Expert: Mike Mascio - 11/11/2007

Question
I have loved snapdragons since i was a child.  Just this spring i planted seeds and waited for the flowers.   Well, it is now six (or seven) months later and the plants are very leggy, and do not have one single flower.   What did I do wrong?

Answer
Laura, two factors will help promote flowering. The first is the fertility of the soil. Snapdragons require a high concentration of phosphorus in the soil in order to bloom. If the soil is lacking phosphorus, the plants will still grow, but produce a minimal number of flowers.

The second is pruning. Plants should be pruned for two reasons; the first to remove spent flowers, and the second to keep the plants from getting leggy and weak. Weak plants will not produce blooms. Pruning strengthens the plant and also helps promote a stockier growth habit. When pruned, plants definitely will produce more blooms. In regard to spent flowers, when a plant's flowers wilt or die off, the plant then expends all of its energy into producing seed. Once this occurs, all flowering stops.

So given your description, I would definitely improve the fertility of your soil next year by adding organic amendments such as peat and compost, and also supplementing your feeding with a fertilizer high in phosphorus. And be sure to prune the flowers once they start getting leggy or when the flowers are spent.

I hope this answered your question. Please write again if I can ever be of assistance.

Regards,

Mike