Looks like a snapdragon. Growing snapdragons. Low growing snapdragon

Snapdragon (antirrhinum) is a flower that is perennial, but in our climatic conditions it is grown as an annual flower, that is, only in the warm period of the year. Its variety of varieties is simply amazing. It can be either border, up to 20 centimeters high, or gigantic, up to 1 meter or more. Antirrinum has gained particular popularity among flower growers due to the fact that its planting and further care do not cause any difficulties, because This is really a very unpretentious plant. It is recommended to grow by seedlings and propagate by seeds.

The most popular classification of snapdragon varieties is its division depending on the height of the bush:

By the way! The flowers of snapdragons are simple and double. Double inflorescences look especially good when making bouquets.

How and when is it better to plant snapdragon seeds for seedlings?

Planting time for seedlings

Growing snapdragons through seedlings is explained quite simply: the flower has a fairly long period of development from the moment of the first shoots to the beginning of flowering.

The time and timing of sowing snapdragon seeds for seedlings naturally primarily depend on the climatic conditions of the growing region. So, antirrinum begins to be sown from the end of February to mid-April.

Note! The site already has a detailed article about, including Favorable days for planting in 2019 according to the lunar calendar.

Container and soil

Any purchased or homemade containers are suitable for growing snapdragon seedlings. It all depends on how much you are going to grow the plant.

The soil can be purchased ready-made at a garden store or prepared with your own hands at home.

Due to the fact that the size of the seeds of antirrinum is small, they can even be said to be tiny; after preparing the soil mixture, it will need to be sifted, the same applies to purchased land.

To prepare the soil mixture for snapdragon seedlings you will need:

• 1/7 washed sand;
• 2/7 garden land;
• 4/7 peat.

Now the earth needs to be mixed well and then sifted. Next, in order to protect future seedlings from blackleg and excess weed shoots, the soil must be steamed in a double boiler or heated in the oven for 60 minutes.

By the way! Mix an additional 4 tbsp into the soil. spoons of ash and 2 tbsp. spoons of dolomite ash, snapdragon germinates well and grows in slightly alkaline soil.

Video: the intricacies of growing snapdragon seedlings

Direct landing

When sowing snapdragons for seedlings, follow the following step-by-step instructions:

Video: sowing snapdragons for seedlings in February

Caring for antirrinum seedlings after planting

As a rule, seedlings appear on average after 2 weeks, although it may take longer. It all depends on the temperature conditions in which the planting container with antirrinum will be located.

As soon as the seedlings emerge, it is necessary to lower the temperature to 18-20 degrees. Also, to prevent young seedlings from starting to stretch, good lighting is necessary. As always, you can use phytolamps or more economical LED lamps.

At the beginning of their journey, seedlings grow and develop somewhat slowly. Watering should be careful and ventilation should be frequent. 7 days after the emergence of seedlings, the shelter should be completely removed. However, at first it is recommended that direct rays of the sun do not fall on the plant.

Periodic loosening of the soil as one of the elements of growing seedlings will help avoid the appearance of blackleg.

Picking

Upon reaching 2 true leaves in development, it is necessary to pick the snapdragon, which it tolerates quite cheerfully, and then easily takes root.

For replanting, you should use the same composition of soil as for seedlings, but this time it no longer needs to be sifted. There is nothing to worry about if this time there are large fractions in the soil mixture. This will be a kind of hardening for the roots of the young plant.

It is better to choose cloudy weather (in the daytime) or when there is no longer sun, that is, better in the evening. The fact is that in this case we will give the plant the whole night to strengthen, and by the morning the picked seedlings will already feel normal.

Step-by-step process for picking snapdragons:

Video: picking snapdragon seedlings

Caring for seedlings after picking

Feeding snapdragon seedlings should be done on the 5-7th day after picking. It is best to feed with nitrogen-phosphorus-potassium complex fertilizers containing equal parts of elements, such as nitroammophosphate. You can water both at the root and at the leaf, which will have a positive effect on the development of the plant itself and will produce more abundant flowering.

Once the plant reaches 4-5 pairs of true leaves, it is necessary to topping, which stimulates the active growth of lateral shoots. When the side shoots reach 3 pairs of true leaves, you will need to pinch the side shoots in a circle. This will trigger the development of additional shoots, which will subsequently lead to even more flowering of the plant. In this way, it will be possible to grow a real round ball with hundreds of beautiful flowers at the same time.

Video: rules for pinching adult snapdragon seedlings

When and how to plant snapdragons in open ground

A couple of weeks before planting in the garden, begin to gradually move the seedlings, first just onto the balcony, and then into the open air. Antirrinum seedlings hardened in this way will easily take root in a new place and will not suffer in the event of return frosts.

As a rule, you can plant snapdragon seedlings in open ground as early as May. This early date is due to the exceptional frost resistance of the plant.

Snapdragon is a light-loving plant, but it also tolerates light partial shade, so choose an appropriate place for planting seedlings. However, it is worth knowing that in partial shade, antirrinum will bloom noticeably more modestly.

As you already understand, antirrinum loves loose and slightly alkaline soils. If the soil is too heavy and clayey, the roots of the plant will not be able to develop normally. Therefore, in order to make such (heavy and clayey) soil more suitable for planting, dolomite flour or wood ash, as well as a little sand, should be added to it.

Plant the seedlings in pre-prepared planting holes along with a lump of earth. The planting pattern is different for each variety. For example, it is optimal to plant dwarf and short varieties at a distance of about 20 centimeters, medium-sized ones - 25-30 centimeters, and tall ones - 45 centimeters.

As soon as you plant, you can water it generously and, if desired, mulch with peat.

Video: planting snapdragons in open ground

Caring for antirrinum in open ground

Further care for antirrinum consists of regular watering, rare fertilizing, weeding and regular loosening of the soil.

It is recommended to feed snapdragons, as during growing seedlings, with a complex mineral fertilizer, such as nitroammophosphate (it is also possible to use ammophosphate and nitrophoska).

Snapdragon is very demanding of moisture, but in case of excessive drought, it quickly recovers after abundant watering. However, if you forget about regular watering, the plant will not open well and the blooming flowers may fall off. Therefore, we highly recommend that you do not allow it to dry out. The optimal time for watering is morning.

It is advisable to water the snapdragon directly at the root. If you do this superficially, the flowers will fill with water and gradually droop. Some may even fall, you hardly want to allow this.

Antirrinum blooms in waves, that is, periods of lush flowering are replaced by some fading when all the flowers have faded. Don't worry, this means the next wave of blooms is on the way. Such waves can continue until frost, in other words, until late autumn.

Thus, if you use approximately the same scheme for sowing seedlings and the recommended agricultural technology for growing snapdragons, then it will bloom all summer and delight you with its lush and abundant flowering until the end of autumn.

Video: how to sow snapdragons and properly care for them

In contact with

Snapdragon flower

The snapdragon flower has a number of undeniable advantages. First of all, it is unpretentiousness and bright, long-lasting flowering from mid-summer to late autumn. It can be grown not only in flower beds and hills, but also on loggias in pots and hanging baskets.

The snapdragon flower (Antirrinum) is a flower, but it blooms and produces seeds in the first year. That is why it is mainly grown as an annual. This flower can form a powerful bush with a well-developed root system. Such bushes are able to winter safely even in the middle zone.

Thanks to the work of breeders, flower growers can grow hundreds of varieties of Antirrinum. There are dwarf varieties (15 - 20 cm), medium-sized (40 - 50 cm) and tall (90 - 100 cm). In addition, ampelous forms of snapdragons with drooping shoots have recently appeared; the length of such shoots reaches 1 meter.

Snapdragon is ampelous.

Growing snapdragons from seeds

When to sow.

When growing snapdragons, you need to sow the seeds in early March.

Substrate for seed germination.

The flower does not like to grow on peat soils. To germinate seeds, it is better to use soil from a compost heap and river sand in a one-to-one ratio.

How to sow Antirrinum seeds.

It is convenient to grow snapdragons from seeds in plastic containers with tight-fitting lids. You can sow the seeds directly into cups, with several seeds in one cup. If 3-4 seeds germinate, then there is no need to thin them out; let them continue to grow in one bush.

Before sowing, the container or cup is filled with soil, the soil is leveled and abundantly moistened. Snapdragon seeds are very small; for convenience, snow is poured on top of the substrate and the seeds are sown in the snow, then they are clearly visible. You just need to take into account that snow indoors melts quickly. You can mix the seeds with sand, this also greatly simplifies the sowing process.

Caring for seedlings.

After the seeds are sown, they are sprinkled with a thin layer of soil, moistened again with dewdrops and covered with a lid or film. To germinate, the seeds will need high humidity and a temperature of 23 - 25 degrees. Monitor soil moisture; when the substrate dries out, it must be moistened periodically.

Young seedlings

With proper care, the seeds will germinate in 10 - 15 days. After young sprouts appear, the container with the seedlings is transferred to a well-lit place. Otherwise, if there is insufficient lighting, the seedlings will quickly stretch out. The film can be removed a few days after seed germination.

Young plants grow slowly at first, this should not alarm you. At this time, Antirrinum seedlings should be watered very sparingly. If signs appear, remove all affected seedlings immediately and sprinkle the soil with ash or crushed activated carbon.

As you have probably already noticed, there is nothing unusual in growing snapdragons from seeds; all other flowers are grown from seeds in much the same way.

Picking seedlings.

When the seedlings have a second pair of true leaves, you can start picking the seedlings. Antirrinum already grows a powerful root system during the seedling period, so plants need to be planted in large 0.5 liter cups.

Antirrinum seedlings after picking.

If the seedlings grew densely, then sometimes the roots of neighboring plants grow together. In such cases, do not try to separate them, just plant several pieces in cups.

Snapdragon easily tolerates picking and is quickly accepted in a new place. But until the seedlings begin to grow, they must be kept in the shade and taken out into the sun a few days after transplantation.

Pinching seedlings.

This flower should not be grown in one stem.. The plant looks much more attractive when it grows as a bush. To do this, the shoot is pinched above the fifth leaf. If side shoots begin to grow quickly, it is better to pinch them too. As a result, a powerful, beautiful snapdragon bush grows.

Growing from seeds in open ground

You can also grow snapdragons from seeds in open ground. You just need to say right away that these flowers will bloom only at the end of July or early August, but they will bloom until frost.

Antirrinum grown from seeds.

It is customary to sow snapdragons in the ground in so-called clumps. Curtains are formed with a size of approximately 40 by 40 cm. 4 - 5 Antirrinum bushes are grown in one clump, but much more seeds need to be sown there. Excess shoots can later be pulled back.

Seeds are sown in the ground at the end of April, beginning of May. Since spring frosts can destroy the seedlings, the clumps are covered with some kind of covering material.

Growing and caring for Antirrinum

Flower growers rarely plant snapdragons in the foreground, considering this flower to be not spectacular enough. But this happens because few people know how to grow this flower correctly. Most often it is grown in one stem, and varieties are selected with a height of 30 - 40 cm.

Antirrinum should be grown in bushes. To do this, you just need to cut off the top of the plant. You can cut off the upper part of the shoot in seedlings, adults, and even flowering plants. After some time, not one, but as many as 8 - 12 shoots will grow.

When growing tall varieties, the height of which reaches one meter, the result is a huge flowering bush. Fading shoots should also be removed, and then new, young stems will grow again in their place.

Snapdragon can grow in full sun, partial shade and in almost any soil. It is grown in mixborders, ridges and individual clumps. Ampelous hybrids are good for planting in hanging baskets.

Wintering snapdragons in open ground

Antirrinum is a perennial plant that can winter in the middle zone. It is prepared for winter in the same way as most perennial flowers. In autumn, all shoots are cut off, and the roots are covered with leaves, grass, and peat. After a successful winter, many shoots grow from the roots, which can be dug up and used to decorate the area.

Snapdragon diseases

In cold rainy weather, red spots may appear on the leaves of Antirrinum. If this happens, treat the flowers with Zircon (5 drops per 1 liter of water). The same drug can be used to treat plants for prevention, only in smaller doses (2 drops per 1 liter of water).

For preventive purposes, snapdragons are sprayed when planting seedlings in the ground and before flowering begins. It is better to immediately remove severely affected plants from the garden bed.

Snapdragon or Antirrhinum is a perennial herbaceous plant of the Plantain family. 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 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 – soft 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 the middle zone, sowing is carried out 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.

Self-collected seeds, after collecting and drying, 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 slightly 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, the upper part of the grown plants is pinched.

Seedlings are grown at 23 degrees Celsius. Plants are provided with good lighting and 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 more lush and long-lasting flowering, you need to add

• 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 different varieties are planted close together, 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 fertilizing is done with 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, it is necessary to carry out regular fertilizing, loosening, and tying up tall varieties. Loosening protects the 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 are 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, with improper care, snapdragons are affected root-knot nematode root system and fungal diseases. Excess moisture leads to the appearance of septoria, rust, verticillium, fusarium, downy mildew, and blackleg.

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. Brown dusty pustules appear on the bottom of the leaves, on the seed pods and sepals. Spots appear on the top of the leaves and they wilt.

When signs of disease appear, the bushes and root circle are treated with a solution of 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. The most beautiful plants with large flowers are selected for seeds. 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 should 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 is a perennial plant and, if desired, even in the middle zone, the flowers can be preserved and left to overwinter 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 cannot be called an exquisite or sophisticated garden plant; other epithets are suitable to describe it - bright, joyful, striking in its splendor and variety of colors. In the flowerbed, the summer flower claims the main role; more modest neighbors are suitable as partners, highlighting its striking beauty.

Due to the fact that the plant has been in cultivation for a very long time, is grown everywhere and is capable of propagating by self-sowing, many classify “dogs” as too simple country flowers, not even suspecting how far modern selection has come. Looking at new varieties and hybrids of snapdragon, you never tire of being amazed by the bizarrely shaped inflorescences, amazing shades and special life-affirming principle that this flower possesses.

Anachronism or floral classic?

Antirrinum is a plant of southern origin, most of its species (about 50 in total) grow in Asia, Southern Europe, and America. According to the botanical characteristics, it is a herbaceous perennial of the Plantain family; some varieties become woody over time and form a subshrub.

Despite its diversity, only one species has taken root in culture and provided genetic material for selection - A. large. Due to its ability to produce full-fledged seeds in the first year, snapdragon is grown as an annual plant, although it can be grown as a biennial plant or perennial.

During the growing season it forms a pyramidal bush consisting of straight branched stems. The height depends on the variety and varies in the range of 15–100 cm. The leaves are dark green, round in young sprouts, and elongated oval in adult form.

The main distinguishing feature of snapdragon flowers is the bizarre two-lipped shape, which, in addition to the antirrhinum, can be observed in clasp, oregano, salvia, and orchids. The corollas, similar to the slightly open mouth of an animal, are collected in lush brushes. One plant, in addition to the main peduncle, expels several lateral ones, up to the fourth order. Flowers in a raceme bloom gradually, upward; each of them takes 10–12 days from opening to pollination. These features provide snapdragon bushes with a continuous flowering period from the beginning of summer until frost.

The color of all the colors of the rainbow, bright, in many varieties variegated, repels connoisseurs of noble shades - rich, deep, one tone. They consider the flower somewhat outdated, although this can be argued. In correctly arranged flower arrangements, the plant looks quite organic, acting as a key accent.

This is interesting! The tubular flower, framed by lips, is not easy to pollinate - a difficult task only bumblebees can do. It is pollination that serves as a signal for the corolla to wilt and the seeds to ripen - which is why antirrhinum blooms for so long.

Types and varieties of antirrinum

Snapdragon has hundreds of varieties of domestic and foreign selection. Classification is carried out according to the height of the bush and ripening time.

Tall

The group includes varieties traditionally cultivated for cutting. The main peduncle starts from 65–70 cm; some gardeners separately distinguish gigantic antirrinums (90–100 cm). A distinctive feature is a powerful central shoot and several lateral shoots, much smaller in size. The brushes are large, multi-flowered, medium and late varieties, blooming from the second half of June. The following tall hybrids are popular with gardeners.

• Snapdragon from the Madame Butterfly series is a giant with lush double inflorescences, the appearance of which resembles an azalea. The height of the compact bush is up to 75 cm, the scale of shades ranges from pure white to dark burgundy. Typically sold in a mixture of colors.
• Another popular series is the American hybrids Rocket F1. Bushes grow up to a meter high. The inflorescences are multi-flowered, the colors are traditional red, purple, pink and unusual - greenish-yellow, golden-orange, lavender.

Semi-high

This is a group of universal Antirrhinum grandiflora. Compact pyramidal bushes 40–60 cm high are suitable for cutting and creating flower arrangements.

• The legendary Dutch Liberty Classic series. Among the attractive characteristics are excellent shoot habit, uniform flowering, and rich color.
• The La Bella intermediate group is popular among gardeners. Strong plants with excellent lateral branching produce a large number of double flowers - white, yellow, purple, red and white.
• The Black Prince variety is distinguished by its restrained and noble beauty. Velvety burgundy inflorescences spike against the background of dark green foliage. Their deep, rich color makes them ideal as the centerpiece of a flower bed.

Low-growing and ampelous

A feature of low-growing varieties (25–40 cm) is the formation of a branched hemispherical bush without a pronounced central shoot. The inflorescences, although smaller in size than those of the cutting groups, benefit from quantity.

• Antirrinum Bronze Dragon got its name because of the color of the foliage - dark green with a bronze tint. The bushes are small - up to 20–25 cm, and are strewn with purple-white clusters of flowers all summer.
• As a container crop, gardeners like to plant the late variety Crimson Velvet with medium-sized dark red inflorescences.
• An unusual variety of snapdragon is the ampelous variety Lampion, which forms drooping shoots up to a meter long.

Dwarf

The group of dwarf varieties of snapdragon is represented by highly branching bushes up to 20 cm high with small double flowers. Examples of series and hybrids.

• The Bels series of Dutch producers are strong plants with good basal branching and 8 shades, including a mix. The flower shape is open, used for growing in pots.
• The early Montego group is also suitable for container plantings; flowers planted along the edge of the flower bed form an elegant border. The color is clean, rich, there are two-color varieties - yellow-orange, burgundy and white.
• Dwarf hybrids Twinnie F1, Happy F1, Floral are in demand.

The many faces of antirrinum in garden design

Snapdragon is such a colorful crop that amateur gardeners often have the question of what flowers to combine it with so that the flowerbed does not look flashy. It all depends on personal preferences and the style in which the garden is decorated.

• Mixtures of colors are suitable for mixborders and flower beds in a natural (rustic) style. They can be combined with both bright (zinnia, dahlias) and more modest plants (cosmos, lobularia).
• For compositions in subdued colors, it is better to use a plain antirrinum with a rich burgundy, white, or lavender color.
• Group plantings and tapeworms will perfectly bloom the greenery of the lawn, a garden area with conifers or decorative deciduous perennials.
• Planting dwarf and ampelous forms of snapdragons in closed ground (containers, flowerpots) will become a real decoration of the yard, balcony, gazebo.

Features of growing at home

Snapdragon is a small-seeded crop; the main difficulty in growing it is timely planting and proper care of the sprouts at the initial stage of the growing season. Having grown stronger, the plants have enviable vitality and growth energy, so caring for them does not present any special problems.

Location, soil

When choosing a place for snapdragons in the garden, give preference to sunny places; it is advisable to protect the planting of tall varieties from gusts of wind and drafts. The shadow has a depressing effect on culture. The bush, of course, will not die, but it will bloom less, less often and will not reach its full potential.

The same can be said about the soil. Snapdragon loves loose, nutritious, drainable soil, so if, when planting, you fertilize it with humus, fluff it with peat and regularly loosen it when caring, the grateful plant will respond a hundredfold.

The annual plant is propagated by seeds, although some fans propagate their favorite varieties by cuttings.

Sowing seeds for seedlings

The main charm of snapdragon is its early and long-lasting flowering, but this is only possible when grown through seedlings. Seeds sown immediately in open ground will begin to germinate when stable warm weather sets in, i.e. not earlier than the end of April, but will bloom in the second half of summer; accordingly, the plant will not have time to fully realize its potential.

The optimal sowing time is late February - early March. The soil substrate you need is light, consisting of turf soil, humus and baking powder (peat, vermiculite). Before planting, it is advisable to etch it with a strong solution of potassium permanganate. There are several sowing options.

• Seeds, like petunia and lobelia, are sown on the surface of the soil, lightly sprinkled with vermiculite and sand, and moistened with a spray bottle.
• A layer of snow is placed on top of the prepared soil mixture, and seeds are sown on it. When snow melts, it will draw small grains into the soil.
• Place a damp paper napkin with seeds on a small layer of soil. After pecking, they are sprinkled with a thin layer of soil. Sprinkling is done several times as the seedlings grow.

After sowing, the container is covered with glass or polyethylene and placed in a warm, bright place. The interval from sowing to germination is approximately 2 weeks. When grown for seedlings, snapdragons need picking, and this is the next stage of work.

Advice! After sowing, ventilate the container with the seeds and periodically moisten the substrate, but do not allow it to become soaked. The planting container should be opened once a day for 10–15 minutes. Keep the greenhouse for some time after the seedlings appear, until they get stronger.

Picking seedlings

Snapdragon seedlings of the low-growing and intermediate groups grown from seeds are pricked once, and tall-growing ones - twice. Picking is carried out after the appearance of 2-3 true leaves, replanting not one sprout at a time, but in small groups so that the fragile seedlings support each other. Where can you plant seedlings?

• In a larger container, planting at a distance of 5–6 cm, in separate plastic cups.
• In cassettes for growing, followed by transplantation into peat pots.
• In a diaper. Place a little soil and a seedling on a piece of film and roll it into a roll with an open bottom. Rolls with seedlings are placed on a moist substrate.
• Growing snapdragons in peat tablets has proven itself. You can either pick seedlings in them or immediately sow seeds.

After the transplanted plants begin to grow, they begin to be fed. For these purposes, a weak solution (1 g/l) of complex fertilizer, for example, ammophoska, nitrophoska, is suitable.

Advice! Many people are interested in whether it is necessary to pinch the snapdragon. Yes, for better branching, after 5–6 pairs of leaves appear, the central shoot is cut off above 3–4 pairs. The resulting cutting with two internodes is an excellent cutting that is easy to root by simply sticking it into the soil.

Landing at a permanent place

When the time comes to plant snapdragons outdoors, you will have strong, hardened seedlings, possibly with buds.

Important! To get early abundant flowering, it is advisable to illuminate the seedlings with fluorescent lamps (up to 14–15 hours in total). Lack of light can lead to stretching; this may be the reason why snapdragons do not bloom profusely, but only throw out a few meager clusters.

In the European part of Russia, snapdragons are planted in open ground at the end of May or early June, adhering to the following planting scheme:

• high – after 40–50 cm;
• intermediate – 30 cm;
• short – 20 cm;
• dwarf – 10–15 cm.

Care

Snapdragon requires the most basic care - weeding, regular loosening to enrich the roots with oxygen and retain moisture, and watering. Before flowering, the annual plant is fed several times with complex fertilizers. Tall hybrids need to be tied to a support. To prolong flowering, it is recommended to remove faded brushes, thereby provoking the growth of new lateral flower stalks.

Diseases and pests

When plantings are thickened, waterlogged, or watered with cold water, snapdragons are susceptible to fungal diseases and pest attacks. Most often, the plant is affected by blackleg (in the seedling phase) and rust. To combat infections, in addition to agrotechnical measures, it is recommended to use antifungal drugs (Fitosporin) and promptly remove diseased bushes. An effective method of controlling aphids, mites, and thrips is spraying with insecticides.

Sowing seeds for seedlings:

- a perennial herbaceous plant with large green stems of the Plantain family, grown in our country as an annual. The plant produces many stems. The stems of snapdragon are straight, branched, and vary in height: there are low-growing varieties, only about 20 cm, and there are tall varieties, up to one meter high, forming pyramidal bushes during the growing season. The leaves of snapdragon are elongated, lanceolate or slightly oval green in color, pubescent with thin hairs.

Snapdragon flowers large, irregularly shaped, two-lipped, reminiscent of 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 please you with a wide range of colors: they come in white, pink, yellow and two-tone. In the wild, there are snapdragon species with yellow, blue, and purple flowers.

North America is considered the birthplace of the plant. In Russia, snapdragon has long been popular and is a very common garden plant that decorates flower beds and flower beds. Snapdragon is a wonderful sunny annual that will fill your garden with a pleasant fragrant aroma and 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 soil. The first shoots begin to appear after ten days, but germination of snapdragon seeds can take a whole month. For better germination, cover the container with snapdragon seeds with glass or a plastic bag. As soon as the shoots begin to appear, the film or glass must be removed. For better germination, keep the container with snapdragon seeds at an air temperature not lower than +18 o C. Snapdragon seeds can be sown directly in open ground in May, covering the bed with film or agrospan.

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

Caring for snapdragons in open ground

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 absolutely no open sunny places left, snapdragons can be planted in partial shade. Only the flowering will be delayed a little, it will not be too abundant, the color of the flowers will be more delicate, and not as bright as in the open sun.

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

Don't forget to water the snapdragons. Do not water the next time until the top layer of soil has dried out. To preserve precious moisture, mulch the snapdragon plantings with a layer of freshly cut grass, humus, and rotted sawdust. With severe waterlogging, snapdragons are susceptible to various rots, including root rots.

First feeding snapdragons after transplanting into open ground - no earlier than two to three weeks, so as not to burn the roots of the plant damaged by transplantation. When the plant fully adapts to the open air, new leaves begin to grow, then the first fertilizing with mineral fertilizers can be carried out. It is desirable that fertilizers have a full NPK formula; additional microelements are welcome. The plant especially needs feeding during the flowering period. And a strong, healthy plant can resist diseases and pest attacks.

When grown from seedlings, snapdragons bloom as early as June and continue to bloom until frost. Try to remove faded inflorescences in a timely manner. This procedure greatly extends the flowering period of all plants.

Healing properties of snapdragon

In addition to the fact that snapdragon is very decorative, its flowers can be used in folk medicine. An infusion of snapdragon flowers is drunk for intestinal bloating; it can be used as an additional remedy for certain liver diseases. A mixture of snapdragon flowers, immortelle and corn silk is especially good 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 ulcers on the skin, and boils.

Snapdragon will not only decorate your flower beds and flower beds. It can be used for growing on balconies, terraces, and decorating windows from the outside. Snapdragon flowers make excellent cut flowers.

P.S. Are you renovating your home? Then you just need sealing tape. Sealing tapes with different coatings can be used to waterproof seams and various joints. Having increased elasticity, sealing tapes prevent leaks and cracks of both internal and external surfaces with different slopes. Bituminous waterproofing tape is widely used for sealing window joints; its aluminum layer gives the joint durability and excellent waterproofing. More detailed information can be found on the website of the Illbruck-Nullifire company, which cares not only about waterproofing, but also about the fire protection of the structures of your home.

Images copyright flickr.com: Pterosaur Whisperer, cstgpa, chendri887, Alexandre Hirata, kaiyanwong223, siouxbarrett68, GPN and LGR, Chrisser, Maria*_*, teabag344, Nasaw views, canong2fan, phoebedslr - Back & trying to catch up!! , tanplal, shotlandka, Spidra Webster, Geraldine Curtis, Winterspeak, Boneo, Julaquinte, casillero, Hellebardius, Rainer Fritz, Eric Hunt., secondstar2theright, seaskycoo, Yuzuha, Cheryl Moorehead, Chrissie2003, gerstat, Anna Sunny Day, damien jay, nobuflickr, ranahki, roseyhadlow, klikk1