Growing Dwarf Snapdragons From Seeds

Freeze the package of dwarf snapdragon seeds for 48 hours prior to planting. Do this six to eight weeks before the last expected frost for your location. You’ll get a higher germination success rate with pre-chilled seeds.

Fill pots or flats with potting soil. Sprinkle the seeds onto the surface and press them into place gently. Don’t cover them because dwarf snapdragon seeds need light to germinate.

Set the seeds in a warm, brightly lit spot out of direct sunlight. They’ll sprout in about 10 to 12 days.

Bottom-water the seeds until they germinate. Keep the soil surface barely but evenly moist and don’t allow it to dry out.

Transplant the dwarf snapdragon seedlings outdoors after the last predicted frost for the season. Choose a fertile, well-draining spot in full sun. These plants can tolerate light shade if necessary. Space them about 10 to 12 inches apart. They will bloom from June to early or mid-July.

Water the bed thoroughly to moisten the soil, but not so much that it’s soggy or wet. Don’t allow the seedlings to dry out for the first two to three weeks. Thereafter water dwarf snapdragons when the top one inch of soil is dry.

Pinch the stem tips of these plants when they’re about two inches tall, or after four to six true leaves emerge. This will encourage a more compact growth habit. Pinching also tends to increase the number of bloom spikes the plant produces.

Feed the plants an all-purpose fertilizer for blooming plants about four weeks after planting. Follow the packaging instructions carefully.

Remove individual blooms as they fade, and clip or trim off each spike when all the flowers are spent. Deadheading will encourage dwarf snapdragons to continue flowering, thus prolonging the blooming season.

Fertilize the plants again in late June, or immediately following the end of the first blooming flush.