The snapdragon has been cultivated in our gardens for hundreds of years. When planted correctly, it turns out to be a very grateful and easy-care flowering perennial, which also scores with an extremely long flowering period.
How should you plant and care for snapdragons?
To plant snapdragons successfully, choose a location in full sun, lime-free and slightly acidic soil and sow directly into the bed in April or grow them indoors from February. Plant them outdoors from the end of April or beginning of May and remove dead flowers regularly to ensure a long flowering period.
The Location
Snapdragons need a lot of light to produce numerous flowers. Therefore, give the plant a location in full sun. Light partial shade is also tolerated well. Larger varieties require a place protected from the wind so that the flower stems are not broken by gusts of wind.
The substrate
The snapdragon prefers lime-free soil and tolerates both nutrient-poor and slightly acidic substrate well. If the topsoil in your garden is not optimal, you can enrich it with rhododendron soil or alternatively compost soil.
Sowing in the bed
If the snapdragon feels comfortable, it often even exudes itself. From April you can sow the robust plant directly outdoors.
Advance
The advantage of growing indoors is that the offspring have already reached a certain size when they are planted out and will bloom earlier. You can sow snapdragons in cultivation containers as early as February. In a bright place with a temperature of around twenty degrees, the seeds of the cold germinator germinate after one to three weeks.
When to plant
In late April or early May the snapdragon needs to get out into the fresh air. However, if you grow plants indoors, let them get used to the changed outdoor conditions for a few days before moving them to their final location. Any night frosts that may occur will not affect the snapdragon.
How to plant?
Set the snapdragon, like all perennials, about as deep as the pot was. It looks particularly pretty if you plant the perennial in small groups of three to six plants.
The heyday
The first flowers begin to open just a few weeks after planting. From June until well into October, depending on the temperatures, the snapdragon sets new buds.
Tip
So that the snapdragon blooms as long and richly as desired, dead flowers should be cut out regularly.
