If you have conceived to diversify the design of your landscape with tall plants with long stems, which would stand out against the background of low-growing compositions, turn your attention to a flower called snapdragon. The material of this article is devoted to the proper planting of these flowers and the basic rules for caring for them.
Botanical description
Snapdragon - semi-shrub or herb with straight, slightly branching thin-stemmed stems, the length of which varies from 10 cm to 1 m. The bush of this plant with its shape resembles a pyramid. The leaves on top are arranged in an alternate order, and those that are placed on the bottom are opposite. Their shape is lancet-like or oblong-oval, the color varies from light green to rich emerald green with reddish stripes. 
Did you know? Snapdragon has found wide application in traditional medicine. Broths, napara, infusions and teas from it are used to treat various diseases of the liver, gastrointestinal tract and respiratory apparatus.The flowers have a pleasant aroma. They are rather large in size and irregular in shape, double-lipped, and can be either terry or simple. Inflorescence - spike. The color of the flowers can be white, pink, yellow, any shade of red. There are also subspecies capable of displaying several colors simultaneously. The fruit is represented by a multi-seeded box, which contains on average 6 thousand seeds.
Familiarize with the groups of snapdragon height bushes.
When planting snapdragon
In order to get the best result, it is worth knowing the time of planting of seedlings in the open ground, or to correctly calculate the time of sowing of seeds, depending on which planting method you prefer. More information about the terms and conditions of disembarkation can be found in this section.
Sowing seeds
Using this method does not guarantee a good result, especially if you live in a cold climate. However, in the southern regions you can try to sow the seeds directly in open ground in mid-April - early May. The seeds of the lion's pharynx are quite cold-resistant and can survive even small night frosts.
Important! Sowing seeds is best done when the average daily air temperature exceeds + 7 ... + 10 ° С. Compliance with this rule is almost a 100% guarantee of their successful germination.
Transplanting
Planting seedlings gives more reliable results, because the plant, while you are caring for it in greenhouse conditions, has time to get a little stronger and increase the vegetative mass, which will further help it to strengthen and continue the process of growth and development. The best time for planting seedlings in open ground is considered to be mid-May - early June. The average daily temperature should be around + 19 ... +22 ° С. Seedlings that have 4–5 true (not cotyledonous) leaves and a formed, strong stem are considered suitable for transplanting into open ground. A prerequisite for successful growth is the absence of signs of disease in the form of blackening of the stem or leaves, twisting of leaves, rusty spots, etc. It will also be useful before planting in a permanent place to harden the seedlings, placing it in the open air for a short time.
How to plant a snapdragon: step-by-step instruction
In general, there is nothing unusual and specific in the process of growing seedlings and transplanting snapdragons into open ground. But there are several nuances on which it is necessary to focus your attention, because even experienced growers sometimes do not know about them because of the relative rarity of this plant in our area. More details about them - below.
Read also about such unusual flowers as sundew, passionflower, nepentes, orchis, hoya, camellia and amorphofallus.
Seed selection
Choosing the right seeds is an essential aspect on which the entire success of a further enterprise depends to a large extent. When choosing seeds, pay attention to the homogeneity of their structure: they should not have loose or dry inclusions; they should resemble poppy grains in consistency.
Important! The seeds of the lion's throat remain viable for only 1-2 years after they have been harvested, so when purchasing seeds, pay attention to the shelf life.
It is also important to weed out dead and empty seeds in advance, as they will prevent healthy seeds from developing into normal plants and can become a source of parasites and diseases. To do this, take a glass of slightly warm water and put the seeds in them: those that settle on the bottom can be used for planting, and those that come up should be thrown away.Sowing the snapdragon
- Prepare boxes with soil before sowing, it is desirable that the soil be of light and loose varieties. Suitable for your needs soil, such as peat substrate, can be purchased at any flower shop. The thickness of the soil layer should be about 10-15 cm.
- Then in the ground with a pencil draw a groove with a depth of 1.5-2 cm, in which it is worth quite a heap of seeds. Accuracy is necessary to increase the likelihood of successful germination. The distance between the grooves should be at least 7-10 cm.
- Next, fill the groove on top of the soil and spill with water so as to soak the top 2/3 of the soil layer.
Seedling care
Plants, until the first shoots, should be covered with a thin glass or plastic wrap. Seedlings should be kept warm, the most comfortable temperature for its normal growth and development is + 22 ... + 24 ° С. It is desirable that the boxes with her got as much sunlight as possible. As an alternative to natural lighting, you can use ultraviolet lamps.
Watering young seedlings should be done as the soil dries 2-3 cm deep. Make sure that the ground is dry enough, you can, if you stick in a box with a finger or a pencil. When the first true leaflets appear on the plant, seedlings can be planted in separate pots. It is especially important to do this if the seedlings come up tightly and the plants do not have enough space for normal development. 
After the development of 4-5 true leaves, the central shoots of each young plant will need to be pinned. The same will need to be done with the side, if you see that they are growing too actively. Starting from the first days of May, it will be useful to temper the seedlings a little, putting it on the balcony or open air for 10-15 minutes.
Transplantation in open ground
The area of constant growth can be shaded or placed in the sun. It is only important to closely monitor that there is no excess groundwater, since the snapdragon has a tendency to develop various fungal diseases. It is not necessary to plant the plant on overly open areas, as under the influence of winds and drafts its flowers will crumble prematurely.
The best soil for snapdragon will be a mixture of peat, sand and compost in the ratio of 1: 1: 1. Planted seedlings should be as follows: tall representatives - at a distance of not less than 0.5 m from each other, medium-sized varieties - every 30 cm, low varieties - with an interval of 20 cm, dwarf - at least 15 cm. 
Transplantation is best done with a lump of earth at the root. The pit for transplantation should be not less than 20 × 20 cm in size. Plants should not be transplanted into the ground, where the snapdragon has been growing for the last 5 years, due to soil fatigue, as well as possible parasite eggs remaining in it and fungi that are characteristic of this plant.
Basic flower care rules
The lion's mouth is quite unpretentious in its care and, in general, is not too different in demandingness from many other representatives of its kind. However, there are some subtleties that you would not hurt to know if you are planning to seriously engage in its breeding.
Soil care
Soil, in which the snapdragon grows, needs regular loosening and removal of weeds. This flower competes very poorly with various weeds, so you have to clear at least 0.5 m of space around it from unwanted plants. 
Did you know? Every nation sees in this plant something of its own. For example, the British call it "snapdragon", because for them it looks like a dragon opening its mouth.Loosening is best done the next day after watering and removing weeds. In the process of performing this procedure, it will not be superfluous to pull out all the roots of the weeds in order to prevent their further reproduction. Do not loosen the soil too deeply, as this may damage the superficially located roots of the flower. It will be enough loosening 3-5 cm deep.
Watering
It is necessary to water this flower only in very dry weather, and even then, if only it has not rained for at least 2 weeks. Water consumption is small - only 3-5 liters under each bush. The only condition for watering is that it cannot be performed at night, because the fungi contained in the upper layers of the soil can become too active during the night in moist soil and cause the disease to develop in the plant.
Learn how to deal with rust, and stop the attack of a false shield.
Fight against diseases and pests
Among the diseases, the snapdragon is most susceptible to the development of rust, septoria, blackleg, and gray or root rot. The only adequate treatment of these diseases will be the immediate destruction of all the affected parts of the plant (if necessary, destroy even the entire shrubs) and the subsequent processing of the remaining flowers with a solution of some fungicide.
Important! When handling chemicals, take all precautions carefully and scrupulously follow the instructions for working with them.Of insects, the plant most often attacks scale insects, caterpillars, fly larvae and various butterflies laying eggs in flowers. To avoid the appearance of such guests on your colors, conduct preventive treatments with solutions of various insecticides or repellents, which are available on the market in a huge range.
How to independently collect the seeds of snapdragon
The seeds of this flower must be harvested in the phase of incomplete ripeness, in order to put them in comfortable conditions in which they can ripen. For this you need to take a long paper bag from under the baguette. Start collecting seeds during the ripening of the fruit at the lower pole of the peduncle. The upper pole of the peduncle needs to be removed, since the fruits placed there are still green, and a packet is put on its lower part and fixed on the stem with a thread.
Collect the seeds of cactus, castor beet, celosia, buzulnik, lithops, hamedoreia, stockroses, thuja, zinnia and alstroemeria.Then the plants with packets on them should be cut and hung upside down in a well-ventilated, dry, warm room so that the ripening seeds fall out into the bag. When all the seeds are poured out, they should be transferred into boxes or paper bags and left stored in a dry place inaccessible to children and animals, at a temperature not lower than + 5 ... + 7 ° С.
So, we hope that this article has helped you learn more about planting and caring for a plant like snapdragon. Do not be afraid to experiment in landscape design, look for new combinations of colors and ensembles, cultivate various plant forms together and separately - this will contribute to the development of your sense of beauty, and your garden will delight not only your family, but also those around you.
