Grow cool season snapdragons in the spring and fall and you will enjoy not only the sweetly scented flower but also the bumblebee, hummingbirds and other pollinators.
Snapdragons are flowers that grow best when the weather is
cooler. These cheerful flowers grow
well with pansies and even though they will survive a mild frost they will die
if exposed to snow or extreme cold weather below 25 degrees Fahrenheit.
Here is a photograph of dwarf pink and red snapdragons that I planted with pansies. Photo was captured in early spring.
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| cool season dwarf snapdragons and pansy container garden |
Plant snapdragons by seed in early spring or in the fall
season. Or you can buy snapdragons at your local nursery and transplant the
nursery grown dwarf flowers to a container or tall snapdragon flowers in the
ground The tall snapdragons look fabulous when grown as masses.
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| tall pink snapdragons grown in masses |
For seeds you should start your snapdragon seeds indoors eight
weeks before the last frost. Transplant seedlings when the leaves have
developed and plants are thriving. Remove the tips of the snapdragons once they
have six leaves this will encourage a fuller flower bloom.
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| Cool season snapdragon flowers grow best in full sun and well drained soil |
Snapdragons are classified as an annual in my growing zone. They are perennials in USDA plant hardiness zone 7-10.
Plant snapdragons in a container or in the ground. Choose an area that has full sun. Plant in well-drained soil and space them 8
inches apart. This flower will thrive with repeat blooms when temperature is
average to 60 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit.
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| Snapdragon flowers attract pollinators, bees, hummingbirds and butterflies |
Water snapdragons so that the soil is moist, let it dry out between waterings, but not to the point that soil pulls away from the stem. Check the soil by inserting your finger, push down into the soil about an inch if the soil is dry then water the snapdragons at the soil line and not above. Avoid wetting the flowers and the leaves.
Fertilize the snapdragon flowers throughout the growing blooming season. I fertilize with Miracle-Gro bloom booster. It’s a liquid feed formulated for perennial and annual flowers.
Check your snapdragon flowers daily for dead blooms. Remove spent flowers to encourage more flower blooms.
If you have extremely hot summers try cutting them back and
applying mulch. Continue watering and
hopefully the snapdragon will return in the fall when weather cools.
