Plant Bio
Caring for Snapdragons
If you’re growing from seeds, the plants are somewhat slow-growing. As a result, many growers decide to purchase seedlings from nurseries instead. This strategy gives your flowers a fast start, reducing the germination phase where birds may eat the seeds before they have a chance to sprout.
Your snapdragons will do well in growing environments with well-draining soil rich in nutrients. We recommend planting them in direct sunlight, but they will also grow and flower in partially shady flower beds.
If you want to grow thick and bushy plants, we recommend pinching the flowering spike before starting to flower. After the flowers finish blooming, “deadheading” or pinching off the tops of the flowers causes new growth, and you’ll get a second flowering session before the end of the fall.
You’ll find that snapdragons prefer flowering in the cooler conditions of the late spring and early fall. If you live in a cool climate further north, your snapdragons will flower all season.
Don’t expect your snapdragons to survive the winter. They do better as annuals. Even if they survive the winter, they likely won’t return with the same robust growth and flowering the following season. It’s a good idea to pull them out and start again with new seeds or seedlings.
Your snapdragons will form seed pods during the growing season, and they may drop seeds to the flowerbeds. If you’re lucky, these self-sowing seeds may end up flowering, starting a new bed of snapdragons the following growing season.
Soil Conditions for Snapdragons
Your snapdragons will thrive in soil with a pH of between 6.2 to 7.0. The plants love growing in soil conditions rich in nutrients, with good drainage around the roots. If the soil doesn’t drain well, you run the risk of the plant developing root rot.
As short-lived flowers, they don’t require much nutrition during the growing season. Adding fertilizer amendments to the soil is usually unnecessary unless the ground is completely devoid of food for the plant.
Adding some mulch and a bit of manure during the growing season is more than enough to help your snapdragons flower to their potential.
Watering Snapdragons
Snapdragons need plenty of water to thrive. They are thirsty plants, and you need to ensure you keep the soil moist at all times. Leaving the ground to dry out between watering is a mistake, and it could delay or limit the plant’s flowering capacity.
Ensure you water around the base of the plant and avoid wetting the crown to prevent rot from occurring and killing the snapdragon. The plants have a significant water requirement during the germination and seedling stage. However, as established plants, you can get away with around 1-inch of water twice a week.
To check if your snapdragons need water, stick your finger into the soil. If the soil feels dry on your finger after an inch, it’s time to break out the gardening hose for a watering session.