Annual flowering crops are the easiest and cheapest way to decorate your garden. personal plot. Snapdragon(Antirrhinum) is essentially a perennial plant, but due to its lack of frost resistance, it is grown in most regions of our country as an annual. Of great importance when growing snapdragons from seeds is when to plant seedlings - the sooner this is done, the more magnificent the flowering will please the summer plant. But it's not that simple. Too much early sowing leads to absolutely the opposite result. In this article, we will figure out when to plant snapdragons in 2018 when grown from seeds using seedlings. simple rules They will tell you how to care for seedlings and adult flowering plants.

The material contains tips experienced gardeners. All agricultural techniques for growing snapdragons from seeds are also presented so that the antirrinum will delight with lush flowering all summer and until frost. Special attention Please note the boarding dates lunar calendar– these days, carrying out recommended agrotechnical operations gives maximum effect. Do not forget that caring for seedlings and adult plants in the garden should be regular and carried out according to all recommendations. Only in this case can you grow a beautiful flower garden, which will be a source of pride for the owner of a house or summer cottage.

Look at the photo of snapdragons grown from seeds by seedlings - these are the flowering specimens you should get if you follow all our tips:

Growing snapdragons from seedlings produces magnificent flowers

Botanical characteristics

The presented botanical characteristics of snapdragon will be brief - for reference or compilation purposes only. general idea about culture. It belongs to the herbaceous perennials, is a relative of the plantain, but with less resistance to frost in winter.

First time as cultivated plant selection began in what is now Germany at the beginning of the 19th century. Before this, the flower grew wild for at least 5 centuries. But only after the work of breeders began, more than 50 new species appeared. They are available for sale in 150 varieties of seeds.

Antirrinum seeds are very small, more like dust. Therefore, sowing them is very difficult for beginning gardeners. We will reveal the secret of simple and easy planting. If you follow this method, the seedlings will delight you with their activity.

The inflorescences are collected in a panicle and are presented in a huge number of shades. So far, only blue, violet and blue tone buds. Stems can be tall, medium-sized or miniature (dwarf). Depending on this botanical characteristic, snapdragon can be used for bouquet arrangements (for cutting), flower beds or border groups. Hanging varieties perfectly decorate balconies, gazebos, and hanging flowerpots on terraces.

Varieties and species groups of antirrinum

Existing species groups of antirrinum make it possible to form plantings in accordance with the assigned tasks. They are divided according to the type of bud structure, plant height, color, flowering period, etc. The most popular types of buds are bell-shaped and two-lipped - they create the effect of lush flowering. But the nonmesioid and penstemonoid forms have restrained sophistication and severity of outline. The terry or azalea-shaped form of snapdragon inflorescence can be represented by numerous varieties, including those with two-color colors.

Low-growing (dwarf, miniature, border) varieties

Miniature varieties have a stem height of 10–25 cm. Low-growing bushes are used as casings for decorating paths in the garden, fencing flower beds and creating borders. Dwarf snapdragons come in many varieties. It is necessary to pinch the main stem during the phase of growing seedlings from seeds. This will allow you to get active branching in internodes of the third, fourth and even fifth order.

The most popular border varieties of antirrinum are the following:

• suitable for hanging compositions “Candy Showers” ​​- grows in cascading waves;
• "Tom Thumb" with erect stems and varied bud colors;
• “Lampion” is another interesting hybrid with an ampelous type of bush growth with graceful white, yellow and red cascading inflorescences;
• “Sakura Blossom” is intended for lovers of pink vanilla, as its buds are delicately colored in white and pink tones;
• "Pixie" with increased bushiness and unusual bright inflorescences orange tones;
• “Magic Carpet”, “Madama Butterfly”, “Kimozu”, “Wunderteppich”, “The Hobbit” and many others.

These are not all varieties available for cultivation, the choice is in flower shops huge.

Border snapdragon varieties are suitable for container culture

Medium-growing varietal group

Antirrinums, universal in their purpose, can be found among the varieties of the medium-growing group. Distinctive feature of similar types - compactness, low tendency to branch and expressive, well-designed inflorescence of a pyramidal shape. Hybrids grow to a height of up to 70 cm. Suitable for decorating flower beds and flower beds. Designed for bouquet cutting. They retain their freshness in vases for a long time.

Basically, the medium-sized universal varietal group of snapdragons is represented by the following hybrids:

• "Golden Monarch" - with exquisite buds of rich yellow color;
• “Scarlet Monarch” - for lovers of red flowers with amazing depth of shades;
• “Lipstick Silver” - decorates the flower garden with a vanilla pink cloud of blooms;
• 'Bizari F1' has a bushy form with many side shoots topped with bright yellow and orange inflorescences;
• 'Ruby' also features pink petals;
• "Day and Night" is a mixture of colors for sunny areas.

“Twinnie” and other varieties are intended for bouquet arrangements and garden decoration. The choice of varieties is rich.

Medium-sized varieties of snapdragons will decorate flower beds and single landings

Gigantic and tall varieties

Gigantic antirrinums can reach a height of up to one and a half meters. These tall varieties are intended mainly for decorating those areas of the garden where you need to create a natural curtain for an untidy wall or fence. In group plantings they can play the role of background plants. Can be used as a large cut for bouquets with stems longer than 1 meter.

The pink color of the buds is represented by the sutras “Brilliantrose”, “Anna German”, “F1 Pink XL”, “Start F1”. For lovers of red tones, the varieties “Swallowtail”, “Rubin”, “Julaiva”, “F1 Red XL”, “University of California” have been developed. “Canary” has a yellow color, “F1 Rocket Lemon” has a lemon tint, “Alaska” has a white tint, and “F1 Goshenka” has an orange tint.

Tall (giant) varieties of snapdragon can be used as a bouquet cut

Growing snapdragon seedlings from seeds (with photo)

Flower growers practice two types of propagation of this plant. One of them is not suitable for regions with cold climates. In Siberia and the Far East, in most regions of the Urals, this crop does not survive frosty winters. Therefore, it is unlikely that it will be possible to propagate antirrinums here by dividing the bush. What remains is the time-tested cultivation of snapdragon seedlings by sowing seeds and then planting them in separate containers.

Strong and healthy snapdragon flower seedlings give maximum lush flowering already in the first year after planting. With the correct sowing timing, budding begins already in early May. Usually, seedlings are planted in open ground already in bloom.

Snapdragon seedlings planted from seeds in early February bloom in late April. These terms are suitable for ampelous and miniature varieties used to decorate balconies, loggias, terraces and verandas. And growing snapdragon seedlings of medium-sized and tall varietal groups should begin at the end of February. The optimal planting time is early to mid-March. The seeds sprout very quickly in a friendly “brush”; with proper care, they actively develop and begin to bud 90 days after sowing.

Look at the photo of snapdragon seedlings and continue the fascinating story about how to sow, determine optimal timing for your climate zone and provide proper care:

It is possible to grow snapdragon seedlings from seeds when sowing at home

Dates for sowing snapdragon seedlings according to the lunar calendar

The answer to the question of when to sow snapdragon seedlings depends on many determining factors. The sowing dates according to the lunar calendar in 2018 are as follows:

• February 21 – 27;
• March 3-8 and 21 – 24;
• April 15 – 20.

It is also worth understanding that the timing of when to plant snapdragon seedlings depends on the climatic zone of its cultivation in open ground conditions. The sooner it becomes possible to plant plants in the ground in a region, the earlier sowing can be done at home. But here it is necessary to understand that the duration of daylight hours in all regions of our country is the same. And if the seedlings appear in early February, they will need to be provided with lighting for 5 hours every day. Can you provide such conditions? Then get busy with your crops. And if it is not possible to illuminate the seedlings, then you can immediately throw away the packets of seeds. early sowing will not give anything good. The seedlings will stretch out, and since they are very thin, mass mortality will occur. Take your time.

Calmly sow snapdragon seedlings in early March and enjoy strong and healthy seedlings without much hassle. When exactly to plant snapdragon seedlings in the Urals, Siberia and in some regions Far East, depends on the approximate timing of the melting of the snow cover. Remember a simple rule: it is advisable to plant seedlings on permanent place her growth at an age not exceeding 90 days. Therefore, if such an opportunity appears only at the beginning of June, then it is better not to start planting until the beginning of March 2018.

Sowing snapdragon seeds is actually best done on toilet paper or a non-woven napkin.

How to plant seeds correctly?

Very often, inexperienced gardeners receive complaints about the low germination rate of sown antirrinum seeds. But it's worth knowing that correct landing snapdragon for seedlings gives almost 100% germination. These seeds, although very small, have excellent growth and survival potential even in unfavorable environmental conditions.

There can be two errors:

• lack of what is necessary to activate growth and germination sunlight when the seeds are sprinkled with soil;
• pre-soaking, leading to rotting of the thin seed coat.

Before you plant snapdragon seedlings, place the seed packet in the bottom of your refrigerator for a few weeks. No mixing with sand is required before the sowing procedure. Just pour the seeds into a dry saucer.

Take a shallow plastic container. Place a non-woven cloth with good water permeability on its bottom. You can use the most common toilet paper. Spread in several layers (3-4) and moisten the surface with a spray bottle with water to which “Epin” has been added. Spread the snapdragon seeds evenly on this napkin (or paper). Gently spray the tops with a spray bottle so that they are thoroughly wetted. Cover with tightly translucent material ( polyethylene film or glass). Place in a bright place on the windowsill.

Shoots will appear in 5-7 days. don't miss this one the most important moment. Immediately after the emergence of seedlings, it is necessary to sprinkle them thin layer land. For this it is better to use a strainer. The filling should reach the cotyledon leaves.

Picking and aftercare

Plant picking begins 3 weeks after germination. You can transplant snapdragon seedlings in bunches or one plant at a time. For picking they take peat pots with a volume of 200 - 250 ml.

Subsequent care consists of regular watering and mineral fertilizers. Spray and water with solution once a week succinic acid. This substance has stimulating properties and provides bookmarking large quantity flower buds.

Soil and suitable containers for seedlings

You can prepare the soil for growing snapdragon seedlings yourself. Do it better in autumn when all components are publicly available. Take peat or compost one part at a time, turf land, sand and wood ash. Mix everything, add 20 g. complex mineral fertilizer for every 5 liters soil mixture. Before planting, pour boiling water with added manganese.

Suitable containers for growing antirrinum seedlings from seeds are wooden boxes, plastic containers, baths and peat tablets. All of them must be thoroughly sterilized before sowing.

It is better to prepare the soil for planting snapdragons in advance.

Transplantation into open ground and subsequent care

Transplanting snapdragon seedlings into open ground is possible only after average daily temperature will be established in a positive range of values. This could be the end of May - beginning of June. Take your time, seedlings cannot withstand even a short-term drop in temperature below +5 degrees Celsius. If possible, you can transfer containers with seedlings to greenhouses or greenhouses for hardening. If this is not possible, then this procedure should be carried out gradually. First, the containers are taken out into fresh air for 30 minutes. The next day, the time is increased by 30 minutes. Gradually, over 10 days, the duration of the “walk” should be increased to 8 hours. After this, you can plant snapdragon seedlings in a permanent place.

The planting scheme depends on the height of adult plants:

• dwarf varieties are planted at a distance of 15–20 cm from each other;
• the medium-sized group requires a distance between plantings of up to 50 cm;
• Tall antirrinums should be planted at a distance of 70 cm from each other.

Subsequent care consists of regular watering, application of mineral fertilizers, and weeding. It is also important to regularly form the bush. pinch off any excess side shoots. Too much thickening of the bush leads to the fact that the flowers become small and weakly colored (pale). Plants lose their decorative properties.

With proper care, snapdragons, when grown from seeds, begin to bloom 100 days after the appearance of the first shoots. The flowering period stops only after the first frost.

Seed collection

In order to collect seeds, it is necessary to isolate the mother plant in advance. You need to leave a few buds on them, which will fade on their own and set a seed basket. Wait for it to dry completely and move it to a warm and dry place for ripening. Germination of this planting material very high and persists for 5 years.

Snapdragon diseases and pests

Fungal and bacterial diseases of snapdragon mainly affect flower crops under unfavorable climatic conditions. This high humidity at low temperatures. Pests often include colonies of aphids, damage by caterpillars (cutworms), thrips, miners, slugs and mites. Sparse plantings and regular weed removal help prevent pest damage. Against slugs, you must use traps and scatter metaldehyde.

Regular spraying with Zircon helps prevent the development of bacterial and fungal infections. If signs of a nematode appear, then you need to remove the damaged parts of the plant and spray the bushes with a solution of Bordeaux mixture.

Look at the video of how to plant snapdragon seedlings with seeds at home:

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

Description

Snapdragon is a perennial, cultivated as an annual in our country. The plant has a straight, branched, medium-leafed 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, light blue, lilac tones. Flowers are multi-colored, two-colored, double. They have a pleasant aroma. The plant is characterized by long, rich flowering, blooming from June until frost. In mild winters it can successfully overwinter and bloom on 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, you can’t beat the snapdragon, whose wild ancestor couldn’t even be found, but this flower is also one of the most ancient cultivated plants - gardeners have been growing it for more than 500 years. The ancestor of all modern varieties (and there are about 1000 of them today) was one species - 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.

Types and varieties

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

The homeland of most species is North America.

The name Antirrhinum comes from Greek and means “nose-like.” In many countries, the plant received a bright, figurative name, in the best possible way characterizing the structure of a flower - “dogs” (Russia), or “biting dragon”, snap dragon (English-speaking countries), “cleft palate” (France), “mouths” (Ukraine).

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

1. Dwarf- 15-20 cm. These are border and charming container plants. Bushes abundantly, side shoots are the same height as the main one. They also look great in rock gardens, ridges and carpet beds.
2. Short- 25-40 cm. They also look great in flower beds, edgings, borders, carpet compositions, containers, flowerpots. The side shoots and the main one are on the same level.
3. Average - 40-60 cm. Universal, suitable for group plantings, flower beds, suitable for cutting. They branch strongly, the central shoot is the highest.
4. High— 60-90 cm. Accent plants in a mixborder or flowerbed. The side shoots are significantly lower than the central one, which is why flowering plant resembles a candle. When cut, it stays fresh for 2 weeks.
5. Giants— 90-130 cm. They are used for the same purposes as tall ones. The central shoot is much higher than the shoots of the second level; there are no lower levels.

Planting and care

Feeding is not necessary, but the plant will respond well to watering with a weak solution of complex mineral fertilizers once in mid-summer.

Basic rules:

1. The place should be sunny, but partial shade is possible.
2. Be sure to have good drainage in the area!
3. It is advisable to choose a place protected from the winds.
4. Soil acidity is average; the soil should be fertile, light, and nutritious.
5. Care is extremely simple, the plant is unpretentious: watering, removing weeds, loosening.
6. Watering is required abundantly only in dry, hot summers.
7. Withered flowers, if you do not plan to collect seeds, pick off and cut off the faded arrows, this stimulates the appearance of new ones.
8. Immediately after planting in open ground, feed with organic matter, a second time mineral supplement- during the budding period (prepare a solution of urea, superphosphate and potassium sulfate).
9. If a plant becomes sick with rust, black leg, or gray rot, it is immediately removed and burned, and the planting site is sprayed with fungicide.
10. It is best to use for scale insects, caterpillars and other pests. preventive measures: no excess or stagnation of water, do not water so that water gets on the leaves, remove affected plants.
11. After flowering, in the fall, the snapdragon is 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 the winters are too harsh, which the plants are guaranteed not to survive, the seed arrows are cut off in time to avoid self-seeding (this is also important when collecting seeds - to prevent them from falling), the area is dug up, all plant remains are burn.

Growing seedlings from seeds

Snapdragon seeds remain viable for several years. As a rule, it is grown in the middle zone seedling method, the plant is cold-resistant, tolerates nighttime drops in temperature well, but it cannot withstand return frosts.

How to grow from seeds? Follow these simple instructions:

1. Sowing in early March.
2. Pour drainage into the container, then compact the soil mixed with sand, and moisten it with a spray bottle.
3. Mix antirrinum seeds with sand and spread over the surface, pressing lightly. You can sprinkle the seeds with a thin layer of soil.
4. Cover with glass. Place 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 light, but free from straight lines sun rays place.
8. The glass is removed when all the seeds have sprouted.

Seedling care

At first, it does not grow very quickly; the crops should be moistened moderately, avoiding excess moisture (otherwise there is a risk that the snapdragon seedlings will die from the “black leg”). Fallen sprouts have most likely already been damaged; it is recommended to remove them and sprinkle the area where they grow with crushed coal.

Seedlings are picked when the second true leaf appears, planted in planting boxes, or in separate pots of several pieces. Placed in a bright place, gradually accustomed to fresh air, opening, for example, a window (you just need to make sure that tender young plants are not standing in a direct draft). When the fifth leaf appears, the central shoot is pinched; if the side shoots grow too quickly, they are pinched 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 varieties), 20-30 cm (medium-sized varieties), 40-50 cm (tall and giant varieties).

Sowing in open ground is also possible; plants sprout in 2-3 weeks.

Application in the garden

This is an excellent border crop if you need to create an edging for a mixed border, a border, a line along a path - you won’t find a brighter plant. Can be good in group plantings and goes well with lawns. He is put in balcony boxes, containers, flower pots. They decorate loggias and...

Snapdragon (lat. Antirrhinum) or antirrhinum is a genus of herbaceous plants of the Plantain family, covering about 50 species of perennials, including climbing ones. The plant is a subshrub or herbaceous plant with straight, branched green finely grooved stems from 15 cm to one meter in height, forming pyramidal bushes.

The upper leaves of the snapdragon are alternate, the lower ones are opposite, their shape is elongated oval or lanceolate, the color is 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, and are colored 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-locular multi-seeded capsule. Flowering of snapdragon usually begins in June and ends with the first frost.

Most often, snapdragon, a perennial plant in nature, is grown in gardening as annual plant, but at good care and under favorable conditions, a cold-resistant snapdragon can successfully overwinter in the garden and bloom more beautifully the next year than before. IN garden design Antirrinum is grown as a border plant, although snapdragon looks great both in a flower bed and planted in groups against a green lawn. Snapdragons are often used to decorate balconies and terraces. Of particular interest to gardeners today are the ampelous forms of snapdragons, which can be grown in suspended structures for decorating terraces and galleries.

Snapdragon growing from seeds

Snapdragon reproduces by generative and vegetative methods. Snapdragon seeds retain the ability to germinate for several years. If you live in a warm climate, you can grow snapdragons from seeds, sowing them directly into the ground, and they will sprout in two and a half to three weeks, without any problems surviving even a slight cold snap at night, which is common in spring, but in areas where it is warm occurs gradually, it is better to use the seedling method of growing snapdragons.

Snapdragon or Antirrhinum is a perennial herbaceous plant family Plantainaceae. This flower has been in cultivation for more than 500 years. Scientists from Germany first began breeding snapdragons in the 19th century. Today, about 50 species and over 1000 varieties of antirrinum have been bred. Snapdragon currently grows in all warm corners of the Earth.

Plants vary in type, height and many other characteristics. The color range of antirrinum covers almost all colors, except blue and cyan shades.

Snapdragon in natural conditions is a perennial plant. In gardening, this flower is most often grown as an annual. To preserve a flower for the winter, it requires special conditions, good and proper care. The plant is used for group plantings on the lawn, to decorate flower beds, borders, terraces and balconies.

Types and varieties of snapdragon with photos

Snapdragon flowers are large in shape and can have a two-sponge or nonmesiform, bell-shaped, penstemon-shaped, azalea-shaped (double) shape.

Antirrinum varieties are divided into:

• universal,
• cutting,
• casing

Universal varieties are plants with a compact shape and a large inflorescence (medium-sized varieties).

For cut plants, plants with large flowers and long legs (giant and tall varieties).

Casing varieties are distinguished by the compactness of the bush and the duration of flowering (dwarf and low-growing varieties).

There are several classifications of antirrinum, but the most common classification of antirrinum is the height classification. Varieties are divided into 5 groups according to height:

They are distinguished by increased stem formation up to shoots of the third and fourth orders. The main shoot is placed at the level or under the second order shoots.

• Candy Showers is a climbing variety of snapdragon,
• Sakura blossom is a pink and white plant with a spot,
• Magic Carpet - pink-yellow color,
• Tom Thumb, Pixie and others.

Plants are intended for decoration of rock gardens, ridges, borders, carpet flower beds and growing in pots.

Low varieties grow up to 25-40 centimeters. These varieties have many shoots with flowers of the second and third orders. The central shoot is at the same or lower level with the shoots of the first order.

• Kimozu,
• Hobbit,
• Wunderteppich,
• Lampion (ampel hybrid) and others.

These flowers are used to decorate flower beds, borders, hanging baskets, containers, and balcony boxes.

Medium-sized (universal) varieties and hybrids grow up to 40-60 centimeters. The plant is highly branched. The main shoot goes slightly higher than the side shoots.

• Scarlet Monarch - red-burgundy color,
• Golden Monarch - yellow in color,
• Ruby is a bright pink flower,
• Lipstick Silver - white and pink in color,
• F1 Bizari – with various colors, strokes on yellow (primary) color,
• variety Day and Night, and others.

These varieties are grown in various flower beds and are suitable for cutting.

Tall (cut) varieties 60-90 centimeters high. Their central shoot rises above the secondary (lateral) shoots.

Varieties:

• Brilliantrosa is a bright pink flower,
• Canary - bright yellow color,
• Alaska - greenish-white color,
• Anna German – tenderly pink color,
• F1 Rocket Lemon - soft lemon shades,
• F1 Goshenka – orange shades,
• Swallowtail is a bicolor variety of raspberry-yellow color,
• varietal terry mixture Madame Butterfly - a flower of various shades,
• Julayva is an open penstemon-shaped or gloxinia-shaped flower,
• varieties Pink, Ruby, Admiral and others.

Yellow shades have a more pronounced aroma. Plants are suitable for decorating mixborders, group compositions, and grown for cutting. Cut flowers last more than a week in a vase.

Gigantic (giant) varieties reach 90-130 centimeters in height. The bushes are narrow pyramidal. The main shoot of the flower rises strongly above the second-order shoots, and there are no third-order shoots.

Varieties:

• F1 Red XL – bright red color,
• Arthur - with large, cherry-colored flowers, plant height 90-95 cm,
• F1 Pink XL – deep pink color, height of both 110 cm,
• University of California - mixture of shades, height 95 cm,
• Maximum Unicaulis,
• Start F1 and others.

Snapdragon is propagated by dividing the bush or using seedlings. The peculiarity of this flower is that the seeds can be stored in the ground for more than one year and then grow on their own.

When planted in heated soil, the first shoots appear after two weeks, but this method is suitable for the southern regions. In places with a cooler climate, antirrinum is planted in open ground as grown seedlings.

Sowing seeds in seedling containers or greenhouses is carried out at the end of February or beginning of March. In conditions middle zone sowing takes place in late April - early May. Snapdragons are not grown in northern latitudes.

After the seedlings have grown stronger, they can be transplanted into the ground. Flowering of snapdragon occurs 85-110 days after the appearance of the first shoots - The plant blooms in June - July and blooms until the first autumn frosts.

The first shoots appear on days 7-10. After 3-4 weeks, the plants are picked. Plants can be planted in open ground only after frosts have ended and the soil has warmed up. By this time, the snapdragon should have formed a small bush.

Snapdragon - planting and care

Sowing seeds for seedlings allows you to speed up the growing process and get earlier flowering. For planting you will need seeds of the selected varieties, a growing container, a fine and large sieve and a spatula.

For seedlings, take a planting box, container or long pot with a tray, about 10 centimeters high. The container for seedlings must have holes to remove excess water.

A drainage layer of expanded clay, perlite, vermiculite, pebbles, and coarse sand is poured onto the bottom. After which you can begin preparing the land.

Land preparation

A loose, light substrate is suitable for sowing, which can be purchased at the store or made independently. To do this, take: 1 part turf, part sand, part peat, part rotted humus and wood ash. The soil is mixed and sifted on a large and fine sieve.

Large screenings are poured on top of the drainage, and small screenings go on top. The soil is watered with a solution of potassium permanganate and left to stand indoors for 2 days.

When planting, the soil should be moist, but not wet.

Seed preparation

Seeds can be bought in the store, and the variety, height and color scheme of plants can be easily selected. When choosing, you need to take into account the storage conditions and shelf life of the seeds.

On one's own collected seeds After collecting and drying, they are placed in a plastic bag and then in the refrigerator until spring. In the refrigerator, the seeds undergo stratification and this improves their germination. Before sowing, the seeds are disinfected in a pink solution of potassium permanganate. Remove and dry on a napkin. After which you can start sowing.

Sowing seedlings

For even distribution, seeds must be mixed with dry sand. Seeds are sown in even paths with an interval of 2-3 centimeters. For convenient distribution, you can use a paper envelope with a corner cut off.

In this case, sand and seeds are poured out in a neat path. The sand paths need to be pressed a little with your palms to make the seeds fit more tightly. A thin layer of soil mixture is poured on top using a sieve.

Then the soil is sprayed with a spray bottle.

The seating container is covered with glass, transparent film and placed in a room with a temperature above 18 degrees Celsius. The film cover is removed every day (for ventilation). When the soil dries, spray it with a spray bottle.

After 10 days, shoots appear.

The container with seedlings is placed in a bright place (window without direct sunlight). A week after the seeds germinate, the film (glass) is removed from the box. It is not recommended to remove the glass immediately. This should be done gradually, starting from 20 minutes onwards.

After 3-4 weeks, the first true leaves will form on the plants. When 2-3 leaves appear, the seedlings need to be pruned.

For picking, cassettes, peat pots or cups with a diameter of 8-10 centimeters are used. When planting in large containers, maintain a gap of 5 by 5 centimeters between plants. For the first 2-3 days, the seedlings are protected from the sun's rays.

When planting in a box, after the plants have grown, another planting is done in larger pots with a gap between plants of 10 by 10 centimeters.

Intermediate replanting allows you to increase the bushiness of the flower. For better branching and flowering, upper part grown plants are pinched.

Seedlings are grown at 23 degrees Celsius. Plants are provided good lighting, regular watering. Excess moisture can lead to diseases of the sprouts and watering should be done only after the soil surface has dried.

When any type of rot appears, the seedlings are treated with Fitosporin (10 drops of the drug are taken per 1 liter of water), crushed charcoal is scattered over the soil.

Snapdragons are planted in the ground after the end of frost. Depending on the region, this is done from early May to mid-June.

The best soil for planting is considered to be loam, sandy soil with good air and water permeability. Flowers are not picky about soil.

But for a more magnificent and long flowering need to be added to the soil

• wood ash (1 cup per square meter),
• nitrophoska or complex fertilizer for flowers (a tablespoon per meter)
• a small amount of humus (3-4 kilograms of humus)
• peat (1 kilogram per meter).

The earth is dug up and loosened. The place should be light; a dark area is not suitable for planting. Plants in the shade practically do not bloom; in partial shade the flowering is less lush.

The transplant should be carried out in cloudy weather or in the evening. Planting interval:

• dwarf varieties should be 15 by 15 centimeters,
• low varieties 20 by 20 centimeters,
• between the middle ones - 30 by 30 centimeters,
• between high from 40 centimeters.

The seedlings from the pot are lowered into the prepared holes along with a lump of earth. The plant is buried down to the cotyledon leaves. The soil around the plants is pressed a little with your palms and watered.

When landing close different varieties Cross-pollination may occur and new plants the following year may differ from the parent varieties.

For better flowering and preservation of moisture in the ground, the bushes need to be mulched with sand, sawdust, and straw.

A month after transplantation, when the snapdragon has taken root, the first feeding is done complex fertilizer for garden annual flowers or nitrophoska. The following feedings are carried out every 2-3 weeks throughout the summer.

In heavy soil, for good growth of bushes, you need to carry out regular fertilizing, loosening, and tying up tall varieties. Loosening protects root system from leaching and disease. Without tying, tall plants can break off and die in windy weather.

Snapdragon does not like drought, but it also begins to hurt when there is excess moisture. Based on this, watering should be regular but moderate.

Pinching the main and side shoots to the 2nd order increases the splendor of the bush.
For long-term flowering, buds that have already bloomed are removed. Flowering lasts 3-3.5 months.

Pests and diseases

Snapdragon has low resistance to cutworms, leaf miners, aphids, mites, miners, thrips, slugs, and butterflies.

Pests appear when flowers are overgrown with weeds or bushes are planted close to each other. Timely weeding protects plants from insects.

Stem cutworms (caterpillars) settle in the lower part of the stem. They gnaw longitudinal passages in the stems and they wither. When a pest appears, it is necessary to make low cuttings of damaged bushes. Cut stems are burned.

All weeds around are removed. Healthy plants sprayed with chlorophos. Preventative spraying is carried out from the time of planting until autumn.

When flowers are damaged by any pests, special chemicals are used.

Most often when improper care snapdragon is affected root-knot nematode root system and fungal diseases. Excess moisture leads to the appearance of septoria, rust, verticillium, fusarium, false powdery mildew, black leg.

Mosaic causes mottling (spotting) leaves without necrosis. The flowers become smaller and become variegated. When the disease appears, all plantings are removed and burned.

Rust affects a fully formed plant. Dusty pustules appear from the bottom of the leaves, on the seed pods and sepals brown. Spots appear on the top of the leaves and they wither.

When signs of disease appear, the bushes and root circle are treated with a solution Bordeaux mixture, copper oxychloride and Zineb solution. The treatment is repeated after a week.

To prevent diseases, you can use Zircon (5 drops of the drug per liter of water). Fungicides are used to control these diseases.

The seed capsule holds about 8 thousand seeds. Ripe seeds are shiny, black, similar to poppy seeds. For seeds, the most suitable ones are selected beautiful plants with large flowers. The inflorescences need to be shortened by one third.

After which, large seed pods form in place of the flowers. There is no need to wait for the lower seed pods to turn yellow; for ripening, the inflorescences need to be cut off and dried indoors.

The seeds from the opened boxes need to be shaken out into a paper bag. Then dry it on a saucer and put it in a plastic bag until spring.

Collected seeds remain viable for 4-6 years.

Snapdragon - perennial and if desired, even in the conditions of the middle zone, flowers can be preserved and left to winter in open ground. In autumn, all shoots are cut off, and the roots are covered with peat, grass, and dry leaves.

In spring, the plant grows and can be transplanted into shoots or left in place as a lush bush. Flowering next year is more luxuriant.

Snapdragon. How best to sow, how to properly care: video

Many gardeners are afraid to grow snapdragon due to many factors, for example, poor germination, the need for preventive and protective work against diseases, pests and other problems. But with the right approach, all these problems are solved quite quickly and the flowers delight with their beauty and unusualness.

Snapdragon or antirrhinum belongs to herbaceous or subshrub species plants of the Plantainaceae family (formerly belonged to the Norichniaceae family). Flowers Snapdragons amaze the imagination with their beauty and variety of colors. Serve as an indispensable decoration balconies , loggias And garden plots. They delight with their blooms all summer and until mid-autumn.

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

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

Types and varieties

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

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

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

• "Alaska"- has greenish-white flowers

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

• "Canary"- has bright yellow flowers

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

• "Arthur" - cherry flowers large sizes

• "Goshenka"- orange

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

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

• Golden Monarch
• White Monarch
• Scariet Monarch
• Rubi
• Lipstick Silver
• Tequila Sunrise

Low and dwarf varieties are represented by the following types:

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

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

A species called "Ruby Star" has recently appeared. It has cherry star flowers. The ampelous snapdragon, called "Lampion", was bred for. It is great for hanging baskets.

Reproduction

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

In warm climates, snapdragon can be sown in open ground early spring. Seeds are sown in well-moistened soil, sprinkled with a thin layer of soil and covered with film. To ventilate the seedlings, the film must be removed daily for some time. Snapdragon seeds should not be overwatered; excess moisture has a detrimental effect on them.

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

A mixture of peat, garden soil and humus is used for the substrate. All components are taken in equal quantities. The seeds are well shed and covered with film or glass jar. When the first shoots appear, the coating is removed. Snapdragons are planted in the ground in mid-May. For better adaptation, boxes with seedlings should be left outdoors for some time a few days before planting.

Snapdragon. Planting and care

Although this plant is unpretentious, it grows better and develops well in well-lit areas and in soils filled with fertilizers. The soil is prepared a week before planting snapdragons in the ground. To do this, for each square meter of area selected for planting, you must add:

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

The soil with additives is dug up and leveled. It is better to plant snapdragon seedlings on a cloudy day. Young shoots planted in sunny weather do not take root well. The distance between seedlings is 25-30 cm. The soil must be loosened throughout summer period and remove weeds from it.

Watering and fertilizing

It will take about two weeks for the seedlings to take root. After this, the first feeding of the plant is carried out. organic fertilizer. This can be nitrophoska or another fertilizer that contains the microelement boron.

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