How to Keep Snapdragons Blooming All Summer
Sweet smelling, brightly-colored snapdragons are a favorite of the home gardener, enchanting when planted en masse or in groupings with petunias or other annuals. Snapdragons are available in short, medium and tall varieties, and in a wide palette of both pastels and bold colors. If snapdragons are treated just right, they'll continue to bloom all summer long.
Cut snapdragons often. This is the single most important thing that will keep snapdragons blooming all summer. Deadhead snapdragons by pinching off blooms as soon as they fade. Snapdragons are great for cutting, so bring them inside, put them in a vase, and enjoy them.
- Sweet smelling, brightly-colored snapdragons are a favorite of the home gardener, enchanting when planted en masse or in groupings with petunias or other annuals.
Water snapdragons often to keep them blooming. Water them from the ground, because wetting the foliage can sometimes cause mildew and rust. Keep the area around the plants clean, and don't let plant matter and debris pile up.
Feed snapdragons regularly throughout the growing season to keep them blooming. Use a balanced water-soluble fertilizer, applied according to the manufacturer's directions.
Stake tall varieties of snapdragons to keep them growing upright in windy conditions. Drive the stake into the ground carefully, and connect the snapdragons to the stake with a piece of soft twine. Shorter varieties have sturdy stalks and require no staking.
- Water snapdragons often to keep them blooming.
- Feed snapdragons regularly throughout the growing season to keep them blooming.
Snapdragons Won't Grow
In order to grow and thrive, snapdragons must be planted where they receive the conditions they require. Snapdragons should be situated in rich, moist but well-drained soil and in a spot where they receive full, direct sunlight. In addition to particular soil and sun requirements, snapdragons must receive the proper amount of water to grow. Too much or too little can cause them to under-perform. Spread compost around the soil surrounding the snapdragons, and use a three-pronged, handheld cultivator to work the compost into the soil without disturbing the roots of the flowers. Fertilize snapdragons twice a week switching back and forth between 20-10-20 and 15-0-15 formulas at 150 to 200 parts per million nitrogen.
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References
- Snapdragon's Profile
- Sunset: Antirrhinum Majus
- Missouri Botanical Garden: Antirrhinum Majus
- Fine Gardening: Antirrhinum Majus
- University of Florida IFAS Extension: Antirrhinum Majus Snapdragon
- University of California Cooperative Extension: Snapdragons
- Alabama Cooperative Extension System: Greenhouse Production of Bedding Plant Snapdragons
Writer Bio
M.H. Dyer began her writing career as a staff writer at a community newspaper and is now a full-time commercial writer. She writes about a variety of topics, with a focus on sustainable, pesticide- and herbicide-free gardening. She is an Oregon State University Master Gardener and Master Naturalist and holds a Master of Fine Arts in creative nonfiction writing.
