Common family flower care appreciation snapdragon
English name: Antirrhinum majus L.
Alias: Dragon Head Flower, belongs to the genus Antirrhinum of the Scrophulariaceae family.
Antirrhinum is an autumn-sown annual herb of the Scrophulariaceae family. It is named because its flowers resemble goldfish. Antirrhinum is rich in color, and except for blue, it has all other colors. In recent years, many polyploid varieties and excellent first-generation hybrids have been cultivated. They not only have large and dense flowers, bright colors, and thick and tall stems, but also have strong cold resistance and disease resistance, and stable harvests. As a cut flower, antirrhinum is usually on the market from December to April of the following year.
Antirrhinum has a peculiar flower shape, rich and colorful colors, and a long flowering period. It is the most common herbaceous flower in the garden. It is widely used in potted plants, flower beds, window sills, planting troughs and indoor landscape arrangements internationally. In recent years, it has also been used for cut flower viewing. Therefore, the improvement of snapdragon varieties has been progressing rapidly, with the United States developing the fastest. So far, snapdragons have dwarf varieties, semi-dwarf varieties, and tall stalk varieties, as well as super-dwarf varieties with a plant height of 10 cm, and many are tetraploid varieties. Recently, new varieties of double-petaled azalea and butterfly types have been selected and bred. Goldsmith Seed Company in the United States has made the most achievements in the breeding of snapdragons.
In the production of snapdragons, in Denmark, Sweden, Norway, the Netherlands, Belgium and other countries in Europe, they are mainly potted plants and flower bed plants, and cut flowers are also produced. In Japan, potted flowers are mainly produced, and cut flowers are produced in small quantities.
The cultivation of snapdragons began in the 1930s, mainly used for potted flowers, flower beds and flower borders, and the number was not large. Although it developed rapidly after its establishment, it was mainly arranged in flower beds and flower borders in parks, and the varieties were aging and the colors were single. After the 1980s, dwarf snapdragon varieties were introduced and widely used in potted plants and flower bed arrangements.
[Morphological characteristics and varieties]
Snapdragons are perennial herbs, often cultivated as one or two annual flowers. The plant height is 20-70 cm, and the leaves are oblong-lanceolate. The inflorescence is racemose, the corolla is tubular and lip-shaped, and the base is swollen into a capsule. The upper lip is upright, 2-lobed, and the lower lip is 3-lobed, spreading outwards, and has white, light red, dark red, flesh color, dark yellow, light yellow, yellow-orange and other colors.
[Biological characteristics]
Snapdragon is native to the Mediterranean area. It is relatively cold-resistant, not heat-resistant, likes sunlight, and is also tolerant to semi-shade. The suitable temperature for growth is 7-10℃ from September to March of the following year, and 13-16℃ from March to September. The seedlings pass the vernalization stage under 5℃ conditions. High temperature is not conducive to the growth and development of snapdragons. The suitable temperature for flowering is 15-16℃. Some varieties have a temperature of more than 15℃, and branches do not appear, affecting the plant shape.
Snapdragons are sensitive to water, the pot soil must be kept moist, and potted seedlings must be fully watered. However, the pot soil must have good drainage and cannot accumulate water, otherwise the roots will rot and the stems and leaves will turn yellow and wither.
Snapdragon is a light-loving herb. Under sufficient sunlight, the plant grows short, compactly clustered, grows neatly, has uniform height, blooms neatly, and has bright colors. Under semi-shaded conditions, the plant grows taller, the inflorescence is elongated, and the flower color is lighter. It is not sensitive to the length of light, such as the Huayu series of snapdragons, which are almost insensitive to the length of daylight.
The soil should be fertile, loose, and well-drained slightly acidic sandy loam.
[Propagation method]
It is mainly propagated by sowing and tissue culture.
Sowing propagation: autumn sowing is possible in areas south of the Yangtze River, preferably from September to October. The sowing soil is a mixture of peat soil or leaf humus, culture soil and fine sand, which is sterilized at high temperature and then placed in a sowing tray. Snapdragon has 6,300 to 7,000 seeds per gram. After sowing, it is not covered. Just press the seeds lightly. The suitable temperature for germination is 21°C. Cover with plastic film after watering and place in semi-shaded place. It can germinate in about 7 days. Avoid direct sunlight. The growth temperature of seedlings after germination is 10℃, and they can be transplanted 6 weeks after emergence.
[Cultivation and Management]
Potted snapdragons are usually grown in 10 cm pots, and seedlings can be transplanted 6 weeks after germination. Keep the temperature at 16℃ during the growth period, and keep the potting soil moist and sunny. Some dwarf species can bloom 60 to 70 days after sowing. Pinch the tops of tall and medium-stalked varieties to promote more branches and more flowers. So far, growth regulators are used more to dwarf plants and adjust the flowering period. Spraying 0.05% to 0.1% Biju 10 days after pinching has a significant dwarfing effect. Spraying 0.25% to 0.4% Biju during the seedling stage can promote early flowering and close flowers. Spraying 0.4% to 0.8% Biju 2 to 4 times can delay flowering.
Fertilize once every half month during the growth period, or use "Huiyou" 15-15-30 pot flower special fertilizer. After flowering, timely top and increase fertilizer, the temperature is 13 ~ 16 ℃, it can continue to bloom.
Snapdragon is easy to hybridize naturally. In order to achieve the purity of the variety, the mother plant needs to be isolated for seed collection. Of course, it is difficult to obtain seeds for many double-petaled and hybrid first-generation snapdragons.
[Disease and pest control]
If damping-off occurs in the seedling stage, 65% mancozeb wettable powder 600 times solution can be sprayed. Leaf blight and anthracnose are harmful during the growth period, and 50% thiophanate wettable powder 800 times solution can be sprayed. Pests include aphids and noctuids, which can be sprayed with 40% omethoate emulsifiable concentrate 1000 times solution.
[Postpartum treatment]
Dwarf and super-dwarf varieties of snapdragon are used for potted flower cultivation, embellishing windowsills, balconies and gates, especially double-petaled and azalea-shaped varieties, which are very enjoyable. They are placed in urban squares in groups to form scenic spots with remarkable decorative effects. Medium-stalk and tall-stalk varieties are arranged in flower beds and next to buildings, and their landscape effects are very attractive. Of course, it is also a good material for cut flowers. You can use it to make flower baskets or vases to create an atmosphere of joy and happiness.