Snapdragon: growing from seed when planting seedlings outdoors

How are seeds sown?

To get strong snapdragon seedlings at home, you need not only to correctly determine the appropriate sowing dates, but also to carry out certain preparatory measures in relation to the 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 characteristics 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, the seeds should be placed fairly densely. 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 temperature for sprouting is 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 sprouts: from this moment you can start airing 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 pinch 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, you must adhere to the following scheme:

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

How does snapdragon plant propagate?

Planting and care are the main activities that determine how the flowers will turn out. 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 flower seedlings.

However, you can save yourself the laborious work and buy ready-made seedlings of snapdragon flowers. But in this case, it is necessary to carefully 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.

Growing snapdragon from seed

In regions with mild, warm climates, sowing can be carried out directly into the ground in the spring. In two weeks they will give birth to young growth. The seeds remain viable for several years. But in areas with harsh climatic conditions, it is preferable to grow antirrinum through seedlings.

When to sow seeds

Sowing seeds should be carried out at the end of February or at the very beginning of March. In the climatic conditions of central Russia - at the end of April or the first decade of May. The plant is not grown in the north.

Substrate

You can purchase a suitable type of potting soil from the store, or you can make your own potting soil. The main requirement is that it must be loose and airy. You will need to take peat, sand, turf, ash, matured humus in equal parts. The mixture must be carefully sieved through two types of sieves. The part with large inclusions is laid in a layer over the drainage elements. The finely dispersed substrate becomes the top layer.

Important! The soil must be disinfected. It is spilled with a solution of potassium permanganate and left for two days.

When sowing, it is required that the soil is sufficient, but not excessively wet.

Sowing containers

A regular young stock box or container will do. The container should be about ten centimeters high. There must be holes for moisture outflow. A drainage layer is formed at the bottom of the container. It can be created from balls of expanded clay, gravel, pebbles.

How to sow seeds correctly

Since the seeds are very small, they are mixed with sand for even sowing. The distance between the rows is two centimeters. You can put the seed in a paper bag and cut off a corner from it - this will make it more convenient to sow. The resulting "paths" are slightly crushed by hand and a little earth is sown from above.Irrigation of the soil with a spray gun completes the procedure.

To create the effect of a mini-greenhouse, the plantings are covered with glass or polyethylene. The room temperature must be at least 18⁰C. It is necessary to ventilate crops daily. For this, the shelter is temporarily removed. If necessary, the substrate is moistened with a spray bottle. Young shoots appear in about ten days.

Seedling care

Young growth is slow

At this point, it is important to maintain the moisture balance of the substrate. Seedlings should have plenty of water for development

But excess moisture can lead to mass destruction of bushes with a "black leg".

Growing seedlings

Seedlings go through a dive procedure. This must be done when the first true leaves appear. You can place "kids" one by one in personal pots or three in large flowerpots.

The container is placed in a bright, but protected from direct sunlight place. Gradually they are accustomed to the conditions in which the bushes will grow in the future. To do this, during the daytime, it is necessary to ventilate the room, but in no case allow a draft.

After the appearance of four or five leaves, pinch the seedlings. This is necessary for the formation of a lush bush. If the lateral branches grow very actively, you can do a similar manipulation with them.

Growing snapdragon on the balcony

The iridescent mixture of flowers in the pots will be a great decoration for any balcony or loggia. Such a plant can definitely surprise neighbors, guests, casual spectators. The subtleties of growing snapdragon in hanging containers are described below.

Snapdragon Flower shower in pots

Snapdragon: dwarf undersized varieties

For cultivation in pots, it is advisable to plant several varieties of the Flower Rain variety at once to obtain a mixture of flower colors. For example, monochromatic hybrids look great together: bright red Crimson, Yellow and white-pink Sakura.

For more exotic mixtures, flowers with an unusual combination of colors are selected.

The Agronomist's Secret! The mixture of varieties must be planted in a pots with a thickening, at a distance of 4-5 cm from each other.

How to sow seeds for potted cultivation

Sowing seeds is no different from sowing seedlings for open ground. The difference is that when grown in pots, the seedlings are dived directly into a permanent container. At the time of transplanting, the tops of the shoots and the tips of the root are pinched to the plants in order to restrain the growth of the root system in conditions of a highly thickened planting.

During the growing season, the soil in the pots is fertilized with humate complexes every 10-12 days. With overcrowding of plants, the development of fungal diseases is possible on them. For prevention, they are sprayed with Topaz. A bright flower pot on the balcony will not leave anyone indifferent if properly looked after.

The amazing beauty of the snapdragon flower is the main reason why it should be planted on your site or nearby in a pot. Experience shows that gardeners who begin to grow antirrinums can no longer but plant this flower, experimenting with new varieties and hybrids every year.

Peculiarities

Plants belonging to the genus Antirrhinum are herbaceous and semi-shrubs and produce beautiful, unusual looking flowers throughout most of the warm season. Large antirrinum is the most popular in culture, it is a thermophilic flower, found naturally in the USA, Mexico, other species can be found in Europe and Asia. In total, 22 species of wild plants of this genus are known, giving red, yellow, blue, purple flowers. Hybrid and varietal snapdragons are white, orange, pink, lavender.

Antirrinums grow up to 100 cm, dwarf varieties are more compact, only 15-20 cm high.Bushes of tall species have a pyramidal shape, ampelous and dwarf are more spreading, abundantly branching, covered with finely grooved large leaves.

In nature, antirrinum does not require regular sowing, it is perennial. In garden culture, it is most often planted as an annual species, only occasionally using the ascended self-garden for further cultivation. Semi-shrub forms in a southern climate do not need to be removed from the soil for the winter.

All types of snapdragons are usually divided into types according to the height of the adult plant.

Gigantic. From 1 to 1.3 m in height, they look quite impressive in mixed plantings. It is good to combine them in flower beds with tulips and other flowers on a straight stem. The most popular hybrid in this category is Arthur F1 with cherry blossom petals.

In its ampelous form, snapdragons were created by breeders specifically for decorating balconies and terraces with pots. This group of plants is very sensitive to growing conditions and needs regular maintenance of a comfortable temperature regime.

Diseases and pests

Plants that are well cared for by their owners will almost never be susceptible to disease.

Despite the fact that antirrinum is an unpretentious plant, with insufficient care it is affected by pests and diseases.

Downy mildew

• The fact that the plant is sick can be recognized by the whitish areas that appear on top of the leaf plates. On the underside of the leaf, a bloom of white or brown sporangia can be seen.
• In order to prevent the disease, thickening of the plantings should be avoided. If the plants are grown in a conservatory or greenhouse, the humidity must be reduced to prevent nighttime dew. If many plants are planted, good ventilation must be provided.
• For the treatment of the disease, drugs such as Ridomil Gold, Copper oxychloride are used. Tear off all infected foliage before spraying.

Rust

• An insidious disease that manifests itself on the leaves in the form of depressed light spots. If you look at the sheet from the back side, you can see yellow pads. They soon turn rusty brown.
• Rust spores are spread by wind. As a result of the disease, the plant loses its foliage, withers and dies.
• For treatment, you need to use Topaz, Abiga-Peak, Bordeaux liquid. All infected foliage should be destroyed before processing.

The beauty of snapdragon flowers is striking from afar

Powdery mildew

• When visually inspecting the plant, a mealy white coating is clearly visible from the upper and lower sides of the leaf.
• In addition, powdery mildew does not spare other vegetative parts of the plant and also affects flowers. If you remove this plaque by hand, you will notice that the tissues of the snapdragon are colored brown.
• For preventive purposes, for planting, you need to choose resistant varieties. With a single lesion, you can use biological fungicides. Amerin-B, Fitosporin are effective.

Brown rot

• As a result of damage to this disease, the foliage of the plant first acquires a pale green tint, becomes dull. The leaf plate soon turns yellow and falls off.
• If you dig up the plant, you can see rotten, soft roots. When examining the root system, the upper shell is easily separated from the core.
• The disease often develops in soils with low acidity. Spores are carried by the wind in high humidity.
• For prevention purposes, it is recommended to avoid frequent watering. Better less often, but plentifully. When planting antirrinums, the drug Glyocladin must be added to the soil. You can water the earth with phytosporin dissolved in water.

Brown rot

• The disease spreads mainly to young specimens. When inspecting plants, the stem at the base becomes brown and thin. Mycelium filaments develop under fallen leaves.
• For the prevention of the disease, young seedlings should be sprayed with the chemical Rovral.
• When transplanting, you cannot deeply bury the seedlings. It is also recommended to shed the soil with Glyocladin when planting on the main site.

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How to plant snapdragon seeds for seedlings

Antirrinum does not have special requirements for the soil substrate. The universal primer from the store is suitable for him. You can prepare the substrate at home by mixing sand, humus, peat and ordinary turf soil in equal proportions.

The prepared soil must be disinfected by watering it with a hot solution of potassium permanganate or any fungicide.

Before sowing, according to the instructions, a complex mineral fertilizer for flowers and 1 tbsp. a spoonful of wood ash per 5 liters of soil.

Boxes, cassettes are filled with soil. Tanks should have drainage holes to drain excess water from irrigation.

Sowing

Snapdragon seeds are tiny, so they are scattered over the surface of wet soil, without falling asleep with soil. They need sunlight to germinate.

Advice. For even sowing, snapdragon seeds can be mixed with dry sand in a 1 to 1 ratio. It is more convenient to spread the resulting mixture over the soil.

Before sowing, self-collected seeds of dogs are kept for 30 minutes in a solution of phytosporin or potassium permanganate to destroy the spores of fungi and other pathogens. Shop seeds have already passed the necessary processing and are ready for sowing.

Pots with crops are covered with a film or a piece of glass, creating a greenhouse effect - heat (not lower than +25 degrees) and high humidity. The seeds should be exposed to light.

• sowing depth
• 7-10 days

Seedlings will appear in 7-10 days. The film is removed from the boxes and the seedlings are placed on a light and cool windowsill (temperature + 18..20 degrees). It is undesirable to leave seedlings in direct sunlight; oriental window sills are suitable. On the southern windows, the plants are shaded by curtains with tulle or gauze.

Snapdragon Seedling Care

When watering antirrinum seedlings, it is important to be careful not to wet the stems with leaves. Excess moisture can lead to stem rot. Water for irrigation is taken at room temperature, rainwater or settled tap

Tap water must be allowed to stand in an open container for 2 days in order for chlorine to come out of it.

Water for irrigation is taken at room temperature, rainwater or settled tap water. Tap water must be allowed to stand in an open container for 2 days in order for chlorine to come out of it.

If fertilizers were not applied to the seedling substrate, the seedlings of the snapdragon are fed with a complex mineral fertilizer (Kemira, Pokon, Raduga) 2 weeks after germination and a week after the pick.

Transplanting seedlings from a common box into separate glasses is carried out when 3 real leaves grow on the stems. The plants are transferred to a new container, slightly deepening the stem (up to the cotyledons). The height of the transplant pot should not be less than 10 cm.

Photo photofarmer

When 4-5 true leaves are formed on the snapdragon bush (it reaches a height of 10-12 cm), it is recommended to pinch the top of the plant. This operation awakens lateral axillary buds from sleep, from which lateral branches grow. The bush becomes lush.

Important! You must not pinch an ampel snapdragon. This will slow down the growth of the plant .. 10-15 days before the transplant of the snapdragon into the open ground, the seedlings begin to harden - to accustom them to fresh air

Flowers are taken out into the garden or on the balcony, first for a couple of hours, then for the whole day. Seasoned seedlings almost never get sick after transplanting

10-15 days before the snapdragon is transplanted into the open ground, the seedlings begin to harden - to accustom them to fresh air.Flowers are taken out into the garden or on the balcony, first for a couple of hours, then for the whole day. Seasoned seedlings hardly get sick after transplanting.

Planting antirrinum on a flower bed

The area for dogs is chosen in the light or in lace shade. The soil requires a loose and nutritious, neutral reaction. On poor soils, they bring:

• humus 5-7 kg per 1 sq. m,
• mineral fertilizers: superphosphate 40 g and potassium sulfate 20 per 1 sq. m.

Snapdragon is transplanted by the transshipment method, while maintaining the integrity of the earthen coma with roots. The distance between the bushes ranges from 15 to 40 cm, depending on the height of the adult plant.

The work on transplanting dogs to a flower bed ends with watering and mulching the bushes with mowed grass or peat.

Snapdragon pests and diseases (treatment)

Antirrinum can suffer from some common plant ailments. Among them:

1. Rust. The outer side of the leaves is covered with light depressed spots, and on the back they form first yellow and then brownish pads. Leaves wither. The fungus is spread by spores through the air. The affected foliage is immediately disposed of and the "lion cubs" are treated with Topaz, Bordeaux mixture or Abiga-Peak.
2. Downy mildew. Outside, the leaves are covered with a white bloom, and on the back - the same light or with a brown tint. When grown as a pot plant in a winter garden, it is necessary to reduce the humidity level in the room as soon as possible. Suspend spraying. Ensure good air exchange. Get rid of the affected specimens. In the early stages of the manifestation of the disease, plantings can be treated with Previkur or Ridomil Gold. Spraying with copper oxychloride will also help.
3. Root rot. The foliage becomes dull and brightens. Over time, it dries up and fades. The roots soften - the shell peels off easily from the middle. Fungal spores spread only in conditions of good moisture. The reduced acidity of the soil also contributes to their reproduction. It is necessary to suspend irrigation. In such a situation, it is rarely carried out. But watering should be abundant. Preparations of biological origin - "Fitosporin-M", "Glyokladin", "Alirin-B" will help to solve the problem.
4. Powdery mildew. On both sides of the leaves there is a white coating, similar in appearance to flour. The disease does not spare flowers either. Under the bloom - the affected area is brown. It is best to initially select and sow varieties that are resistant to this disease. With minor manifestations of the disease, they are treated with fungicides of biological origin. In case of obvious progress of the disease - "Fast", "Topaz", "Strobi", "Pure color".
5. Brown rot. This problem usually only affects seedlings. The base of the stem becomes brown and gradually becomes thinner. Mycelium threads can be seen under the fallen leaves. Seedlings are immediately prophylactically treated with "Rovral". Do not bury the "kids" too deep in the substrate. Can also be irrigated with biofungicides.
6. Fusarium. The bush turns yellow and dries up very quickly. Sometimes it does not even have time to bloom. The base of the stalk decays. They quickly get rid of the diseased specimens and disinfect the soil with the help of a foundation. The rest of the bushes can be treated with the same drug for prophylaxis.
7. Blackleg. The main enemy of the young. The main reason for the appearance of the disease is excessive soil moisture. The stalk turns black, becomes thin - as a result, the seedling dies. Do not over-thicken the planting. "Kids" should be well ventilated. Pre-sowing disinfection of seeds and moderation in watering are important. Affected specimens are subject to immediate destruction.
8. Mosaic. Flowers become small, variegated spots appear on the leaves. There are no effective remedies against this ailment. Sick bushes are removed and burned.
9. Stemworms are one of the most dangerous pests. Caterpillars make moves in the stems.This becomes the cause of the death of garden pets. Timely weeding is recommended as a preventive measure. To destroy already existing caterpillars, two-time treatment with chlorophos solution is carried out.