Characteristic features of antirrinum, recommendations for the garden cultivation of Snapdragon, carrying out flower reproduction, combating possible pests and diseases, notes for flower growers, species. Antirrhinum (Antirrhinum) also bears the name Snapdragon and belongs to the Plantaginaceae family, although a little earlier the plant was reckoned to the Scrophulariaceae or Veroniceae families. This genus contains up to 50 varieties of perennials, which have a herbaceous form, but some have curly stems. Almost all of them grow in the warm regions of the planet, but they can rightfully "consider" the territories of the Mediterranean as their native land. Most of these plants (about 40 species) are found in the lands of Spain and Italy, they like to grow in the south of French areas and even in the north of the African continent. Such flora specimens are not uncommon in western North America.
| Family name | Plantains |
| Life cycle | Perennial |
| Growth features | Herbaceous, can be curly or subshrub |
| Reproduction | Seed and vegetative (cuttings) |
| Landing period in open ground | Rooted cuttings, planted at the end of May |
| Disembarkation scheme | 15cm to 0.5m |
| Substrate | Loam, sandstone, nutritious and medium moisture |
| Illumination | Open area with bright lighting |
| Moisture indicators | Moisture stagnation is harmful, watering is moderate, drainage is recommended |
| Special Requirements | Unpretentious |
| Plant height | 0.15-1 m |
| Color of flowers | Yellow, red, orange, raspberry, purple or snow-white color scheme, there are types of variegated color |
| Type of flowers, inflorescences | Racemose |
| Flowering time | June-October |
| Decorative time | Spring-autumn |
| Place of application | Flowerbeds used for cutting |
| USDA zone | 4, 5, 6 |
Antirrhinum gets its name from the fusion of two Greek words "anti" and "rhinos", which translates as "like a nose." The structure of the flower is to blame, which has long been called "doggy" or "sponges" among our people. But in England, Snapdragon got its name due to the shape of the flower - "snapdragon", meaning "biting, grabbing dragon", in France it is called "the mouth of the wolf" - that is, "gueule de loup". That is, each nation saw in the building that which was closer to him.
All antirrhinums take a herbaceous form, but dwarf shrubs are also found among them, and occasionally stems can curl. Shoots of green color, occasionally with a crimson bloom, their surface is covered with thin grooves. The stems grow straight and are branchy. Their height can vary from 15 cm to a meter. Pyramidal shrubs can form from them. The foliage at the very bottom grows oppositely, and in the upper part of the stems the leaf plates are arranged in a regular sequence. The shape of the leaves varies from lanceolate to elongated lanceolate.
When flowering in antirrinum, a racemose inflorescence is formed, which is collected from large flowers with irregular outlines. The corolla is two-lipped. There are both simple and terry forms. The color can be very diverse: snow-white, shades of pink, yellow, red, orange, raspberry, purple, or there are species with a two-color corolla. The flower size can vary in the range of 3-7 cm.
The flowering process stretches from the beginning of summer days to the first frost. Each flower "lives" only 12 days, but there are so many of them that the flowering seems very lush and abundant. Snapdragon flowers have a pleasant aroma consisting of sweet honey notes.
Plants in warm countries can be grown as a perennial, but in our latitudes it is cultivated as annual or biennial flowers. They are planted in flower beds and gardens, decorating curbs.
Snapdragon Grow Tips - Outdoor Planting and Care
- Drop off location. Open sunny area or partial shade. Afraid of draft and wind.
- Landing antirrinum. Loam, sandy loam, nutritious and medium moisture substrate are recommended. Or, before planting Antirrhinum in the ground, they prepare it - they add compost, humus and wood ash. Organic matter at the rate of 3-4 kg per 1 m2, mineral preparations are used in the standard dosage indicated by the manufacturer. The depth of digging the soil is up to 40 cm. Seedlings or seedlings are planted in the 2nd half of May. After planting, pinching of the tops of the stems is performed, if it has not been done before. The distance between plants is maintained in the range from 15 cm to 0.5 m. If the variety is compact, then the planting can be denser.
- Watering. For growth and flowering, Snapdragon is very necessary moisture. Drought, even short-term, is harmful. As soon as the soil dries up, the plants are watered, but at the same time they try not to overmoisten the soil. It is better to do a few scanty moisturizers than one copious one. This operation is carried out in the morning, if Antirrhinum is watered in the evening, then it can start to rot due to humidity and a decrease in temperature at night.
- Fertilizers for "dogs" it is recommended to apply only until the beginning of flowering. But it is recommended to start feeding so that there are 2-3 times, with the same breaks. Complete mineral complex preparations are used.
How to propagate antirrinum from seeds and cuttings?
The plant can be propagated by sowing the collected seeds or by cuttings.
Antirrhinum seeds can be purchased from flower shops or harvested by yourself. However, carrying out the last action requires accuracy. This is because the seeds do not ripen all at once, just as flowers do not bloom at the same time. First, the ripening of the seed material occurs in the capsules formed in the lower part of the inflorescences, and then this process will move in waves to the top. Quality seeds in the upper capsules are rare, so they are not used. Used for sowing seed boxes located in the lower 2/3 inflorescences. As soon as the fruits acquire a yellow color, then carefully, so as not to spill the seeds, they are plucked. Such seed will be suitable for 3-4 years after collection.
With seed reproduction, you can both use sowing directly into the open ground, which is called before winter, but then young Snapdragons will please with flowering only by the end of summer, so it is recommended to grow seedlings. For this, Antirrhinum seeds are sown at the very beginning of March. Seedling boxes or large containers are used. The soil should be nutritious (for example, a mixture of sand and peat or a substrate of leafy soil with sand). Close up seeds shallow. The container with crops can be covered with transparent polyethylene or glass can be placed on top, since the presence of a shelter will guarantee that the sprouts will appear a little earlier. Usually, you can see the first shoots after 10 days.
Young antirrinums need to grow up for another 14–20 days, and then dive in separate containers (you can use pots made of pressed peat). After such an operation, soil moistening is not carried out for another week, but spraying is performed from a finely dispersed spray gun. Normal conditions are maintained for growing seedlings, but it is recommended to pinch the top of the stems so that the seedling begins to branch, watering should be moderate, even restrained. The seedlings of the Snapdragon are fed only after seven days after the pick. Re-fertilization will be needed after another 10 days. Complete mineral complex preparations are used.
Before the plants are moved to the garden, they must be hardened for a week. In the daytime, the seedlings are transferred to the open air, and with the arrival of the evening they are hidden in the room, but the time outside the rooms is gradually increased, bringing it to around the clock. Landing in open ground is possible only when the second decade of May comes.
Cutting during reproduction of antirrinum is used very rarely. Since in this case it is necessary to transfer the parent specimens to the premises for the winter period. Plants obtained in this way will begin to bloom much later than seedlings, and the number of buds will be much smaller. Although cuttings from Antirrhinum stems root fairly quickly and easily. They are planted in river sand or simply placed in a vessel with water. Then, when the length of the root processes reaches 1 cm, they are planted in separate peat pots with fertile soil. By this method, it is necessary to propagate the terry forms of Snapdragon and not all varieties.
Fight against possible pests and diseases of anti-rhinum
The plant is popular among flower growers because of the bright color of the inflorescences, but the problem is its property of extreme instability to harmful insects and diseases. Even when conditions are fully maintained, there are unpleasant situations when caring for Snapdragon. The pests of Antirrhinum are caterpillars, butterflies, and midge larvae. To combat them, insecticidal and acaricidal preparations are used.
Almost all fungal diseases that can infect decorative flower crops are also inherent in antirrinum, ranging from late blight and ending with common leaf rust. This plant does not bypass the problem associated with the black leg. If at least some symptoms corresponding to such diseases are noticed, then it is important to remember that it is extremely difficult to cure them, then it is better to dig the bushes out of the soil and immediately destroy (burn) in order to save other plants in the garden.
But the prevention of such problems is easier to deal with from the very beginning. To do this, you should not violate the rules for planting Snapdragon (do not thicken it), choose an appropriate substrate that will not allow moisture to stagnate.
Notes for florists about antirrinum, flower photo
It is not surprising that flowers of such varied colors have fallen in love with flower growers in many countries, and to be precise, antirrinum has been grown in the culture for more than five hundred years and their popularity has not faded away. At the same time, through the efforts of breeders, today the most unimaginable varieties have been bred, which differ from the basic ones both in size and in massive outlines.
Today there are hybrids with lilac-blue shades of flowers, such plants are included in the F1 Rocket Orhid series. But not only the shade is a distinctive feature of such plants, their foliage has not only green, but also a variegated color, which includes greenish-purple tones. And if in the hybrid form the corolla of the flower has a scarlet or orange color, then there is a greenish-bronze spot on its leaf plates.
Pollination of Antirrhinum flowers is possible only by means of large insects such as bees or bumblebees. Everything from the fact that it takes some effort to get inside the corolla, since under the weight of the "pollinator" the lower petal-lip of the flower can drop, giving access to the nectar inside.
Types of antirrinum
All varieties of Snapdragon, namely Antirrhinum majus, are conditionally divided based on the parameters of the stem height: tall, medium-tall (semi-tall), undersized and dwarf.
Tall species include those plants that have a herbaceous form of growth, their height can vary from 65 cm to 1, 1 m. Their shoots are characterized by weak branching, but they have compact outlines, through them dense thickets are formed, in which the stems seem to be located in accordance with the rank. Inflorescences in such species are distinguished by high density and large size. They can be used for cutting.
Among the best varieties of Snapdragon are:
- "Rocket Lemon" differs in flowers of a light green color scheme, which looks spectacular in phytocompositions;
- "Rocket" resembles rhododendron flowers, as they have a double shape;
- Rocket Orchid has stems almost a meter high, the color of flowers of a rare color scheme is lavender;
- "Rocket Golden" also with meter-sized stems, which are crowned with flowers of a golden-green tone.
Medium-sized or semi-tall varieties are distinguished by a compact form, but a razor-sharp structure. The height varies in the range of 20-60 cm. There is good branching of the shoots and because of this they seem more luxuriant than tall varieties. Their flowering is plentiful, although the inflorescences are inferior in parameters. However, such flowers differ in a wide range of flowering periods, so there is a choice.
These types of varieties include:
- "Black Prince" is legendary, as it fell in love with its flowers and dark green color of the leaves, while the shoots seem to be just black. Inflorescences have a dark crimson color. Conquers with its spectacular appearance.
- "Wildrose" the height approaches 40 cm, and the inflorescences themselves reach 20 cm. The structure of the inflorescence is loose, because of this, the flowers seem to be of a more saturated tone. The color of the petals is medium pinkish.
- "Golden Monarch" - a variety with sprawling and spacious outlines of a large bush. Stems up to 0.5 m high. The foliage is large. The inflorescences are composed of lemon-toned flowers. Blooming later.
- "Red Chif" the variety is distinguished by medium outlines, green has massiveness and splendor, because of this, the bush seems especially lush and dense. Inflorescences with medium density, flowers have a spectacular fiery shade of flowers, large size.
Low-growing varieties do not exceed 30–40 cm in height. In the bushes, there are quite a plural number of shoots, their outlines are semicircular, spreading outlines. Inflorescences are inferior in size and are very loose. Blooming in such antirrinums can occur in the middle and early periods.
The best varieties of antirrinum are distinguished:
- "Crimson Velvet" its stems can reach a height of 30 cm. Large leaves are formed on the stems, inflorescences with large flowers and a dark red tint.
- "Schneeflocke" is a variety with shoots 25 cm high, forming bushes with spherical outlines. The leaf plates are elongated, small flowers with a snow-white color are connected into openwork inflorescences.
Dwarf Snapdragon species. In height, the shoots of such plants are limited by the parameters of 15–20 cm. The branching of the shoots is very strong, they seem to spread over the soil surface. The inflorescences are formed from very small flowers, the peduncles are short, reaching only 10 cm.
The best of the varieties are:
- "Tom-Tumb" the most popular variety, shoots with a height of up to 0.2 m form bushes with spherical outlines. The foliage is large, the inflorescences are short, but very dense. Flowers with a bright lemon color and a dark lip mark on each flower.
- "Floral" is a cultivar group, with bushes of compact and dense outlines. The color of the inflorescences is varied, there are also variegated colors. Can be grown as a pot culture.
- The Hobbit with a wide open corolla, the color of the petals ranges from snow-white and lemon to orange, pinkish and burgundy.
There are new subspecies of Antirrhinum that have climbing shoots and are used as an ampelous culture. The length of such stems can approach 1 m. The basic variety found on sale is "Lampion", which is distinguished by its special properties of endurance and color of the inflorescences.
