This article is about snapdragon, or antirrinum, in general. A bright, elegant, juicy flower that is somewhat out of fashion, but there is no doubt that its popularity will still be at its peak. This is a very bright, flowerbed flower, pleasing with a variety of colors and funny "faces" of flowers.

Description

Snapdragon is a perennial, cultivated in our country as an annual. The plant has a straight branched medium leafy bush. The height varies greatly, from compact varieties of 15 cm to giants of 1 m. The flowers are collected in a spike-shaped inflorescence. The range of colors is varied, only blue, blue, lilac tones are not represented. Flowers are multi-color, two-color, terry. They have a pleasant aroma. The plant has a long, rich flowering, blooms from June until frost. With a mild winter, it can successfully overwinter and bloom the next year. The plant loves light, but can grow in the shade. It can be planted under trees. Cold-resistant, tolerates moderate spring temperature changes.

Historical information

Of course, snapdragons cannot be defeated, whose wild-growing ancestor could not even be found, but this flower is also one of the most ancient cultivated plants - gardeners have been growing it for over 500 years. The ancestor of all modern varieties (and there are about 1000 of them today) was one species - antirrhinum large (Antirrhinum majus).

There is an ancient Greek legend about the origin of the flower: the flower was created by the goddess Flora, who admired the feat of Hercules, who defeated the Nemean lion. The goddess tried to make the flower resemble a lion's mouth.

Species and varieties

Snapdragon or antirrinum (lat. Antirrhinum) is a whole genus of plants with about 50 species of perennial herbaceous plants. The genus is a member of the Plantain family (such well-known crops as bacopa, toadflax are also included in this family)

Homeland of most species - North America.

The name Antirrhinum in Greek means "like a nose". In many countries, the plant received a bright, figurative name that best characterizes the structure of the flower - "dogs" (Russia), or "biting dragon", snap dragon, (English-speaking countries), "wolf mouth" (France), "mouths" (Ukraine ).

All varieties are classified according to different characteristics, the simplest classification is according to plant height:

1. Dwarf- 15-20 cm. These are border and charming container plants. Abundantly bushy, lateral shoots of the same height as the main one. They also look great in rock gardens, ridges and carpet beds.
2. Low- 25-40 cm. They also look great in flower beds, in discounts, borders, carpet compositions, containers, planters. Side shoots and main on the same level.
3. Medium - 40-60 cm. Universal, suitable for group plantings, flower beds, suitable for cutting. Strongly branched, the central shoot is the highest.
4. High- 60-90 cm. Accent plants in a mixborder or in a flower bed. Lateral shoots are much lower than the central one, which is why flowering plant looks like a candle. When cut, it stays fresh for 2 weeks.
5. giants- 90-130 cm. They are used for the same purposes as high ones. The central shoot is much higher than the second level shoots, there are no lower levels.

Landing and care

Top dressing is not necessary, but the plant will well perceive watering with a weak solution of complex mineral fertilizers 1 time in the middle of summer.

Basic Rules:

1. The place should be sunny, you can - partial shade.
2. Be sure to have good drainage in the area!
3. It is advisable to choose a place protected from the winds.
4. The acidity of the soil is medium, the soil should be fertile, light, nutritious.
5. Care is extremely simple, the plant is unpretentious: watering, removing weeds, loosening.
6. Watering is required plentiful only in a dry hot summer.
7. Withered flowers, if it is not planned to collect seeds, cut off and cut off faded arrows, this stimulates the appearance of new ones.
8. Immediately after landing in open ground they are fed with organic matter, the second time mineral top dressing is during the budding period (a solution of urea, superphosphate and potassium sulfate is prepared).
9. If the plant is sick with rust, black leg, gray rot, it is immediately removed and burned, the planting site is shed with a fungicide.
10. From scale insects, caterpillars and other pests, it is best to use preventive measures: no excess and stagnant water, do not water so that water gets on the leaves, remove the affected plants.
11. After flowering, in autumn, snapdragons are cut off, leaving a stump of about 5 cm, mulched - then, perhaps, the plant will overwinter.
12. If there is no desire to save for the next season, or in your region there are too harsh winters that the plants are guaranteed not to survive, the seed arrows are cut off in time to avoid self-sowing (this is also important when collecting seeds - not to let them fall), the site is dug up, all plant remains burn.

Growing seedlings from seeds

Snapdragon seeds remain viable for several years. As a rule, in the middle lane it is grown in seedlings, the plant is cold-resistant, it tolerates a night drop in temperature well, but it cannot afford return frosts.

How to grow from seed? Follow this simple guide:

1. Sowing at the beginning of March.
2. Pour drainage into the container, then compact the soil mixed with sand, moisten with a spray bottle.
3. Mix antirrinum seeds with sand and spread over the surface, press lightly. You can sprinkle the seeds with a thin layer of soil.
4. Cover with glass. Put in a place with a temperature of about 23 ºC.
5. Ventilate daily. Remove excess moisture from the glass.
6. After 2 weeks, sprouts will appear.
7. Rearrange to a bright place, but free from direct sunlight.
8. The glass is removed when all the seeds have sprouted.

seedling care

At first, it does not grow very quickly, crops should be moderately moistened, avoiding excess moisture (otherwise there is a risk that the snapdragon seedlings will die from the “black leg”). The fallen sprouts, most likely, have already been affected, it is recommended to remove them, sprinkle the place of their growth with crushed coal.

Seedlings dive when the second true leaf appears, dive into seedling boxes, or into separate pots of several pieces. Placed in a bright place, gradually accustomed to fresh air, opening, for example, a window (you should only look so that tender young plants do not stand in a direct draft). When the fifth leaf appears, the central shoot is pinched, if the lateral ones grow too “briskly”, pinch them too.

Ready seedlings are planted in boxes on the balcony or in open ground in mid-late May, maintaining a distance of 15 cm (dwarf), 20-30 cm (medium-sized varieties), 40-50 cm (tall and giants).

Sowing in open ground is also possible, plants germinate in 2-3 weeks.

Application in the garden

This is an excellent border culture, if you need to create a border for a mixborder, a border, a line along the path - you won’t find a brighter plant. Can be good in group plantings, goes well with lawns. It is planted in balcony boxes, containers, planters. Decorate them with loggias and.

Snapdragon (or otherwise antirrinum) is a flowering plant that is loved by many owners of garden and summer cottages. Also, it can often be seen in city flower beds. Growing snapdragons from seeds and subsequent care for them are not very difficult, so even beginner flower growers can breed.

Botanical description

Snapdragon refers to herbaceous plants. The flower has straight stems that can reach a height of up to 1 m. The leaves of the plant have a slightly elongated shape, and their color can vary from light green to dark green.

The unusual name of the plant was due to the flowers, its appearance resembling an open lion's mouth. Flowers are located in the upper part of the stem, while forming inflorescences like an ear. As for the color of the petals, there are white, yellow, pink and red varieties, as well as combining 2 colors. The structure of the petals can be smooth or terry.

The flowering period of snapdragon covers the whole summer and early autumn and ends with the arrival of frosts. Despite the fact that the plant belongs to perennial species, flower growers practice sowing snapdragons for seedlings every spring, as it blooms already in the year of planting.

Variety selection

The classification of flowers is based on the height of the plant. In this regard, the following groups of varieties can be distinguished:

1. Dwarf - varieties whose stem length does not exceed 20 cm. They are great for decorating borders and flower beds when you need to create the effect of "carpet". They can also be grown indoors in pots. This group includes the Sakura Color variety, which has a pink and white color, and Candy Showers, represented by a diverse color range.
2. Undersized - varieties with a stem height of 25 to 40 cm. The central shoot is usually slightly lower than the rest. They are often used to decorate flower beds and front gardens. The most common are Tip-Top in soft pink and yellow, Ruby Star with bright red coloring and Lampion, which combines several colors.
3. Medium-sized - varieties with stems whose height is from 40 to 60 cm. Their feature is enhanced branching and the same height of all shoots. Such flowers are used both for landscape design and for making bouquet compositions. The varieties include Golden Monk with a bright yellow color, Ruby with pink flowers and Lipstick Silver, which has pale pink petals.
4. Tall - varieties with stems from 60 to 90 cm long. They are often used to compile original bouquets. Snapdragon flowers retain their freshness and rich pleasant aroma in a vase for up to 7 days. Popular varieties are Canary with bright yellow colors, Anna Herman in pastel pink shades and Madama Butterfly with double flowers of various colors.
5. Giant - varieties, the height of which can reach 1.3 m. They have a clearly defined central shoot, surpassing the rest in length. They are usually grown for cutting. These varieties include Arthur with cherry-colored flowers and Rocket with various shades of petals.

How to collect seeds

Plant breeding is usually carried out using seedlings. Snapdragon seeds can be purchased at specialized stores or collected on your own if you already have grown flowers.

The collection of seed pods is recommended to be carried out until the moment of their final maturation. The upper part of the plant with boxes is cut off, placed in a paper or cloth bag and hung in a dry place. The use of plastic packaging is undesirable, as the seeds in it can rot. When the fruits ripen, the grains themselves will fall out of them.

Prior to growing snapdragons from seeds at home, it is advised to store them in the refrigerator in a paper box. Such stratification has a beneficial effect on the germination of plants. Under suitable storage conditions, the seeds can retain the ability to germinate for 3-4 years.

Advice! When collecting seeds from your own plot, you can be sure that future flowers will receive a certain color and height, since in stores they are most often sold in mixed species.

How to plant Snapdragon seedlings

The most common way to propagate antirrinum is to plant seedlings. Moreover, if the plant is not harvested for the winter, then its seeds can be stored in the soil and germinate next year.

Growing snapdragons from seeds is possible immediately in open ground, but this method is applicable only in the southern part of the country in places with a warm climate. In regions where the climate is cooler and there are sudden temperature changes, it is practiced to plant snapdragon flowers with already grown seedlings.

When to sow Snapdragon

When choosing the timing for sowing snapdragon seedlings, it is necessary to take into account the weather conditions of a particular area and the characteristics of the selected variety.

So, high varieties sprout longer, so it is advisable to plant them in the second half of February, medium and low-growing ones can be planted during March, and dwarf ones - until mid-April.

Seedlings of snapdragon flowers are transferred to the garden in the first half of May, when stable warm weather has already been established. It should be borne in mind that growing a plant in the northern regions with frequent cold snaps is almost impossible.

Soil and tank preparation

For growing snapdragon seedlings from seeds, ordinary soil mixture, which is available at any flower shop, is excellent. To facilitate the spitting of small seeds, it is carefully sifted and mixed with washed sand. The soil can also be prepared independently: for this you need to take 2 parts of peat, 1 part of earth and ½ part of sand.

Advice! To minimize the risk of disease and the likelihood of weeds, experienced gardeners recommend steaming the soil for 1 hour, and then adding ash at the rate of 1 tbsp. per ½ kg of soil mixture.

Wooden or plastic containers with a diameter of at least 10 cm and holes in the bottom for drainage are suitable for planting. Before filling with soil, they can be treated with a weak solution of potassium permanganate.

Seed preparation

Although growing snapdragons from seeds at home is within the power of even beginner growers, it also has its own difficulties. The main one is connected with the very small size of the seed of the plant, there are approximately 6000-8000 seeds per 1 g. This is also the reason for their high need for lighting - when sowing, they must be evenly placed on the soil surface, almost without sprinkling on top.

If the seeds were collected on their own, then they must first be thoroughly dried and placed in the refrigerator for a while. The purchase option does not require such preparation.

Immediately before planting, any seeds must be treated with a weak solution of potassium permanganate, and then allowed to dry.

Sowing Snapdragon for seedlings

Step-by-step instructions for sowing snapdragons for growing seedlings:

1. Prepare the soil mixture and containers. Fill the containers with soil, level and lightly tamp.
2. Gently and evenly distribute the seeds over the surface of the soil mixture and lightly sprinkle with earth on top (no more than 0.5 cm).
3. Moisten the surface of the soil. If as a result some seeds float to the surface, do not worry - this will not affect their germination.
4. Cover the container with a film or a transparent lid and put it in a place with good lighting.
5. Comfortable temperature for growing seedlings is + 22-24 ° С. The soil must be regularly moistened to avoid drying out.
6. After 6-7 days, as soon as the first shoots appear, the covering film must be removed.

At first, seedlings grow very slowly - during this period it is important to provide suitable temperature regime(+ 17-28 ° C) and avoid excessive humidity (when watering, avoid getting water on the leaves). It is also not recommended to keep seedlings in direct sunlight.

landless sowing

Except conventional technology sowing, there is still a landless way. It is specially designed for small seeds. It is more convenient to transplant such plants not in separate bushes, but in groups of 3-5 pieces.

To grow snapdragon seedlings with a similar method, you must:

1. Take a plastic or glass plate, cover it with a napkin or paper towels in several layers and moisten thoroughly with water (instead of water, you can moisten with a solution of a special plant growth stimulator).
2. Spread the seeds on a damp cloth and moisten them again.
3. Cover the plate with a transparent film and place in a well-lit place.

Important! When using this method, you must not miss the moment when the seeds have already sprouted, but have not yet been covered with leaves. When this happens, they must be immediately sprinkled with a sifted soil mixture, but not more than 0.5 cm.

Germination additives

Immediately after sowing, Snapdragon can be fed with a solution of ash (2 tablespoons per 3 liters of water). 7-10 days after picking, it is advisable to apply nitrogen or potassium-phosphorus fertilizers or complex preparations containing all 3 components. Watering with a solution of fertilizers occurs both under the root and from above.

Re-feeding is done a few days after the transfer of plants to open ground.

seedling care

A few weeks after sowing, when 2-3 leaves appeared on the plants, it is necessary to make a pick. From the photo of snapdragon seedlings, it can be seen that it easily tolerates this procedure and takes root quite quickly in a new place.

For picking, the same soil mixture is used, but it no longer requires pre-treatment. It is best to carry out the procedure in the evening, so that the plant gets used to the new place overnight.

Picking technology:

1. The soil must be watered abundantly to facilitate the process of extracting seedlings.
2. Use a spoon or tweezers to remove the processes, carefully separating them from each other.
3. Prepare containers with soil, make small holes and place the plants there.
4. Sprinkle the shoots with soil and water a little.

When 4-5 leaves appeared on the plants, they need to be pinched, i.e. removed upper part stem to stimulate the growth of side shoots. Thanks to this procedure, the plants after landing on the site will be more lush and dense.

Videos from detailed description technologies for planting snapdragons for seedlings and useful advice experienced gardeners

Conclusion

Growing snapdragons from seeds is a task that even a novice florist can do. Subject to simple rules and recommendations, you can get a bright beautiful plant that will decorate the front garden or summer cottage.

11.11.2017 3 384

Snapdragon, planting and care in the open field - a beautiful garden without errors

For a snapdragon flower - planting and care in the open field do not differ in an abundance of agrotechnical operations, but in order to obtain high-quality flowering, you need to competently approach the cultivation process, you need to know how sowing is carried out, what to do with seedlings, how to pinch sprouts, when to transplant and other important moments...

Snapdragon - growing seedlings from seeds

Snapdragon is a frost-resistant plant that is popular with Russian gardeners due to the variety of colors and flower shapes. The crowning bushes of inflorescences in the form of candles can decorate borders and create bright spots on the lawn, they are grown in containers and flowerpots, in flower beds and in flower beds.

In the southern regions, including the Krasnodar Territory, Stavropol Territory and other regions where spring begins early, they practice snapdragons for culture - sowing in open ground, so the seeds are sown in a permanent place in April, scattering them over the surface of a pre-prepared bed. After the emergence of seedlings, the crops are thinned out, leaving a distance of 20 cm between them, and then they are looked after, like other horticultural crops - weeded, watered, loosened and fertilized.

A more common way to get snapdragon is growing through seedlings, and here planting seeds for seedlings begins in late February - early March. Those who prefer to follow the phases of the moon are advised to look into, a gardener and gardener who will more accurately tell you when to sow, based on the state of the heavenly body.

snapdragon bloom - pictured

Seedling containers are filled with a mixture of garden soil with sand or perlite. The soil should be light, airy, and necessarily sterile. It is pre-steamed or spilled with fungicides.
On the surface of the compacted soil, snapdragon seeds are scattered, crops are moistened from a spray bottle with minimum size drops. The container is covered with a film and placed in a bright place with an air temperature of at least +20 degrees Celsius. Before the emergence of seedlings, the nursery is aired daily, if necessary, moisten the soil from the sprayer. After 2 weeks, when most of the sprouts appear, the film is removed, the containers are moved closer to the light, and the temperature is maintained at + 22 ° ... + 25 ° С

For the snapdragon culture, planting and care in the open field will be more productive if, from the stage of cotyledon leaves, the plants are treated with biostimulants Novosil, or Zircon. Waterlogging of the soil should not be allowed - this is fraught with lodging of seedlings due to the black leg, and a layer of sand poured on the surface of the soil in seedling boxes will help reduce the risk of disease.

Water the seedlings sparingly, do not apply fertilizers. If the soil was initially poor, it is allowed to water the seedlings with compost infusion (2 teaspoons of fatty compost or humus are tied into gauze and dipped in liter jar with water overnight). Seedlings should be watered with this infusion twice a week.

Picking and planting snapdragons in open ground

For a snapdragon plant, picking plays a big role, because seedlings are often located too close to each other, and it is recommended to plant seedlings in separate pots when two true leaves appear.

Damage to the roots of the flower is highly undesirable, so the plants are taken out with a clod of earth. After diving and the appearance of the third or fourth pair of true leaves, the growth point at the snapdragon is pinched so that the plant branches better and forms more peduncles in the future. Caring for snapdragon seedlings at this stage consists of several points:

• watering- 2-3 times a week with settled water;
• top dressing- a weak solution of chicken manure or herbal infusion, a teaspoon under the plant once a week;
• strengthening, Epin and other biostimulants - spraying is carried out every 2 weeks according to the instructions.

snapdragon in the flower garden - pictured

Shortly before transplanting into the garden, snapdragons must be hardened off. Seedlings are taken out into the air during the warmest hours, on cold days, seedlings are taken out into the air. covered balconies or on the veranda, and closer to the final relocation to the flower bed, seedlings can be left on the street overnight.

While the young snapdragon is gaining strength, planting and care in the open field should be finally planned out. Before the onset of constant heat, a bright and dry place is selected for the culture. The soil is dug up to a depth of 35 cm, sifted humus is introduced into it, leafy soil in a bucket for square meter. If the soil is heavy, add ½ bucket of coarse sand for each square meter.

Planting snapdragons in open ground is carried out in warm weather, but without the scorching sun, seedlings are placed at a distance of 20-25 cm from each other and do it carefully so as not to damage root system colors. Plantings are watered with warm water, and the soil surface is mulched with sawdust or peat.

Snapdragon, planting and care in the open field

In general, snapdragons, planting and care in the open field are not difficult for a garden flower, because all the plant needs is timely watering and weed control. The culture is not demanding on soil moisture. In dry weather, water it three times a week. It is important to ensure that water does not stagnate in snapdragon plantings. It is better to water under the root so that drops of moisture do not fall on the leaves. In rainy weather, watering is not done at all.

snapdragon in the front garden - pictured

Twice a month, caring for snapdragons in the open field provides for top dressing and the gardener may not use it here, snapdragons prefer organic matter, and therefore it is watered " green tea"- infusion of weeds with the addition of chicken manure, ready mix contribute at the rate of 500 ml per plant.

Throughout the summer, caring for a flower in the open field also requires treatments for diseases and pests, the culture is susceptible to fungal infections, which help to cope with:

• Trichodermin 1% - treatments twice a month throughout the growing season;
• Rizoplan 0.5% - treated every 2 weeks;
• Fitosporin M - plantings are processed depending on the disease according to the instructions;
• Alirin B - the drug is diluted and used according to the instructions, depending on the type of disease.

In the fight against pests on snapdragons, the preparations Actellik, Decis and Iskra performed well. However, their use can harm butterflies and bees that pollinate flowers and, in order not to harm beneficial insects, for pest control, it is recommended to use infusions of bitter herbs - wormwood, bitter pepper, tobacco and others.

Snapdragon has rightfully won the title of the most charming and long-blooming annual, its planting and care are not difficult and costly. To get lush flowering bushes of this crop, you need to take a sunny area to the snapdragon, and periodically delight it with watering and top dressing.

Flowers snapdragon (lat. Antirrhinum), or antirrinum,- a genus of herbaceous plants of the Plantain family, covering about 50 species of perennials, including climbers, common in the warm zones of the Earth, but mostly in North America. The Russians call this plant "dogs", the British - "snapdragon" (biting dragon), the French - "cleft palate", and the Ukrainians - "mouths". FROM Greek the name "antirrinum" is translated as "nose-like", "like a nose."

The ancient Greek myth tells about the first feat of Hercules, when he defeated the Nemean lion, famous for its ferocity and invulnerability. The goddess Flora gave Hercules a beautiful flower, which she had created in honor of his victory, which she called the “snapdragon”. Since then, it has become a tradition in Greece to give heroes a snapdragon. In culture, the snapdragon flower has existed for about five hundred years, and breeding work was started by German scientists in the 19th century, and today about 1000 varieties of snapdragon are grown in the gardens of the planet, and most interestingly, a single species served as the basis for this variety of forms and hybrids - Antirrhinum large (Antirrhinum majus).

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Planting and caring for snapdragons (in a nutshell)

• Landing: in warm climates by sowing seeds in the ground in April or before winter. Seedlings are sown for seedlings in mid-March, seedlings are planted in open ground closer to mid-May or early April.
• Bloom: from mid-summer to late autumn.
• Lighting: bright sunlight or penumbra.
• The soil: well-fertilized, breathable, light loamy soils with a pH of 6.0-7.0, cultivated to a depth of 30-40 cm.
• Watering: only in the mornings in the dry season, plentiful.
• Top dressing: 2-3 times before flowering with full mineral fertilizer.
• Reproduction: seeds and cuttings.
• Pests: aphids, gall nematodes, spider mites, scoops, thrips, slugs.
• Diseases: late blight, fusarium, verticillium, black leg, septoria, sclerotinia and peronosporosis.

Read more about the cultivation of snapdragons below.

Snapdragon flower - description

The snapdragon plant is a shrub or herbaceous plant with straight, branched green finely furrowed stems from 15 cm to one meter in height, forming pyramidal bushes. top leaves snapdragons are alternate, the lower ones are opposite, they are elongated-oval or lanceolate in shape, color from light green to dark green with red veins.

The flowers are fragrant, rather large, irregular, two-lipped, depending on the variety, simple or double, collected in spike-shaped inflorescences, they are painted in white, yellow, pink, pale fawn, all shades of red, but there are also two-color and even three-color varieties. The fruit is a two-celled multi-seeded box, in one gram from 5000 to 8000 seeds. Snapdragon bloom usually begins in June and ends with frost.

Most often, perennial snapdragons in nature are grown in horticulture as an annual plant, but with good care and favorable conditions, cold-resistant snapdragons can successfully winter in the garden and bloom more beautifully the next year. In garden design, antirrinum is grown as a border plant, although snapdragons look great both in a flower bed and planted in groups against a green lawn. Often snapdragons are used to decorate balconies and terraces.

Of particular interest to flower growers today are ampelous forms of snapdragons, which can be grown in hanging structures to decorate terraces and galleries.

In the photo: Snapdragon flowering in the garden

Growing snapdragons from seeds

Sowing snapdragon

The snapdragon reproduces in generative and vegetative ways. Snapdragon seeds retain the ability to germinate for several years. If you live in a warm climate, you can grow snapdragons from seeds by sowing them directly into the ground, and they will sprout in two and a half or three weeks, surviving even a slight night cold snap, which is common in spring, but in areas where it is warm without problems comes gradually, it is better to use the seedling method of growing snapdragons. How to grow snapdragons from seeds in a seedling way? This process is neither complicated nor labor intensive.

So, we sow snapdragons: at the beginning of March we pour coarse sand into bowls with a diameter of at least 10 cm with drainage holes, and on top of the sand - compost soil mixed with sand, compact it, level it, sprinkle it with water from a spray bottle and distribute seeds also mixed with sand over its surface, which we then cover from above with a thin layer of the same substrate, moisten it from a finely dispersed spray gun and cover the plate with glass sowing.

Every day we remove condensate from the glass, let the crops breathe and, as necessary, moisten the soil from the sprayer. At a temperature of 23 ºC and moderate humidity of the substrate, sprouts will appear in a couple of weeks. As soon as this happens, move the bowl to a bright, non-sunny place so that they do not stretch out, and as soon as the emergence of seedlings becomes massive (after 3-4 days), remove the glass.

In the photo: Growing snapdragons from seeds

snapdragon seedlings

Seedlings will grow slowly at first, and your task during this period is to monitor the proper soil moisture by watering the soil in the morning so that there is enough moisture, but not in excess, as this can lead to seedlings getting sick with a black leg. “Fallen” sprouts must be removed with tweezers, and the place where they grew should be powdered with crushed coal or sprinkled with a small amount of calcined and cooled river sand. After the appearance of a pair of real - not cotyledon - leaves, the seedlings dive into a container or box, arranging them so that they grow freely.

You can plant seedlings in personal pots or, for example, dive three sprouts into larger pots.

Place the picked seedlings in a bright place, protecting them from direct sunlight, and begin to gradually accustom them to the environment and temperature in which they will find themselves after transplanting into open ground: open the window for a while during the day, but make sure that the seedlings are not in a draft. The central shoot of each seedling after the development of 4-5 leaves must be pinched to enhance tillering, but if the side shoots are also growing too actively, pinch them too.

In the photo: Red snapdragon

Snapdragon Planting

When to Plant Snapdragon

In late May - early June, grown, strengthened and hardened seedlings are planted in open ground. And do not be afraid of the last night cold snaps: your young "lion cubs" will survive them calmly. The site for growing snapdragons can be either sunny or slightly shaded, but be sure to be well-drained and protected from strong winds. The soil is required light and nutritious. The best soil for snapdragons- a mixture of sand, compost and peat in approximately equal proportions. The optimal soil pH for snapdragons is pH 6-8.

In the photo: Snapdragon in a flower bed

How to plant a snapdragon

Planting snapdragon flowers is carried out according to the following scheme: tall varieties are planted at a distance of 40-50 cm from each other, medium-sized - at a distance of 30 cm, undersized - after 20 cm, dwarf - after 15 cm. As soon as the snapdragon takes root, it begins to very grow quickly and turn into a lush flowering bush. You should know that snapdragon planting is carried out in well-moistened soil.

Snapdragon care

How to grow snapdragon

This plant is unpretentious and needs only what anyone needs. garden flower: in watering, loosening the soil, removing weeds and top dressing. You will have to water the plants only in dry times, when there is no rain, but not at night. The next day after watering or on the same day in the evening, it is advisable to loosen the ground and weed out the weeds. It is advisable to tie tall varieties of snapdragon to a support. Withered flowers are best cut off so that the plant does not expend energy on them.

If you want long-lasting blooms from snapdragons, do not let them set seeds, remove the flower head as soon as the last flowers have withered. You need to cut the peduncle under the lowest flower, then new arrows and new flowers will appear.

As soon as the plant takes root in the soil after planting, it needs to be fed with nitrophos and organic matter, the second top dressing is carried out when snapdragons begin to form buds, in which case a solution of urea, potassium sulfate and superphosphate is used at the rate of one tablespoon of each ingredient per 10 liters water.

On the picture: pink flowers antirrinuma

Pests and diseases of snapdragon

Sometimes red spots of rust appear on the plant, snapdragon septoria, black leg, gray or root rot can affect. Sick specimens should be immediately removed and burned, and the soil in the place where they grew should be treated with an antifungal drug (fungicide).

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After this article, they usually read

- perennial herbaceous plant with large green stems of the Plantain family, which we grow as an annual. The plant forms many stems. Snapdragon stems are straight, branched, of various heights: there are low-growing varieties, only about 20 cm, and there are tall ones, up to one meter high, which form pyramidal bushes during the growing season. Snapdragon leaves are elongated, lanceolate or slightly oval green in color, pubescent with thin villi.

Flowers at snapdragon large, irregularly shaped, two-lipped, resembling 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 with a wide colors: they are white, pink, yellow and two-tone. AT wild nature there are species of snapdragon with yellow, blue, purple flowers.

The plant is native to North America. In Russia, snapdragons have long been popular and are very common. garden plant decorating flower beds and flower beds. Snapdragon is a beautiful sunny annual that will fill your garden with pleasant fragrant aroma, will 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 earth. The first shoots begin to appear after ten days, but the germination of snapdragon seeds can take up to a month. For better germination, cover the container with snapdragon seeds with a glass or plastic bag. As soon as shoots begin to appear, the film or glass must be removed. For better germination, keep a container with snapdragon seeds at an air temperature of at least +18 ° C. Snapdragon seeds can be sown immediately in open ground in May, covering the bed with a film or agrospan.

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

Care of snapdragons in the open field

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 no open sunny places left at all, snapdragons can be planted in partial shade. Only the flowering will be a little delayed, it will not be too plentiful, the color of the flowers will be softer, and not as bright as in the open sun.

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

Don't forget to water the snapdragon. The next watering is carried out no earlier than the topsoil dries out. To preserve precious moisture, mulch the snapdragon plantings with a layer of freshly cut grass, humus, and rotted sawdust. With strong waterlogging, snapdragons are prone to various rots, including root rot.

First snapdragon nutrition after transplanting into open ground - not earlier than two to three weeks, so as not to burn the roots of the plant damaged by transplantation. That's when the plant is fully adapted to the open air, new leaves will grow, then you can carry out the first fertilizing with mineral fertilizers. It is desirable that fertilizers have full formula NPK, additional content of trace elements is only welcome. Especially the plant needs top dressing during the flowering period. And a strong healthy plant is able to resist diseases and pest attacks.

Snapdragon when grown through seedlings blooms in June and continues to bloom until frost. Try to remove faded inflorescences in time. This procedure greatly prolongs the flowering period of all plants.

Healing properties of snapdragon

In addition to being very decorative, snapdragon flowers can be used in folk medicine. An infusion of snapdragon flowers is drunk for intestinal swelling, it can be used as an additional remedy for certain liver diseases. A mixture of snapdragon flowers, immortelle and corn silk 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 skin ulcers, and boils.

Snapdragon will not only decorate your flower beds and flower beds. It can be used for growing on balconies, terraces, window decoration from the outside. Snapdragon flowers are great for cutting.

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