Snapdragon (Latin Antirrhinum) or antirrinum, is a genus of herbaceous plants of the family Podzornikovye, covering about 50 species of perennials, including climbers. The plant is a half-shrub or herbaceous plants with straight, branchy green thin-stemmed stems from 15 cm to one meter in height, forming pyramidal shrubs.

The upper leaves of the lion's pharynx are alternate, the lower ones are opposite, in shape they are oblong-oval or lanceolate, the color varies from light green to dark green with red veins. The flowers are fragrant, rather large, irregular, double-lipped, depending on the variety, simple or double, collected in spike-shaped inflorescences, are painted in white, yellow, pink, pale-yellow, all shades of red, but there are also two-colored and even three-colored varieties. The fruit is a two-capsule multi-seeded box. The flowering of the lion's throat begins, usually in June and ends with the first frost.

Most often, perennial snapdragon in nature is grown as an annual plant in horticulture, but with good care and favorable conditions, the cold-resistant snapdragon can successfully overwinter in the garden and bloom for the next year more beautiful. In garden design, the antirrinum is grown as a border plant, although snapdragon looks good on a flowerbed and planted in groups against a green lawn. Often the snapdragon is used to decorate balconies and terraces. Of particular interest among florists today are the amulet forms of snapdragons, which can be grown in suspended structures to decorate terraces and galleries.

Snapdragon growing from seed

The lion's pharynx reproduces in generative and vegetative ways. The seeds of the lion's throat retain the ability to germinate for several years. If you live in a warm climate, you can grow a snapdragon from seeds, sowing them directly into the ground, and they will sprout after two and a half or three weeks, having survived even a slight night cooling, which is common in spring, but in areas where it is warm. comes gradually, it is better to use the seedling method of growing snapdragons.

Unpretentious flowers of an original form with the long term of blossoming the most welcome guests on a garden site and street flowerbeds. These qualities, as well as an amazing variety of colors, made the snapdragon one of the most popular plants used for planting various areas. In this article we will talk about planting, reproduction, caring for this plant.

Legend

About the flower snapdragon (antirrinum) has been known since ancient times. Mention of him can be found in the myths of ancient Greece - in a cycle narrating the exploits of Hercules. The myth tells how he defeated the terrible who lived near the town of Nemei, kidnapped children and animals. Having admired the feat of Hercules and in memory of this event, the goddess Flora created a flower resembling the lion's mouth, called the snapdragon. Goddess Flora gave this flower to Hercules. Ever since then in Greece it has been accepted by the heroes of the soldiers to give this particular flower.

Spread

In the wild, this plant can be found in Europe, the North American continent. It grows a lot in the Mediterranean. Currently, more than 50 types of wild anti-rinum are known. In our country on the territory of Siberia and in the middle lane you can often see a wild flaxweed, a kind of snapdragon. For the first time in the gardens, he appeared in the XVI century, in 1587 in the books there is mention of large anti-rinume as the only cultivated plant.

Story

German gardeners became interested in the very first plant, and they started breeding. Later their colleagues from other European countries joined them. To date, there are more than one thousand varieties of antirrinum.

Description

Antirrinum should be attributed to perennial herbaceous plants belonging to the family Podorozhnikovye. But in countries with frosty winters, it is grown as an annual. Strong branching plant has a pyramidal shape, can be found in the form of a single bush. The leaves are usually lanceolate green in various shades (from light to dark). Flowers have very long buds, which can range from 5 to 60 centimeters. In a number of varieties, they have the shape of a pyramid. At the beginning of flowering, the lowest pair of flowers blooms, gradually it moves upwards. Each subsequent couple blooms a week after the previous one. Each pair of flowering lasts for two weeks, and the flowering period of the entire plant is 3-4 months. The fruit of the plant is a multi-seeded capsule, from 500 to 800 seeds.

The flowers of the lion's throat can be double and simple, with an open or closed corolla, they resemble the open mouth of a lion. Flowering time is very long, lasts from the beginning of summer to late autumn. The color of antirrhinum is diverse. There are almost all colors and shades, except black and blue. Petals are bicolor and tricolor.

Types of antirrhinum

All varieties of snapdragon are divided into four groups, which are divided by the size of the stem. The variety of varieties and colors offers gardeners a huge selection of colors of the right size and the right color. Their size can be from twenty centimeters to one meter.

Dwarf

The antirrinum of this species grows no more than 25 centimeters. Used for growing in pots, vases and balconies. Compact bright bushes gardeners often planted in rockeries, they look good as curbs.

Low and medium

The lion's mouth of these species is most often grown for the decoration of flower beds, to create flower arrangements with other flowers. The growth of a low-growing plant is 40, and the average - 40-60 centimeters.

Tall and gigantic

A tall plant grows at least 60 centimeters. Giant view of antirrhinum has a height of at least 80 centimeters. The peculiarity of these species is that they practically do not branch, they need to make support.

Ampel

Antirrinum of ampelous variety will look very impressive in the garden, which has buildings with columns. He will be able to decorate them with extraordinarily beautiful, falling down flower garlands.

Like all flowers, antirrinum has different ripening terms:

  • early flowering dates - from June;
  • middle - in early July;
  • late - to the beginning of August.

Snapdragon: growing from seed when planted

Antirrinum propagated by seeds and cuttings. Seeds can be sown in open ground (in warm climates) and through seedlings. In the latter case, the sowing of seeds produced in March.

The plant does not like to grow on peat and clay soils. For growing seedlings it is preferable to use a mixture of fertile soil (compost can be) and river sand in the calculation of one to one.

Snapdragon landing and care

For sowing it is very convenient to use plastic containers with a lid. You can take a disposable plastic cups and sow them in several seeds (no more than 2-3). When seedlings appear, seedlings do not thin out, but leave to grow a bush.

Before planting, the tank is filled with suitable soil, well moistened. Seeds of antirrhinum are very small, so when sowing, you can use the following techniques:

  1. Snow is poured onto the surface of the substrate with a thin layer and sown on it.
  2. Combine the seeds with fine sand, which also simplifies the process.

Seedlings care

After sowing, the seeds are sprinkled on top of a thin layer of earth (a sieve can be used) and moistened with a spray bottle. Top cover or cover the film. Seeds with germination require high humidity and a temperature of 23-25 ​​° C. The soil must be kept moist, avoiding drying out.

With proper care, the seedlings of the lion's pharynx, when grown from seed, appear 10-15 days after sowing. As soon as sprouts appear, the container should be moved to a more lighted place, otherwise the seedlings may stretch. The film should be removed a few days after the shoots appear.

At first, plants grow rather slowly, but do not worry. Watering at this time should be very moderate. If a black leg is found in a plant, it must be removed immediately, and it is recommended to sprinkle the soil with crushed activated charcoal or wood ash. For any kind of rot, you should use the drug "Fitosporin" in the amount of 10 drops per liter of water.

Picking

When the seedlings of lion's pharynx (in the photo) have the second pair of true leaves, it is time to begin diving. This procedure should be carried out with special care not to damage the delicate roots. For plants, choose containers with a diameter of not more than 10 cm, focusing on the variety, it is impractical to use spacious pots. Before planting (per day), the soil is not moistened, it is necessary for easier extraction of seedlings with a good earthy clod. Seedling first spread on a flat surface, make a recess in the pot and put the seedling in it.

Experts advise to conduct two picks of snapdragon. The first is in the phase of the second pair of true leaves, and the second after 30 days. When the plants reach 10 centimeters, experienced growers recommend pinching the top. This contributes to the emergence of new lateral shoots, which in the end will give a larger number of stems and the flower will be more lush.

In that case, if you get ready seedlings, you need to pay attention to its following qualities: the leaves should be a juicy green, not too thin stem. But it is especially important that the plant has a developed root system.

Landing

Consider the features of planting and care of snapdragons (with photos) in the ground. You need to know that when breeding different varieties and their close to each other planting, cross-pollination is possible, in which new plants for the next year (when collecting and planting these seeds) will differ significantly from their parents. In the ground should plant a snapdragon, when the threat of spring frost has passed. Depending on the region, the planting takes place from the first days of May to the middle of June.

The most suitable soil for antirrinum is considered loam and sandy soil with good water and air permeability. If you want to get a more magnificent and long flowering, then in the ground should be added:

  • complex fertilizer for flowers (Art. spoon), or nitrophoska;
  • peat (1 kg per square meter);
  • humus (3-4 kg);
  • wood ash (1 tbsp per square meter).

The soil is well digged and loosened. In the garden for planting flower snapdragons, the place is chosen the most light, the dark does not fit at all - the plants will not bloom. In the penumbra there is less fluffy, poor flowering.

It is best to carry out transplantation in the evening or overcast weather. For different varieties when planting there are different intervals between plants:

  • dwarf varieties - 15x15 cm;
  • low grades - 20x20 cm;
  • medium - 30x30 cm;
  • high - from 40 centimeters.

In a pot prepared beforehand, the plants from the pot are released along with the earthy clod. It is necessary to deepen a flower up to cotyledon leaves. The earth around the plants with the help of palms is slightly compacted and poured over with water.

Flower care in the summer

To preserve moisture in the soil and better flowering, antirrinum bushes must be mulched. As a covering material it is best to use straw, sand, sawdust. The flower does not like drought, but with excess moisture begins to hurt. Therefore, watering should be regular, but moderately. Watering the plant is better at the root in the morning: it will help to avoid diseases associated with improper watering.

After 25-30 days after the flower of the snapdragon was planted in the ground, it must be fed with complex fertilizer for annual garden flowers. Top dressing must be done regularly throughout the summer. The interval between them should be 2-3 weeks.

When planting in heavy soil, in order to achieve good plant growth, it is necessary to carry out not only timely feeding, but also loosening, tying up high species. Loosening protects the root system from disease and leaching. Tying can prevent the death of tall bushes in windy weather.

If you pinch the main and side shoots of the second order, significantly increase the pomp of the bush. If the antirrinum does not bloom, it is necessary to cut the longest shoots and its flowering will resume. To make it longer, buds that have already faded should be removed.

Cold resistance

The snapdragon is able to withstand small sub-zero temperatures (up to -4), then acquiring its original appearance. Therefore, you can admire the luxurious flowering until frost.

Cut

To use cut flowers, you need to shoot them before they bloom. In this case, a bouquet of snapdragons at home can be stored for a long time.

Healing properties

Antirrinum is a very ornamental plant, but its flowers are also successfully used in traditional medicine. Infusion of its flowers is used for intestinal swelling, some liver diseases. During the recovery period after hepatitis, it is good to use a mixture of immortelle flowers, snapdragon and corn stigmas. Infusion of antirrhinum is used for dyspnea, dropsy and severe headaches. Outwardly used infusion of this flower for hemorrhoids, boils, open ulcers on the skin.

Popular varieties of antirrinum

Breeders deduced a huge number of varieties of snapdragon. Photos of flowers and a description of the most famous of them present below:

  1. Madame Butterfly. Srednerosly grade, inflorescences large, terry, unusually bright, of all existing shades, are collected in high dense brushes.
  2. Rainbow. It grows up to 40 centimeters. It has a large abundance of colors of various shades.
  3. Scarlett. Bush height up to 60 centimeters. Inflorescences of red juicy color, gathered in high pyramidal brushes. The grade is frost-resistant, is perfectly combined with perennials in flower compositions.
  4. Tom Tamb. Refers to dwarf species. Original variety with colors of inflorescences of pastel colors and shades.
  5. Russian size. The grade intends for cutting, reaches 160 centimeters. Flowers of large sizes, usually two or three shades, with dense inflorescences.
  6. Lampion F1. Completely unique variety of ampelno species. Used for hanging pots, grown on balconies and loggias. The leaves are dark with a silvery shade.
  7. Black Leaf. Small neat bushes. Inflorescences have a variety of colors of flowers, the leaves are dark, almost black.

Popular mixes are different (set of seeds with different colors). Most varieties of snapdragon (photo) have several color options. You can buy them as mixes or separately.

Seed collection

The collection of seeds of lion pharynx should be carried out while they are not fully ripe. To collect you need to prepare a long paper bag. Choose the desired instance, cut off his top, where the fruits have just begun ripening. A paper bag is put on the remaining stem, which is tied down below the fruit, and then the stem is cut. The paper bag is inverted and stored in a dry, ventilated area until the seeds mature. As soon as the seeds are ripe, they are poured from the seed box into a bag. After that, they are laid out in boxes or bags and stored for storage in a cool room with an air temperature of 5-10 ° C.

Diseases and pests

Antirrinum is subject to the following diseases: gray rot, rust, septoria, black leg. The treatment of a plant for these diseases is complex and time consuming. Flowering during this period stops completely and the flower does not have time to fully bloom again. Therefore, diseased plants should be pulled out of the soil and burned. The contaminated soil is treated with a fungicide.

For flowers such insects are dangerous, which can lay eggs in flowers or leaf axils. These can be various flies, scale insects, caterpillars and butterflies. In order to prevent this, one should observe a number of rules:

  • do not plant seedlings at close range from each other;
  • remove damaged plants immediately;
  • prevent overmoistening of the soil;
  • produce watering at the root, not allowing water to fall on the leaves.

After flowering is over, all plants are harvested and burned to remove possible pests, they dig up the plot.

Snapdragon, or antirrinum, is one of the most beloved garden flowers in Europe. Gardeners in it attracts everything: a variety of colors, the ability to choose the right size for flowerbeds and rabatok, the originality of the flower shape, the presence of terry varieties, simplicity and long flowering time, excellent compatibility with other ornamental plants and flowers.

History of snapdragon

The lion's mouth is known since antiquity. Mention of him is found already in ancient Greek myths in a cycle about the exploits of Hercules. The myth of the Nemean lion tells how this hero defeated a terrible lion who lived near the city of Nemea and kidnapped children and animals. The goddess Flora, admiring the feat of Hercules, created an amazing flower in memory of this event, resembling the mouth of a lion. She gave him the appropriate name - snapdragon.

In the wild, the snapdragon is ubiquitous in the North American continent, in Europe, in North Africa. Especially a lot of it grows in the Mediterranean. About 50 species of wild lion's pharynx are known. In the Middle Belt and in Siberia we often see wild flaxfish, a kind of snapdragon. North America and Southern Europe are considered his homeland.

It appeared in the gardens in the 16th century, and already in 1567 a large antirrinum was mentioned in one of the books - the only cultural species of snapdragon.

This flower was the first interested flower growers in Germany.  They began breeding work, then these experiments were actively continued by their colleagues from almost all European countries. And in the end now there are already about 1000 varieties of snapdragon.

Flower name

In many countries, this plant was given its name. The French call it "Wolf's mouth", the British - "Biting Dragon", Ukrainians - "Sponges".

The shape of the flower is very peculiar - it resembles two lips. If you slightly press down the flower at the base, the upper lip will begin to rise, as if the lion's mouth will open. Hence its main name. True, in most parts of Russia, it is called the Dog, because the flower, because of its size, resembles a funny little face of a dog, rather than the formidable mouth of a lion.

Botanical description of the plant snapdragon

Snapdragon - perennial plant. In countries with cold winters, in the north of Russia and in Scandinavia, it grows as an annual. The plant is a highly branched shrub that has a pyramidal shape or a single stem. The leaves have a lanceolate shape. They are dark and light green.

Flowers are collected in very long inflorescences, from 5 to 60 cm, in many varieties they have, like the stem, the shape of a pyramid. First, lower flowers bloom, then flowering goes up. Each new pair of flowers opens about a week after the previous one. They hold for two weeks. All inflorescence blooms about 3-4 months.

The color of the snapdragon is incredibly diverse.  It has almost all the tones and shades. There are two-color and tricolor versions of flowers. Snapdragon does not have only black and blue and blue tones and shades. The most common pink, white, purple and yellow tones. Rare green and light green are still popular.

The fruit is a multi-seed box, which can contain from 5,000 to 8,000 seeds.

The most popular varieties of snapdragon, mixes and flower photos



Breeders brought a large number of varieties. The following are especially known today:

  • Madame Butterfly  - refers to mid-varieties, flowers terry, bright, of all existing tones, large, gathered in dense high brush;
  • Rainbow  - grows to 40 cm, is characterized by an abundance of flowers of all shades;
  • Scarlett  - bushes grow up to 60 cm, juicy red flowers are collected in high pyramidal brushes, it is wonderfully combined with perennials, it easily tolerates frosts;
  • Tom Tamb  - original dwarf variety with delicate pastel shades of flowers;
  • Russian size- designed mainly for cutting, grows up to 160 cm in height, the flowers are very large, two or three shades, dense inflorescences;
  • Lampion F1- a unique ampelnoe grade for suspended cache-pots and balcony boxes, leaves dark, happen with a silvery shade;
  • Black Leaf  - compact bushes with various color of flowers and dark, almost black leaves.

Throat snap has a large number of varieties

Various mixes are also popular - sets of seeds with different colors or different shades. flowers. Most varieties have several color options. They are sold both in the form of mixes, and each option separately. So, for example, the lion's mouth High, possessing magnificent decorative qualities, is packed separately on coloring. These are monophonic flowers - red, white, yellow.

The lion's mouth dwarf happens both monophonic coloring, and two-color. In this case, you can purchase bags of seeds of the same color and mixture. The choice depends on the goal. So, for large loggias, where there are several boxes with a lion's throat, it is better to plant flowers of a certain color in each box, and for small balconies, where not to install more than one box, the mix will be more suitable. It is also preferable in the event that the snapdragon grows in boxes with other colors.

Classification of snapdragon

Snapdragon is classified according to the height and duration of flowering

Snapdragon is classified according to height and duration of flowering.

According to the height of the bush plants are:

  • giants, up to 160 cm, are grown for bouquets and creating a background for other plants in group plantings, need a garter;
  • tall, up to 120 cm tall; they, as a rule, weakly branch, inflorescences are dense, large, begin to bloom in the second half of July, mostly bouquet varieties;
  • medium, up to 60 cm; well branched, inflorescences are not lower than those of high varieties, but the density of flowers is less, they bloom in June;
  • low, up to 40 cm; active blooms, inflorescences loose, but individual flowers are very large;
  • dwarf, up to 20 cm, strongly branched, inflorescences are low and small branches, bloom from early summer to frost, it is these plants have the most incredible colors.

The time division of flowering is traditional, as in all colors:

  • early timing of flowering, the first flowers are revealed in June;
  • medium, not earlier than the beginning of July;
  • later, flowers appear closer to August.

Growing snapdragon seedlings and seedless way

Basically, snapdragon grow seedlings, but can be without seedlings

Snapdragons are grown mainly through seedlings. It should be borne in mind that the higher the plants, the longer they grow before flowering. Thus, the lion's mouth of high varieties is sown at the end of February, medium and low in March, and the dwarf lion's mouth can have time to grow even if it is sown in mid-April.

Seeds are so small that they are not buried, but simply spread on the surface groundAfter pre-moisturizing it well. It is better if it is garden land with the addition of coarse sand. To smooth out the seeds, they can first be mixed with wet sand, and then put this mixture on the ground. In any variant of planting, it is worth slightly moistening the seeds spread on the surface with a spray bottle.

Capacity cover with glass or film so that the soil does not dry out quickly. Condensate that accumulates on the film and glass, you have to constantly clean, the seedlings must often be aired. The optimum temperature for germinating seeds is 20-22 degrees.

Shoots begin to appear after about 10 days. They should immediately be put on the sunny window. The less sun the seedlings receive, the poorer the flowering of adult plants will be. But from the bright midday sun, seedlings should be attracted.

After 20-25 days, grown seedlings are planted in large crates or in peat pots. At the same time observe caution, trying not to damage the roots. It is better to dig a plant with as much ground as possible. After seven days, you can make the first dressing. To do this, take any complex fertilizer for flowering plants.

Plants reaching 10 cm pinch over the fifth leaf to get a more lush bloom. This is done only for tall and medium-sized plants.

Snapdragon can be grown and seedless way. In this case, the seeds are sown in early May, directly into the ground. But this way you can grow only dwarf, short and medium tall varieties. They will begin to bloom a little later grown through seedlings.

Snapdragon can multiply and self-sowing. If the winter was mild and snowy, and the plants of the last year were not destroyed, then they can spend the winter under the snow and start growing in early spring. In this case, large lush, flowering bushes are obtained.

Care for lion throat in the open field

Before planting a lion's mouth, the bed is fertilized with manure and humus

In the open ground, the snapdragon begin to land in mid-May. Even if a small frost occurs at this time, up to 3-4 degrees frost, the plants will transfer it.

Pre-cook the bed, make humus, a small amount of organic fertilizer and peat. The earth should be light, nutritious. Snapdragon prefers the sun, but grows in a small penumbra. But he does not like raw, poorly drained places.

Tall plants are seated at a distance of 40-50 cm from each other, sredneroslye 30-35 cm, undersized after 20 cm, and dwarf in 15 cm. It is necessary to plant seedlings in a well-moistened ground.

Caring for planting snapdragons during the summer is as follows:

  • watering in dry weather;
  • regular weeding;
  • fertilization, for example, nitrophoska or complex fertilizers, every two weeks;
  • in case the flowering has noticeably decreased, then it is worth cutting the plants a little to provoke a new wave of flowering;
  • constantly monitor the condition of the plants and, if necessary, start the fight against diseases and pests in time.

The snapdragon can bloom almost until October, unless there is a strong frost.

Diseases and pests of snapdragon

For the flower snapdragon dangerous not only caterpillars but many other insects

The plant can infect septoria, gray mold, blackleg, rust. It is very difficult to cure a plant, besides it takes a lot of time to do this: the plant will stop flowering during the illness and will not have time to fully bloom again. therefore affected plants pulled out of the ground and burned.  The place where they grew up is treated with a fungicide.

For the lion's mouth, insects are dangerous, which can lay in the flower or the axils of the egg leaves. These are different flies, caterpillars, butterflies, scale insects. In order not to lose the plants, you must observe the following rules:

  • planting seedlings not too close to each other,
  • promptly remove affected specimens,
  • avoid overmoistening of the soil,
  • water under the root, trying to keep water from falling on the leaves.

After flowering, they dig up the plot, before that the plants are pulled out and burned to destroy possible pests.

Collecting seed of lion's throat

Seeds are harvested when they are not fully ripe. To collect take a long bag of paper. On the selected plant is cut the top, where the fruits are just beginning to mature. Then on the remaining stem put on the package, tied below the fruit and cut the stem. The bag is turned over and hung in a dry, well-ventilated room so that the seeds ripen. When ripe, the seeds are poured out of the boxes into the package. Then they are laid out in bags or in a box and stored until spring. It is better if this occurs at a temperature of 5-10 degrees heat, in a dry room.

The use of snapdragons for decoration gardens and balconies

Snapdragons are used for dockers balconies, gardens, curbs and many other

Low-growing varieties are widely used for borders. At the same time plants are planted as one shade, and the most different tones. Middle-grade varieties look good in flowerbeds in the second - third row. Tall can be a background for other plants.

Besides, tall snapdragon - a beautiful flower to create bouquets. He stands in the cut up to two weeks.

Plants of any height are used to create separate groups in flower beds and rabatkah. Snapdragon is combined with chrysanthemums: bright flowers of snapdragon look great against the background of white chrysanthemums. Groups of lion's pharynx successfully alternate with cinnenaria, sea alissum.

Snapdragon looks good in plantings, where kosmeya, cornflowers, clarke, and escholtsia grow in tandem. Original landing, when srednerosly snapdragon is the center of the composition, and lower ageratums, alissums are planted around it.

This plant is suitable for mixborders and flowerpots in front of buildings and near shrubs in the alleys.

Snapdragons are used to decorate the terraces, porch. Dwarf and undersized varieties are grown for balcony boxes, they are planted in pots. Now there are ampelous varieties that perfectly decorate the balconies.

The lion's pharynx is planted in pots for decorating the premises. To do this, not only stunted varieties are used, but also medium-tall and tall. They will bloom for a long time, considering that these are perennial plants, and it is warm in the rooms. You can keep plants in pots and in the winter, creating certain conditions for them - the temperature is not higher than 15 degrees.

Medicinal properties of snapdragon

In Germany, since ancient times it was believed that this plant scares away the black forces, and it was dried and worn in medallions on the chest. In the countries of the East it was used as an effective antidote for poisoning with many poisons.

In folk medicine, it is used for liver diseases and intestinal discomfort. In industry, snapdragon juice is used in ointments and cosmetic creams.

In conclusion, I would like to draw your attention to the video material, in which you will visually see how to plant a snapdragon in open ground, we wish you a pleasant viewing.

The most beautiful among annuals, the snapdragon flower is rightly very much in demand in ornamental gardening, and planting and caring for it have some peculiarities. Is this one-year frost afraid of spring? Do I need to pinch it? When sowing snapdragon in open ground or better to grow seedlings - let's deal with all these issues a little bit.

Varieties and types of snapdragon

Antirrinum or snapdragon (Antirrhínum) belongs to the family of norichnikovs. This perennial plant comes from the Mediterranean, but in our latitudes it is cultivated as an annual. The stems of antirrhinum branch well, forming a compact bush, whose height ranges from 15 to 100 cm. The flowers of the lion's pharynx are large, irregular in shape, externally resembling an open mouth. For this feature, the plant is popularly called "dogs." Bright and fragrant, they are collected in racemes. The color of the annual is diverse and depends on the type of antirrynum. The most popular white, yellow, red and purple flowers.

To date, breeders managed to bring more than 800 varieties of popular plants, which are divided into 15 groups. Among them are:

  • tall varieties that reach 130 cm in height;
  • high varieties up to 90 cm;
  • medium plant species up to 60 cm;
  • undersized varieties up to 45 cm;
  • dwarf forms up to 25 cm.

All tall varieties have one distinctive feature - the main stem of the plant rises above the 1st order stems, forming the main peduncle with large inflorescences.

Sredneroslye forms of antirrinum branch well and differ in terms of flowering. Among them are the early and late varieties of the annual.

Stunted species of lion's pharynx have a spherical shape with a lot of stems; they form compact bushes, but their flowers are noticeably smaller than those of tall relatives.

All varieties of anti-rinum are divided into several classes:

  • Cutting types are tall varieties with large flowers that do not lose their decorative qualities for a long time. One of them is the Admiral variety.
  • Creeping species - these include stunted and dwarf forms of plants that have a long flowering period and form a compact bush, such as "Scarlet", "Carmine" or "Laylek."
  • Universal species are medium-grown varieties that are distinguished by brighter colors and a variety of transitional shades that form a small shrub with a large peduncle and large flowers. Such plants look good in cutting and remain attractive for a long time. The duration of flowering annual over 3.5 months. To this type can be attributed varieties "Torch", "Day and Night."

Snapdragon flowers: planting and care, photos in the garden

Location

The snapdragon is a rather light-loving plant, and with a lack of heat, it retards its growth and seed ripening. It tolerates light frosts up to -5 degrees.

It is possible to grow an annual on any soils, but it is noticed that it grows better on light fertile lands. To pick up a place for planting in the garden you need a sunny, protected from cold winds.

Growing from seed

Antirrinum is grown as an annual planting seeds for seedlings or directly into the ground. These methods have several advantages.

Sowing seeds in the ground  - This method is suitable for flower growers who can monitor crops - who lives at this time in the country, or who has their own home. Sowing in the soil at first glance seems to be less laborious, but the percentage of plant survival depends heavily on care. Sow seeds in the soil in late autumn or spring in April. This is a fairly cold-resistant annual plant, as already mentioned, shoots withstand temperatures down to -5 °.

Seeds are sown directly on a bed, not sprinkling them with earth. Since the seeds of the lion's mouth are very small, they are recommended to be mixed with sand for uniform sowing. The bed for sowing should be cleaned of weeds that choke young shoots. At emergence of shoots the plant needs regular weeding and accurate watering.

The grown seedlings thin out, leaving 20 cm between them. The flowering of plants grown in this way begins much later, it falls on the middle of summer and is shorter due to possible early frosts.

Sowing seeds for seedlingsit starts from the beginning of February and continues until the beginning of April. Grown seedlings bloom in early May-June. The process of growing seedlings has its own characteristics that every gardener needs to know:

  1. Seeds are sown in light, moist soil without sprinkling with earth. For germination they need light and heat. The optimum temperature for seed germination is from 22 to 25 degrees.
  2. For normal development, the plant needs light. If sowing is done in February, then it is necessary to organize the lighting of seedlings. Planted in March - April, seedlings do not need additional lighting. This is due to the length of daylight, which has been gradually increasing since March. For successful cultivation of seedlings need lighting on cloudy days.
  3. With the advent of the first shoots, you need to open the greenhouse and monitor the level of soil moisture. Excessive moisture or dryness is detrimental to young seedlings. At high humidity, plants are affected by the black leg. For the prevention of disease, seedlings are sprayed with a solution of biostimulants: Epin-Extra, Novosil, Zircon. At the first sign of infection, damaged plants are removed.
  4. With the advent of the first pair of true leaves, you should pick the seedlings into separate containers, which will ensure the proper development and formation of the root system.
  5. To form a bush, it is necessary to nip the seedlings over the third - fourth pair of leaves.
  6. Before planting seedlings in the garden it is necessary to harden it. For this capacity with seedlings carried out on the street during the day. Landing in the garden is carried out only with the onset of warm weather, as a rule, at the end of May.

We, in turn, prefer to do without picking even such plants with tiny seeds, therefore we sow antirrinum on seedlings into peat tablets. The grown seedlings then only thin out:

Planting a lion's mouth in the ground

Partially flowering seedlings are planted in the garden. For abundant flowering choose an open sunny place. It is advisable to fertilize the land before planting with peat and add sand for looseness. Between plants leave 20-30 cm for comfortable growth. Depending on the variety, the distance may be longer.

Care for antirrinum

The lion's mouth is a fairly unpretentious plant, all care for it comes down to regular watering, weeding, protection from pests and diseases. At the same time it is necessary to ensure that the plant is not flooded, which will lead to diseases of the roots and further death. It is possible to provide the necessary level of soil moisture by mulching the soil with sawdust or peat.

Top dressing of annual

A healthy and beautiful flower can be obtained even on poor soils, by systematically feeding the plant. The first feeding should be carried out not earlier than two weeks after planting the seedlings in the garden. Further fertilization is carried out every two weeks throughout the growing season. For these purposes, suitable weak solutions of weed infusion, bird droppings or infusion of mullein.

Breeding

To preserve varieties and further cultivation of snapdragon in the area it must be properly propagated. This is done in several ways:

  • grafting;
  • sowing seeds.

Cutting antirrinum need in the spring, slicing young cuttings from the mother plant, which overwinter indoors. Rooted shoots are planted in the garden at the end of May. Plants obtained in this way, enter flowering earlier than normal, and have a long flowering period.

To collect the seeds choose large and healthy specimens. The seeds of the lion's pharynx are small, and in order for them not to dissipate on their own, the seed box is tied with a cotton cloth and the seeds mature. Store seeds better in a cool room for no longer than 3 years.

Diseases and pests of snapdragon

Very often, seedlings of crops are affected by fungal diseases:

  • fusarium;
  • blackleg;
  • rust;
  • septoria

To prevent and combat diseases, damaged plants are sprayed with biologics with repeated treatments after a few days.

Antirrinum is susceptible to pests that eat buds, spoil the leaves and stems of the plant. Frequent pests are various types of scoops. Their butterflies lay their eggs on weeds, and the born larvae creep on the plant and damage it. For prophylaxis, regular weeding and weed control are carried out near the snapdragon. Affected plants are sprayed with biologics and infusions, conducting several treatments.

Snapdragon in landscape design (photo)

In gardening design using different varieties and types of snapdragons. A wide variety of varieties and bright colors made it one of the leading annuals.

Dwarf and low-growing forms of plants look good on flower beds, flower beds, of which are borders or colored spots on the lawn. Some annuals can be grown in balcony boxes and planters. Tall varieties of anti-rinum are mainly cut and retain their decorative qualities for up to 2 weeks. Peduncles are part of many flower arrangements.

These are some laudatory reviews about anti-rinums - these long-flowering annuals are painfully beautiful. Try to grow flowers and snapdragons in your garden, and soon see for yourself that planting and caring for them, although they require some skill, are quite capable of any gardener.

You can add variety to the landscaping of the dacha by using cute flowers with a royal name snapdragon (antirrinum). The plant got its unusual name due to the shape of the petals that look like a lion's open mouth. Many of these flowers are remembered by the name "dog."

The dwarf type of flowers reaches a height of only 20-25 cm, and a tall one is 1 m. The columns in the garden are beautifully decorated with ampel varieties. Outwardly, it looks like falling waterfalls of flowers. The plant is often added to. Snapdragon unpretentious and bloom until frost. It is grown from seed, sown on seedlings in March-April, depending on the climatic conditions of the area.

Drainage holes should be placed in transplanting containers, a layer of river sand should be poured to the bottom, then mixed fertile soil with sand should be leveled, moistened with water from a spray bottle. Since the seeds of the lion's mouth are very small, for the convenience of planting they are mixed with sand and spread over the surface of the moistened soil. Top cover with a transparent film or glass and put on a bright place, where the temperature is 22-23 ° C. Daily crops open for ventilation and remove condensate from the shelter. After 2 weeks, sprouts appear, the planting is immediately removed from the bright light, and after 3-4 days, when the seedlings begin to ascend in large quantities, remove the shelter.

The percentage of germination of seeds of lion's pharynx is high, so if they do not germinate, it means that the storage process was violated or the shelf life has expired. Pay attention to the packaging before buying, its appearance, so that there are no signs of damage, check the expiration date.

Seedling care

Water the snapdragon in the morning moderately, so that there is no stagnation of water. Waterlogging leads to disease rotting roots.

In cloudy weather, seedlings are illuminated with additional lighting.

If the seedlings began to fall, they are immediately removed with tweezers, and the soil is sprinkled with pounded charcoal or washed and calcined sand.

When 2 true leaves appear, they are held in separate pots one by one or in small bunches. After that, the planted plants are exposed again to a bright place, but they are covered from bright sunshine. Before planting in open ground (May), begin hardening of seedlings, opening the window, increasing the opening time every day. Make sure that there are no drafts.

Transplanting seedlings of snapdragon in open ground

On warm days of settled weather (in the middle lane, this occurs at the end of May-June), the seedlings are transplanted into open ground. You should not be afraid of the night cold, as even the seedlings that have not yet become stronger can survive a drop in temperature to -5 ° C.

The snapdragon is grown on a sunny, windless stretch, with well-drained light fertile soil. Soil prone to acidification is not suitable. In the shade the flowering is scanty, and the flowers are pale. The distance between tall varieties of lion's pharynx is 40-50 cm, between middle-growth ones is 25-30 cm, undersized are 20 cm, and for dwarf ones 15 cm. The depth of the hole corresponds to the size of the root system.

Rooting in a new place is painless, and young seedlings quickly turns into a lush bush.

Care for lion throat in the open field

When there are already 5 true leaves on the seedling, the central shoot is pinched, then the plant looks well-groomed and more attractive. With intensive growth of lateral shoots, nip is also performed.

One week after transplantation into the open ground, seedlings are fed with fertilizer for annuals.

The rest of the care of the lion's pharynx is reduced to watering at the root (the leaves can not), removal of weeds, fertilizing. Water only in the morning as needed. One day after moistening, the soil around the plant is loosened and cleared of weeds. Tall species are tied to a support.

Faded inflorescences are removed, and for longer flowering the flower arrow is removed, preventing the plant from tying the seeds. With a reduction in flowering, the peduncles are cut off under the lower flower to stimulate a new flowering wave.

Snapdragon can be affected by rust. When rust stains appear, the plants are removed, and the rest are treated with a solution of “Zircon” (5 drops per 1 l of water). For prevention, spraying is carried out with a weaker solution of the drug (2 drops per 1 l of water).

For the cultivation of snapdragon in the next year from the very strong and beautiful bush collect the seeds in an unripe form and they are already being prepared in a well-ventilated room. Store in a cardboard box or paper bag at a temperature of 3-5 ° C in a dry place. Germination persists for 3 years.

In the autumn, after flowering, the bushes of lion's pharynx are cut to a height of 5-8 cm and covered with mixed peat with sawdust or dry leaves and grass. In winter, on the bushes, if possible, heat up the snow. In the spring, after wintering, many new shoots will grow from the roots.