease, and they themselves should be well developed. When assessing the condition of the stems, one must take into account that they should not be thin and weak. The leaves decorating them should have juicy colors. Much can be learned from the condition of the soil - if it is dry, then, most likely, the seedlings were poorly looked after.

If you are eager to get strong and healthy snapdragon seedlings, then you need to consider the following guidelines, which will help you avoid many mistakes. This way you will know what conditions are favorable for growing flowers and, after sowing, you can get the seedlings you expect.

How are seeds sown?

To get strong snapdragon seedlings at home, you need not only correctly determine the appropriate sowing dates, but also to carry out certain preparatory measures in relation to planting material.

The fact that this plant has such a quality as unpretentiousness saves the grower from many problems. Therefore, he does not have to prepare a highly fertile soil mixture, as well as create optimal conditions for development. However, this does not mean that you can ignore them. It is imperative to take into account the peculiarities of plants and, in accordance with them, create the necessary microclimate. In this case, you will be satisfied with the result.

You can plan sowing seeds for seedlings in early April or May. But first you have to prepare everything you need:

planting material (selected variety of snapdragon seeds);
containers for landing;
soil and blade;
sieve.

Agricultural technology of cultivation

Sowing seeds of snapdragon seedlings can be carried out in wooden boxes, as well as in individual flower pots. Having decided on a container for seedlings, you need to pour soil into them and level the surface. As a mixture, you can use a light, loose substrate, which is available in any flower shop.

When sowing seeds should be placed thickly enough... However, you need to be very careful and take care that the seedlings are not too densely packed. Then the seeds need to be lightly pressed into the soil, and a layer of earth should be poured on top. The easiest way to do this is with a sieve. Then the layer of earth covering the seeds will turn out to be light, and this will help speed up the process of seed germination. When all actions are completed, plantings must be watered with a small amount of water using a spray bottle. Finally, a plastic wrap or a piece of glass is placed over the containers with landings.

For rapid germination of antirrinum seedlings, it is recommended to install the boxes in a warm place.

The most favorable for sprouting is temperature from + 20 to + 23 degrees... Also for them it is necessary to create soft, diffused lighting. Usually after 14 days you will notice the first shoots: from this moment you can begin to air the boxes with seeds. Gradually, the duration of such hardening can be increased, then soon you can remove the film altogether.

While the seedlings are still small, they need to be regularly watered. The main thing is not to allow long breaks between soil moisture, since snapdragons are very responsive to moisture. Usually, after a month, the first two true leaves are formed. When this happens, know that it is time to pick the seedlings in individual containers. Transplanting young seedlings should be extremely careful, making sure that the roots are not damaged.

In addition to picking, you can carry out pinching the tops of the sprouts... However, this can be done at the stage when they grow up to 10 cm. Such an operation will speed up the process of forming side shoots, and this will help you get lush flowers.

When and how to plant antirrinum in the garden?

The most favorable moment for transplanting snapdragon seedlings to a permanent place is the moment when the last wave of frost passes and warm weather sets in. At this stage of development, the seedlings will reach a state in which they will appear in the form of small bushes. It is recommended to choose a sunny location for planting in a permanent snapdragon seedling site. At the same time, the plant will grow well in those areas where there is partial shading.

During transplanting seedlings, it is necessary adhere to the following scheme:

for low-growing plants - 15 x 15 cm;
for tall varieties - at least 40 cm.

How to care for young plantings and flowers?

After transplanting the seedlings to a permanent place, the owner will need to conduct regular watering, top dressing and loosen the soil from time to time. The first time fertilization must be applied already after 2-2.5 weeks after transplanting seedlings into open ground. It is best to start feeding the plants with organic fertilizers. This can be, for example, nitrophoska. Subsequently, top dressing is applied no more than once every two weeks until autumn.

Conclusion

Most growers are familiar with a plant like snapdragons. Therefore, among the plants that they plant in flower beds, it is antirrinum that becomes one of the first. It attracts many because it does not create problems both during planting and in leaving. Therefore, many summer residents are engaged in the cultivation of this plant.

Despite the fact that it is possible to grow snapdragons both through seedlings and by sowing in open ground, the first method is most often chosen, since favorable conditions for sowing in cold soil are not always created in spring. However, it is not very difficult to grow snapdragons through seedlings, since care will be reduced only to regular watering. In the future, caring for him in the flower bed will require regular feeding and loosening.

Growing a snapdragon flower

Other decorative flowering

23.01.2018

8 minutes

Snapdragon is a herbaceous perennial plant that belongs to the Plantain family. The flower is also called antirrinum. Different peoples have other names: wolf's mouth, dogs, biting dragon, mouths. Growing these flowers in your own garden is easy. They will delight for a long time with beautiful flowering on flower beds, rock gardens, rabatkas, near borders.

The culture is distinguished by varieties with inflorescences not only two-lipped, but also open. For example, there are varieties in which the petals do not grow together, forming a visually "lip".

1 Description and types

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

Botanical description of the plant:

1. Bushes form a pyramid shape.
2. Stems are straight, highly branched, grooved, reaching a height of 15 cm to 1 m.
3. Leaves are arranged in turn, and opposite in the lower part. They are usually either lanceolate or oblong oval. Colored in all shades of green. The veins on them are red.
4. Flowers are large, fragrant, large. They have an irregular shape, two-lipped. There are both simple and terry - it depends on the variety. Collect in spikelets. Flowers can be yellow, white, red, pink. There are not only one-, but also two-, three-color varieties.
5. The fruit looks like a seed capsule. There are 5 to 8 thousand seeds per gram.
6. Flowering time - from the beginning of summer to the onset of frost.

Plants look good in the garden in flower beds.

Antirriums are classified by height:

View	Description	Names and photos of varieties
Gigantic	Reach 0.9-1.3 m.The main shoot, located in the center, is higher than the lateral	Arthur
		Pink and red hybrids
High	These 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
		Alaska
		Volcano
		Goshenka
Medium-sized	They are also called semi-high. There are 40-60 cm. Plants are highly branched. They are considered universal - they are suitable for bouquets and flower beds.	Ruby
		Golden Monarch
		Lipstick Silver
Undersized	There are 20-40 cm in height. Such varieties are used as border and flower beds. Their main stem is flush with second and third order shoots.	Lampion
		Type-Top
		The hobbit
		Lemon sorbet
		Apple blossom
		Sunbeam
		Peach with cream
Dwarf	They are 15-20 cm in height. Border mixtures are usually made from such varieties.Plants are also suitable for rabatki, rock gardens. They can be grown in pots at home. A feature of these crops is that their main shoot is lower than the lateral	Candy Showers
		Sakura Blossom

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2 Planting at home

The main method of growing snapdragons is from seeds. If sowing is carried out before mid-March, then 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. It is necessary to sow seeds like this:

1. Pick up containers. These can be low, but wide boxes and containers. At the bottom, they need to make holes for excess water to escape after watering.
2. Pour small stones, expanded clay on the bottom of the pots. They will serve as a drainage system. The layer should be 2-3 cm thick.
3. Fill the container with the substrate and moisten it. Ready-made primer can be purchased at a specialized store. For its self-preparation, you need to mix the compost soil in half with river sand. Another option: take 2 parts of light turf soil and 1 part of non-acidic peat.
4. Mix seeds with sand, as they are very small - this will make it easier to work with them. Then sow them on the soil. You can do otherwise: put snow on the ground, and then place seeds in its top layer. The snow cover will melt quickly, and the planting material will sink to the ground. In the end, all that remains is to sprinkle the seeds with a thin layer of the substrate and spray it with water from a spray bottle.
5. Cover the container with foil 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, spraying the soil, if necessary, and removing condensation from the film or glass. Then the container is covered again. If in the room where the container with seeds is located, the temperature is about 230 C, then the first shoots will appear in 2 weeks. After another 3 days, the film or glass is supposed to be removed, and the pot with seedlings should be rearranged 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. Waterlogging of the soil should not be allowed, otherwise the sprouts will rot due to a disease such as a black leg.

When 4 true leaves appear on the seedlings, they are supposed to dive, that is, to plant all the plants 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 get hardened. But you need to make sure that there is no draft.

When the plants begin to bush, you need to pinch their top. If the side shoots grow up quickly, then 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.

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3 Landing in open ground

It is necessary to plant snapdragon sprouts in open ground in the second half of May or already at the beginning of summer, when it is known for sure that frosts will not return. If, nevertheless, there will be a cold snap at night, then it is not scary for plants that were previously specially hardened.

It is imperative to find 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.

For snapdragons, fertile, loose soil is more suitable. 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, dwarf varieties - 20 cm.

It is necessary to carefully remove the seedlings together with an earthen lump from the pots (cups), and then place them in the prepared wells with pre-moistened soil. Then it remains only to sprinkle them with earth and water.

Antirrinum can be used for:

1. Decorating the edge of the paths in the garden.
2. Group plantings on the lawn. Snapdragon goes well with spray petunias, sage, phlox, poppies, annual chrysanthemums, cosmos.
3. Placement in flowerpots near buildings - this applies to undersized varieties.
4. Decoration of the "flowering carpet" in the garden - dwarf varieties are used here.
5. Creation of rock gardens, rockeries.
6. Decorating verandas, loggias, balconies - antirrinum in this case is grown in pots.

As soon as young plants adapt to a new place, they first increase the green mass, and then inflorescences of unusual shapes appear. In warm regions, you can sow seeds directly into the open ground as soon as the weather turns warm (in April). Then the holes need to be temporarily covered with foil. When the sprouts appear, they will need to be thinned out.

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4 Care rules

Taking care of your snapdragon is quite simple. For its development, it is enough to create a minimum of conditions:

1. Watering. It should be moderate and regular. It is best to water the plants early in the morning. It is recommended to use settled 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 the buds are forming and opening. But water stagnation should not be allowed, as this may cause the plant to rot.
2. Weeding and loosening of the soil. This is beneficial for the root system - so 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. Tying. If the antirrinums are high, then they should be tied to a fence or stakes so that they do not bend over due to wind or rain.
4. Pruning. All wilting inflorescences must be removed so that they do not interfere with other buds from opening. If you need to collect seeds, then you need to leave 2-3 boxes at the bottom of the flower for ripening. The rest can be deleted.
5. Top dressing. There should be 2 of them during the season. The first one is carried out 10 days after plant transplantation. It is necessary to use nitrophosphate. 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. 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.

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

Antirrinum, or as it is also called - snapdragon, can often be seen in flower beds. This decorative flower is used to decorate not only city parks, but also summer cottages. Because of the unusual shape of the inflorescences, the people called the plant "doggy".

It will not be difficult to maintain such a handsome man as a snapdragon. Growing from seeds, when planting in open ground, a few rules of care - all the information that will be needed to implement this plan.

General information about the plant

It is a herbaceous plant with straight, branched stems and can grow up to one meter in height.It has long green leaves that are dark or light in color and are covered with thin villi. As they unfold, the flowers take on an unusual shape, similar to the open mouth of a lion or a small dog. Because of this feature, the plant got its name. Terry or glossy flowers exude a pleasant aroma, they gather at the tops of the shoots and form inflorescences in the form of spikelets.

The birthplace of antirrinum is the southwestern part of Europe and the Mediterranean countries. Today, snapdragons can be found in yellow, white, red and pink. It begins to bloom in early summer, and ends in late autumn with the onset of the first frost.

By its nature, this flower is a perennial, but gardeners grow it as an annual plant and fill the flower bed with new specimens every year. This feature of cultivation is due to the fact that antirrinum blooms only in the year of planting. At the same time, the fruit-box with seeds ripens.

Types and varieties of snapdragons

There are many different types and varieties of antirrinum. Breeders have long been engaged in the development of new varieties of this decorative culture. Thanks to this interest and efforts of specialists from all over the world, about 1 thousand varietal hybrids were released. From each other they differ in stem length, color and size of inflorescences... To understand how colorful these flowers can be, just visit any gardening store and take a look at the assortment of seeds.

Unfortunately, the varieties obtained were never able to cover the entire color palette, as originally planned, because the breeders failed to obtain antirrinum of blue and blue shades.

Depending on belonging to a particular species, the flower can be either very small or quite tall. On this basis, the plants were even divided into the following groups:

Dwarfs. The maximum height is 20 centimeters. They are used to decorate flower beds or planted along curbs. Also, such anti-rhinums are often grown directly in flower pots and kept at home as indoor plants.
Stunted - reach 25-40 centimeters in height. They are planted with other flowers and get original flower beds. These include varieties such as F1 Candy Showers and Sakura Blossom.
Medium - stretched up to 40-60 centimeters in length. Great for bouquets and landscaping. The most popular varieties are Lipstick Silver - pale pink, Ruby - pink and Golden Monarch - yellow.
Tall - have strong stems 60-90 centimeters long. They are used in bouquets as background flowers. Such plants have an original look and excellent aroma and, moreover, are able to stand in water when cut for more than one week. The best of them are: yellow "Canary", "Anna German" - various pink shades, "Madame F1 Butterfly" - with amazing, double petals.
Giants - can reach 1.3 meters in height. The Arthur F1 variety is especially famous with its deep cherry blossoms.

Landing options

Planting is a very important event, which will determine what kind of plants the gardener will receive in the end. One of the most affordable ways to grow these flowers is by seed sowing. To obtain young antirrinums, you can go in two ways - plant seeds on seedlings or immediately in open ground.

Florists rarely use the second method, since in this case, in order for the antirrinum to bloom in time, it will have to be sown in the garden plot in early spring, when the earth has not yet had time to completely thaw and warm up.

Therefore, gardeners prefer to plant anti-rhinums on flower beds in the form of seedlings: if you follow all the simple recommendations for caring for seedlings at home, you can easily get strong and flowering plants.

Of course, you can save yourself the hassle and purchase ready-made planting material in a store or on the market. In this case, before buying, you need to examine the seedlings with special care, because only high-quality seedlings can produce healthy and beautiful flowers. First of all, attention is paid to the following signs:

On the condition of the soil - if it is of poor quality or dry, then the seller neglects the rules of caring for the plants. Perhaps these flowers are already sick and will soon fade.
On the stems - they must be well developed. Weak and thin stems indicate that the plant may not survive the transplant.
On the root system and foliage - they should be free of signs of disease and damage. Leaves should be juicy, not dry.

These guidelines will help you get healthy and robust seedlings. If the florist decided to grow it on his own, the information below will come in handy. It will save you from frequent mistakes that beginner growers often make, and will also allow you to get beautiful plants.

Getting plants from seeds

To get high-quality seedlings on your own, you need not only to take into account the sowing time, but also to properly prepare the planting material. The unpretentiousness of the plant is an undoubted plus and greatly facilitates the task of flower growers. Therefore, you do not have to spend time and effort on preparing a nutritious soil mixture, as well as on creating any special conditions for seedlings.

However, do not think that the seedlings do not need care at all. Still, you have to take into account some of the needs of the antirrinum and try to provide it with everything you need.

Sowing seeds for seedlings should be done in April or early May. First you need to prepare all the necessary materials and tools:

Select a variety and purchase suitable seeds from a flower shop.
Soil for planting. A light and loose substrate will do.
A container (for example, a wooden or plastic box).
Sieve and spatula.

You can now start planting the snapdragon seed.

Agricultural technology of cultivation

Sowing can be carried out in separate pots and pots or in a common wooden box. Choose the option that seems convenient. Once you've decided on your seedling container, you can start planting snapdragon seeds:

The soil is poured into the container and leveled.
Planting material is sown thickly, but so that in the future the plants do not sprout too densely.
Then lightly press on the seeds so that they enter the soil and cover them with earth. A sieve is useful here - with it you can get a light and thin layer of soil, which will allow the seedlings to quickly break through to the surface.
The next item is watering the plantings with clean, settled water. This is best done with a spray bottle. This will only slightly moisten the ground, without washing off the thin top layer of soil from the seeds.
The container with landings is placed in a plastic bag or covered with a piece of glass or film on top. This kind of greenhouse will help provide plants with the necessary microclimate.
In order for the sprouts to hatch faster, the container is placed in a warm place. A favorable temperature for seedlings is considered to be 20-23 degrees above zero.
Also, plantings need diffused, soft sunlight. For this, the southern window is curtained with thin gauze and the box is transferred to the windowsill.
After about 2 weeks, the first shoots will appear. From this point on, the planting should be ventilated, so you need to clean the greenhouse for a while. To harden the seedlings, the greenhouse absence time is gradually increased. After a while, it can be removed permanently.

If the seeds have sprouted, then everything has been done correctly. Now it is enough to provide the seedlings with proper care.

Seedling care

Small sprouts need to be watered regularly. Antirrinum is very fond of water, so there is no need to take long breaks between soil moisture.After about two months, in favorable conditions and with good care, the plants will give the first true leaves. After that, the seedlings should be transplanted in separate containers. The pick must be done very carefully to avoid damage to the root system.

After the pick, it is time to pinch the tops of the plants. To do this, wait until they reach 10 centimeters in height. Such a procedure is necessary for the rapid emergence and development of lateral shoots, and this is an important condition for the lush flowering of adult antirrinums.

Transplant to open ground

Transplanting young plants into open ground should be carried out when warm weather sets in, and the likelihood of a return of night frosts is zero. By this time, the seedlings will grow up enough and will look like small bushes.

A sunny place is allocated for a flower bed for antirrinums. Also, the flowers will feel good in partial shade.

Antirrinums like loose and light earth. A fertile slightly alkaline soil is perfect, a different acidity of the soil can lead to the fact that the roots of plants will develop poorly.

It is very easy to solve the problem of too heavy soil on your own, for this it is enough to mix it with ash, river sand or dolomite flour. Before planting seedlings on a flower bed, a mineral supplement consisting of nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus is introduced into the ground.

Small holes are dug under the plants, and then the antirrinums are transferred into them by transferring them along with old earthen clods. Depending on the type of flowers, the following distance is left between the planting pits:

tall varieties - 45 centimeters;
medium - 30 cm;
undersized - 20 centimeters;
dwarf will be enough 15 cm.

After planting, water the plants abundantly and cover the flower bed with peat.

Adult antirrinum care

Taking care of plants in the open field does not require much effort. The bed must be periodically removed from weeds, and then carefully loosen the soil. Flowers should be watered sparingly, avoiding both excess moisture and its lack.

During the active growing season, snapdragons need additional fertilization. For the first time, top dressing should be applied to the soil 14-17 days after transplanting seedlings into open ground. Then repeat this procedure until autumn, no more than once every 2 weeks. It is best to feed such flowers with mineral fertilizers, for example, nitrophos.

In order not to overload the bushes, wilted inflorescences are regularly removed.

Fighting harm and disease

Over-watering can result in rotting of the root system. This attack can lead to the death of plants. Hom or any other remedy with a similar effect will help to save the situation. One teaspoon of the drug is diluted in a liter of clean water and all flowers in the flower bed are treated, even those that have not yet had time to get infected. For a garden bed of 10 square meters, 1 liter of solution will be enough. You need to have time to carry out the procedure before flowering.

In cool and damp summers, there is a risk of rust attack on plants. It covers the foliage with reddish spots and leads to the death of flowers. It is possible and necessary to fight this disease; for this, one percent Bordeaux liquid, preparations containing sulfur or special fungicides are used.

Among all existing insect pests, they are dangerous:

slugs;
rootworm nematode;
aphid;
avacado scale insect;
scoop.

To destroy them, all plants and the soil next to them are treated with insecticides. It is better to dig out the affected flowers from the garden and destroy.

Snapdragon

Date of publication:Growing at home

How to grow snapdragon from seed at home?

Peculiarities

Antirrinum varieties

Breeding methods

When to plant seeds for seedlings