Growing snapdragon from seed: when to plant and how to care
What is interesting about growing snapdragons from seeds. When to plant a plant for lush bloom? This question is of interest to novice florists. A variety of varieties, visual appeal and undemanding care make this flower very popular among summer residents.
Features of the plant antirrinum
Snapdragon varieties are divided, depending on the height of the plant, into the following groups:
|
Group
|
Plant height, m
|
Names |
| Giants | 1,3 |
|
| High | 0,6 – 0,9 |
|
| Average | 0,4 – 0,6 |
|
| Undersized | Up to 0.4 |
|
| Dwarf | Up to 0.2 |
|
In the overwhelming majority, tall varieties of ornamental plants begin to bloom later than undersized ones.
Flowers, which have an unusual shape that resemble an open lion's mouth, are especially beautiful. Individual flowers form panicles of bright flowers that will decorate any area. And the very bloom of antirrinum is abundant, lasting all summer.
The shades of flower heads have a wide palette of tones and halftones:
- yellow;
- red;
- pink;
- white and others.
Being a perennial, the plant in the middle lane has to be planted anew every year. To do this, you need to prepare the soil, containers, and create all the conditions to grow your own snapdragon seedlings from seeds.
Growing snapdragon from seed
Planting and caring for snapdragons, as in the photo, begins with the preparation of planting material and growing from seeds. The need for growing through seedlings is explained by the long period that passes from the moment the seeds enter the ground until the beginning of the flowering period.
Stage 1. Preparation of potting soil and containers
Planting dates depend on the climatic zone. It is preferable to sow seeds in prepared potting mix in March or April. You can choose a low container for snapdragon seedlings.
Preparing the potting mix:
- peat (4/7 volume);
- garden land (2/7 volume);
- sand (1/7 volume).
All components are thoroughly mixed, the composition is sieved. To protect against weeds, the seedling soil can be baked in the oven for an hour. Due to the fact that slightly alkaline soil is more favorable for the snapdragon, the prepared soil can be enriched with a small amount of ash.
You can purchase a ready-made mixture for growing seedlings.
Stage 2. Planting seeds
When to Plant Snapdragon for Seed Growing? No later than April, otherwise the flowers will not have enough time to please with abundant flowering.
To do this, perform the following procedure:
- Prepare containers for seedlings.
- Fill them with potting soil.
- Seal.
- Scatter seeds over the ground.
- From above, literally a couple of millimeters with earth.
- Collect water in a container with a spray and moisten the ground.
- Put glass on top of the container or cover with foil.
- Place in a warm place (+ 25 ° C) in the light.
After half a month or a little more, sprouts will begin to break through. The air temperature should be slightly reduced (up to about + 20 ° C).Good lighting will help the sprouts not stretch out, but gain strength. Periodically, the soil needs to be moistened, loosened and ventilated.
Until the sprouts have matured, they should not be placed in direct sunlight.
Stage 3. Picking
Snapdragon seedlings are picked after two true leaves appear on the germinated plants. This is a necessary procedure that benefits the antirrinum.
The soil mixture is taken from the same composition that was used for sowing the seeds. Transplanting is carried out in the afternoon, in the late afternoon.
The pick must be carried out very carefully, observing all the necessary rules:
- The earth with sprouts is moistened.
- New containers are being prepared, into which young plants will be transplanted. It is desirable that each of them should have its own separate container.
- Very carefully, using tweezers, separate one sprout from the total mass.
- New containers are filled with earth, and gently, with tweezers, transfer the sprouts.
- The soil around the seedling is compacted and moistened.
A week after such a transplant, the plants need feeding. To do this, use complex fertilizers, for example, nitroammofosku.
Stage 4. Topping
After 4 or 5 pairs of leaves appear on young plants, pinching of the snapdragon is performed. It is carried out to stimulate the appearance of side shoots. The subsequent circular pinching will help to enhance the bushiness and splendor of the plant. Do it when 3 pairs of leaves appear on the side shoots.
Ignoring timely pinching can negatively affect the abundance of the future flowering of the plant and the splendor of the bush.
Planting in open ground: the place matters
Half a month before planting the snapdragon in open ground, the seedlings must be hardened. To do this, every day she is briefly taken out into the open air. Plants prepared in this way will survive planting more easily, and will get stronger faster.
When to plant a snapdragon grown from seed in the ground? In May, when the warm weather has stabilized, you can start planting the snapdragon in a permanent place in the garden. Its choice will greatly affect the abundance of flowering.
In sunny areas, snapdragons bloom more intensely than planted in shade or partial shade.
Wells for planting are prepared in advance on the site. They must be of such a size that they can be loaded with a clod. The distance between the holes should be at least 0.2 m for small varieties, and about 0.45 m for tall ones.
After the plants are planted and the soil is compacted, watering is necessary. You can also spend mulching peat.
It is desirable that the soil is slightly alkaline. For this, if necessary, you can add ash.
Care after planting in open ground
Snapdragon planted in open ground requires periodic watering, weeding, and loosening of the soil. Snapdragon is rarely fed, using complex fertilizers for this, which were also used when growing seeds.
Regular watering of flowers will promote their active growth and abundant flowering. Watering is carried out at the root, trying to get as little water as possible on the flowers.
It is recommended not to allow the soil to dry out.
Growing a snapdragon from seeds requires a scrupulous approach, but once the flower has begun, caring for it will not require any effort - regular watering is enough. Antirrinum blooms until the beginning of autumn, delighting with bright decorative flowers.