The snapdragon is one of the oldest cottage garden plants and enjoys unbroken popularity because of its robustness and undemanding nature. The flowering plants are completely easy to sow and grow yourself. You can find out how to do this in this guide article.
How do you sow snapdragons yourself?
To sow snapdragons yourself, get seeds from a garden supply store or harvest them after they have bloomed. Direct sowing outdoors takes place from April, while growing indoors requires a few weeks of stratification in the refrigerator. Make sure that snapdragons are light germinators and that the seeds are not completely covered with soil.
Seed procurement
Snapdragon seeds are available in any well-stocked gardening store. If you have already cultivated the plant in your garden, you can harvest the seeds yourself after flowering. Let this dry for a while on kitchen paper and store it in small paper bags in a place protected from light until sowing.
Sowing directly outdoors
From April you can sow the snapdragons directly outdoors. The substrate should be rich in humus and well loosened so that the seeds germinate without any problems. Since the snapdragon is a light germinator, they must not be covered with soil, or at least very thinly. Spread a net over the seeds to protect them from hungry birds.
Moving forward in the house
If you want to make sure that as many seeds as possible sprout, we recommend growing snapdragons indoors. Since the snapdragon is a cold germinator, self-collected seeds must be stratified beforehand. Therefore, put the seeds mixed with a little sand in the refrigerator for a few weeks. Then do the following:
- Fill the cultivation containers with special cultivation soil (€6.00 on Amazon) and press down lightly.
- Spread seeds over the surface but do not cover them with soil.
- Wet carefully with a sprayer. Make sure that the seeds are not washed away.
- Place in a bright location where temperatures are between 15 and 20 degrees.
- To create an artificial greenhouse climate, it is recommended to put a hood or a transparent plastic bag over the container.
- Keep evenly moist.
Under these conditions, the snapdragon often germinates after just a week. If you don't lose your patience, no green tips will appear. Sometimes the snapdragon takes its time and only germinates after about three weeks.
The plants can be transplanted outdoors from the beginning of May. However, in very rough areas you should wait until after the Ice Saints, as late ground frosts could damage the young plants.
Tip
If the snapdragon feels comfortable in its location, it often extirpates itself. It even thrives wildly between stones, in front of dry house walls and in unplanted places in the flowerbed.