Snapdragons

March 20, 2023

Life Cycle	Hardy Annual
Zone 5 Treatment	One of the hardiest annuals, you can plant seeds in the fall with a row cover for early spring blooms. If you are transplanting a seedling, they like it cold. Drops to 20 degrees are tolerated very well. You can use a floating row cover over the seedlings if its going to drop below 20 overnight.
Seedling Care	Transplant within 2 weeks of receiving otherwise the roots can get too crowded and harm the overall health of the plant.
Netting / Staking	The books say yes, but I never do
Temperature Range They Will Tolerate	20-80 degrees F
Spacing/Height	8” spacing18”-36” height depending on the variety
Soil Preference	Nutrient rich, break up heavy clay soils and amend with compost to allow better root potential, well drained.
How to cut for maximum blooms	Harvest when half of the flowers are open. They are sensitive to ethylene, so do not store them near fruits or vegetables. Make the first cut of the central stem almost to ground level, just above the lowest 2 or 3 leaf sets. Re-growth and more stems will then occur through the season. They will bloom into the summer if you keep cutting and removing blooms on a regular basis
Pinching	Will produce more, but shorter stems per plant.
When to Plant if you are NOT in Zone 5	Seeds – in the fall for next season early spring bloomsSeedlings: Up to 4-6 weeks before the last frost (can handle down to 20 degrees F without cover)
Post Harvest Care	Put the stems in room temp water with flower food and do NOT store near fruits or vegetables. They are sensitive to ethylene and will die if exposed. Take off all of the leaves and foliage. Leaves and foliage of any cut flower should never be submerged underwater because they decay quickly in water and cause a fast build up of bacteria.
Diseases / Insects	Rust (fungus) – appears as yellow spots on the top side of leaves and brown or purple rings on the underside of leaves. Treatment: neem oil as a prevention or treatment can be used. Don’t use it when the temps are over 80 degrees as it can burn leaves. Other than neem oil, don’t allow the leaves to get wet, so do not overhead water, as this dampness promotes more fungal growth.
Sweet Pea’s Notes	So vigorous and long lived! Their cold and heat tolerance range makes them a staple for our zone 5 climate. Keep in mind that a visit from a bee or hummingbird leads to premature death in blooms, so for longer lasting snaps, cut them when just a couple flowers are open at the bottoms of the stem to prevent pollination. They really will last into the summer if you keep cutting them. I can get about 6-10 stems per plant with regular cutting!
Vase Life	7-10 days