How many of you have admired some amazing displays of Snapdragons (Antirrhinums), and wished that you could keep those plants going indefinitely. While they haven't managed to get those bright displays into a perennial form of the same standard, yet. There are some things you can do right now.
Many people are aware that you can take cuttings from carnations, which are a biennial plant, and grow whole new plants from them. But did you know that snapdragons are also biennials, and can also be propagated in a similar method.
Just follow the directions below:
* Take heeled cuttings of the best plants, (looking at health, vigour and colouration).
* Strip away the lower leaves as well as any flowers and buds.
* Dip the wounded end in some form of rooting hormone, (I don't bother in the subtropics)
* Stick these cuttings in a pot/tray of your favourite propagating mix, (I find that most mixes work well, as snapdragon cuttings are not too fussy).
* Keep them in a brightly light, but not too hot position.
* Keep them moist without getting overly wet
* Don't let them get too cold. The cooler the weather the slower they are to root and better the chance becomes of them dying due to infection or rot setting in.
* I like to use a low height pot/tray, so that the roots emerging out of the base makes a good indication of it being time to pot up, without having to disturb the cuttings.
* Give a good fertiliser every week during warm weather, or every two in cool weather, this should be given at one-quarter strength, than that given to normal plants. (Otherwise you may burn the new/emerging roots).
* Once they are rooted either pot them on till you can plant out, or indeed if you can plant them straight out into the garden.
So the end result is that within 6 to 12 weeks, (depending on weather, season and climate) you should have a great supply of snappy's ready for next seasons planting without having to buy a one. This of course is conditional on the fact that you live in a climate that can support the propagating of carnations.
Occupation: Horticulturist & Disability Services Worker
The Bare Bones Gardener is a qualified Horticulturist and a qualified Disability Services Worker. He hates spending money on stuff which doesn’t live up to the promises given. So he looks for cheaper, easier, simpler or free ways of doing the same thing and then he passes these ideas on to others.
Garden Blog - http://barebonesgardening.blogspot.com/
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