The snapdragon has been cultivated in our gardens for hundreds of years. Planted correctly, it proves to be a very rewarding and easy-care flowering perennial, which also scores with an extremely long flowering period.
Snapdragons should be planted in as bright a spot as possible
The site
Snapdragons need a lot of light to form numerous flowers. Therefore give the plant a full sun location. Light penumbra is also well tolerated. Larger varieties need a wind-protected place so that the flower stalks are not broken off by gusts of wind.
The substrate
The snapdragon prefers a lime-free soil and tolerates both nutrient-poor and slightly acidic substrates. If the topsoil in your garden is not optimal, you can enrich it with rhododendron soil or alternatively compost soil.
Sow in the bed
If the snapdragon feels comfortable, it often even velvets itself. From April you can sow the robust plant directly outdoors.
Prefer
Growing indoors has the advantage that the offspring have already reached a certain size when they are planted out and will flower earlier. You can sow snapdragons in seed trays as early as February. The seeds of the cold germinator will germinate after one to three weeks in a bright place with a temperature of about twenty degrees.
When to plant
In late April or early May, the snapdragon says: Get out into the fresh air. However, allow plants grown indoors to get used to the changed outdoor conditions for a few days before moving them to their final location. Any night frosts that may still occur do not bother the snapdragon.
How is it planted?
Put the snapdragon like all perennials about as deep as the pot was. It looks particularly pretty when 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.
tips
In order for the snapdragon to bloom as long and richly as desired, faded flowers should be cut out regularly.