Ampel snapdragon - planting and care, cultivation

Snapdragon, or antirrinum, can often be found in group and single plantings in flower beds and gardens. But not so long ago, ampelous varieties of plants that are grown in hanging pots look especially impressive.

The appearance of the ampelous snapdragon

Snapdragon is a perennial herb, but not all growers know about this. Many grow it as an annual, although the plant has a fairly powerful root system and is able to withstand winter with an average temperature.

Snapdragon ampelous looks spectacular in hanging pots

Depending on the size of the plant, the ampelous snapdragon is divided into:

• undersized;
• medium-sized;
• tall.

The length of the shoots can vary from 20 to 100 cm. The flowering period lasts almost all summer: from mid-June to the first frost.

Planting and leaving

The process of growing an ampelous snapdragon does not require special skills. It will be easy to take care of him even for beginners in floriculture. To get healthy and strong plants, you just need to comply with certain conditions.

Growing from seeds

Given the fact that the ampelous variety is quite new, when buying seeds, it is better to insure against counterfeiting and order them on a verified website or from a serious wholesaler.

Almost all seeds on sale have already been treated with antiseptics and are prepared for germination, so they do not require any additional actions. Snapdragons for seedlings are planted in the substrate in early spring (late March-early April).

It is better to plant seeds of a plant for seedlings in early spring.

Some growers prefer to do this immediately in disposable containers (peat or disposable plastic cups). Some plant first in pots with a mixture of peat and sand. The main thing is that the reaction of the soil is slightly alkaline.

It is not worth deepening the seeds into the ground: they are simply laid out on the surface of the soil, moistened well and cover the container with glass or polyethylene. It is important to provide the seedlings with warmth - the temperature should be at least 23-25 ​​degrees.

The first shoots should hatch in a couple of weeks. So that the sprouts do not stretch too much, it is desirable for them to provide an additional source of illumination and gradually reduce the air temperature. Watering during this period should be carried out exclusively in the pallet, avoiding excessive waterlogging or overdrying of the earthy coma.

Within a week, the film is periodically removed for a short time, and after 7-10 days it is completely removed. Young plants dive after at least three leaves appear on them.

A mix of plants of different colors looks colorful

Seedling preparation

When transplanting grown seedlings into pots, it is important to choose the right pot size. It depends on the type of plant.For undersized and medium-sized varieties, a flowerpot with a capacity of 3 liters will be enough, but for high varieties you need to take a pot with a volume of at least 5 liters.

An earthen mixture for snapdragon should be nutritious, loose, and neutral in acidity. Pots with seedlings are taken out into the open air only after the cessation of night frosts.

Care features

Anchor snapdragon should not be kept in direct sunlight, it is much better to place it in partial shade. Care consists in:

• watering. It is important to carry it out regularly, but at the same time to prevent stagnation of moisture in the root system;
• top dressing. For long-term flowering throughout the season, you will have to fertilize the plant every 2-3 weeks. To do this, use mineral complexes for flowering plants with the obligatory content of phosphorus and potassium.

It is also important to regularly loosen the soil and remove faded inflorescences. At the end of flowering, the longest stems are cut off, which encourages the emergence of new processes from the sinuses.

Snapdragon Candy Showers has a long-lasting delicate scent

Possible diseases and pests of the plant

A dangerous disease that affects ampelous snapdragon is the black leg. Its appearance is associated with a violation of the basic rules of plant care:

• excessive watering;
• very dense plantings;
• excessive acidification of the soil;
• lack of nitrogen in the soil.

The disease is expressed in the appearance of a black rim at the root collar of the plant. The affected shoot is immediately removed, and the soil in the container must be disinfected with boiling water or a solution of potassium permanganate.

Also, antirrinum can be affected by fusarium, rust and mosaic. As a treatment, treatment with fungicides, Bordeaux liquid, copper-containing preparations is used, and in case of mosaic damage, the diseased plant is immediately destroyed.

Among the pests that bother the snapdragon, it is necessary to note the stem scoop. These caterpillars gnaw through the tunnels at the bottom of the plants, causing them to wilt. The method of pest control is timely weeding and removal of affected plants. The remaining plants are treated twice with chlorophos solution.

The Lampion variety is characterized by flowers of different colors.

Common varieties of ampelous snapdragons

Among the recently developed varieties of ampelous snapdragons, the following varieties have gained the greatest popularity:

• Lampion. This variety is very colorful, but quite rare. He has long, sometimes reaching up to 1 m shoots, which are covered with flowers of different colors. Flowering lasts a long time, and the plant looks especially impressive in hanging pots.
• The amulet is a low-growing variety. He loves light, but is able to develop well in partial shade. Differs in cold resistance. Its massive plantings of different colors look elegant. Long-term profuse flowering is achieved with timely feeding and removal of dried inflorescences.
• Candy Showers. It is the first variety to be propagated by seed. It has strong shoots of about 0.5 m and very fragrant burgundy flowers. Abundant flowering lasts throughout the season.

Growing an ampelous snapdragon is not so difficult. The main condition for obtaining a colorful plant with a long flowering period is the purchase of good seeds, since ampelous varieties have appeared relatively recently.

Even beginner flower growers will be able to grow snapdragons. The main thing is to regularly water the flower and feed it. And to preserve the decorative effect, dried inflorescences must be removed in time. If you follow these simple rules, a long and colorful snapdragon bloom is guaranteed.