Planting Snapdragon
Snapdragon is a cool season flower in the Plantaginaceae family. Getting the timing right is the difference between a strong stand and a disappointing one, so the windows below are given relative to your own last spring frost and first fall frost rather than a generic calendar date. Look up your local frost dates and count back or forward from there.
Snapdragon is started indoors 8–10 weeks before your last spring frost date, giving seedlings a head start before they move outside.
Transplant young plants outdoors 0–2 weeks before your last frost — Snapdragon tolerates cool conditions and benefits from an early start.
Snapdragon can be grown by starting indoors and transplanting. Starting indoors gives the longest, most controlled season, while direct sowing is simplest where the season is long enough.
Spacing and Planting Depth
Give Snapdragon room to mature. The figures below come from verified extension and seed-supplier data for typical varieties.
| Spacing in row | 8 inches |
|---|---|
| Row spacing | 10 inches |
| Plants per sq ft | 1.8 |
| Planting depth | 0 inches |
| Sun requirement | Full sun |
Days to Maturity
Snapdragon reaches maturity in 90–120 days from transplant.
Snapdragon is ready to harvest after about 105 days. Harvest before summer heat or, for fall crops, before a hard freeze, to keep quality high.
Conditions and Care
As a cool-season flower, Snapdragon does its best growing in the cooler weather of spring and fall and tends to bolt or turn bitter in summer heat. It is half-hardy — it withstands light frost but should be protected from a hard freeze.
Snapdragon needs full sun — give it at least six hours of direct light a day for the best growth and flavor. Sow seed about 0 inches deep — small seed is sown shallow and barely covered, then keep the soil evenly moist until seedlings establish.
Snapdragon belongs to the Plantaginaceae family; rotating where you grow members of this family each year helps limit the build-up of soil-borne pests and disease. Snapdragon is generally grown as a single planting each season rather than succession sown.
Growing Notes
Cool-season cut flower; surface-sow.