Bloomers time
It may be mid-winter but it’s time to think of sowing seeds for a summer display, writes David Overend.
Summer is a long way away but forward planning has always been one of the strong points of the dedicated gardener. So, here we are in mid-winter but the seed-sowing season is in full swing. Just for the moment, forget about buying ready-rooted plant-plugs – opt, instead, to grow your own summer bloomers.
Sweet pea devotees have already done the deed, so now it’s time for antirrhinum lovers to get in on the act.
Snapdragon plants need a long growth period before flowering, so sow now for good results five months down the line. Even if you have no heated greenhouse or conservatory, it’s possible to grow the humble antirrhinum, so beloved of cottage gardeners who once planted them in vast numbers.
Fill a seed tray with compost and sow the seeds thinly on the surface of the soil. Seal the tray inside a clear, polythene bag and place it on a warm, sunny windowsill. When the seeds are large enough to handle, transplant each one into trays or 7.5cm pots and then grow them on in cooler conditions.
Years ago, antirrhinums were perennials best cultivated as half hardy annuals and then planted en masse but now snapdragons come in a wide variety of shapes, colours and, perhaps most importantly, heights – tall, intermediate and dwarf – so there is at least one to suit any sunny spot in a well-drained soil.
Those tall ones can top four feet in height; intermediates (the most popular nowadays) rarely manage to grow more than 18ins, while the dwarfs are just that, reaching a less-than-stately height of nine inches.
One thing all three groups have in common is their dislike for cold and windy sites; these are flowers who like the sun and shelter.
Like all bedding plants, antirrhinums need help to keep them blooming, and that’s why to prolong their life they need dead-heading and regular feeding so they have the energy to keep producing more quality flowers.
Apply a soluble fertilizer over the leaves and around the roots once a week, choosing a time in the evening when the sun has lost a lot of its power.
If it’s still shining brightly, it can scorch the foliage.
The liquid feed stays on the leaf for longer and the plant is able to absorb much more of the nutrients overnight. This is even more important with hangingbaskets and patio plants.