How to Sow Snapdragon Seeds? A Detailed Guide to the Latest Sowing Methods
Snapdragon is native to the Mediterranean region and is a perennial herbaceous plant of the genus Antirrhinum in the family Scrophulariaceae. It is named for its goldfish-shaped flowers and is a common ornamental flower with brilliant colors and attractive flower shapes. Not only are its flowers beautiful, but it also has certain medicinal value. Let us take a look together at the sowing methods for snapdragon!
Sowing Time
Snapdragon likes sunlight and can also tolerate partial shade. It is relatively cold-tolerant and not tolerant of intense heat. It is suitable for growing in loose, fertile soil with good drainage, and it can also grow normally in calcareous soil. Sowing can be done in both spring and autumn. In the Yangtze River basin, autumn sowing is mostly used, and in northern regions, pot sowing is also mostly done in autumn. Autumn-sown seedlings grow more robustly and bloom more abundantly than spring-sown seedlings.
Disinfection Treatment
The disinfection of snapdragon seeds and medium is very important. Before sowing, soak the seeds in a potassium permanganate solution at a concentration of about 0.5% for 1 to 2 hours. Add 150 to 200 grams of thiophanate-methyl powder per cubic meter of medium (about 20 bags), stir 2 to 3 times so that the chemical is fully mixed with the medium, then spray water while stirring, and adjust until the medium forms a ball when held in the hand and crumbles when released. Cover with plastic film and pile for 8 to 10 hours, then place it into plug trays.
Sowing the Seeds
Each plug tray can be sown with 200 seeds, placing one seed per cell. After sowing, gently press with your hand so that the seeds adhere to the medium, then use a sprayer to spray water thoroughly and cover with newspaper or plastic film. If the seedling nursery can control dryness, moisture, and temperature, then covering is not necessary. Keep the newspaper moist for a long time, and uncover the newspaper after the seeds germinate.
Post-Sowing Management
When snapdragon seedlings have grown for 5 to 7 weeks, they can be directly potted into 7 to 8 cm pots. If the pot diameter is 10 cm or more, they should undergo at least one transplanting. Snapdragon likes sunlight, but harm from excessively high temperatures should be prevented. Snapdragon is a long-day plant. A photoperiod greater than 12 hours is beneficial for flower bud differentiation, and appropriate supplemental lighting can be used to make it bloom earlier.