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Perennials/snapdragons

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Question
I live about 60 miles north of Napa Ca.  So my snapdragons act more of a perennial than annual. My question is once the stem is done with it's flowers what do I do? Some are still healthy and some are dead. The dead I cut back all the way but what about the healthy stocks?

Answer
Hi Shelley,
Thanx for your question.  Snapdragons are a tender perennial grown as annuals in most of the U.S.  In your climate and in the Deep South, the plant will act like a tender perennial.  Once the flower stalk has finished blooming, cut it off below the flowers.  Doing this will assure a new flush of blooming.  If you allow the plant to go to seed, it will slow down, even stop blooming.  I hope this helps.
Tom

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Tom Alonzo

Expertise

I have been a gardener for 20 years with perennials both growing from seed and from nurseries. I went through the Master Gardener Program from Kansas State University Cooperative Extension Service and I answered questions on the Hotline a few years ago for the Wyandotte County Kansas Extension Service. I have also lived in the Florida, California, Hawaii, Arizona, Texas, Kansas and Missouri and am experienced with a variety of climates, soils and weather conditions.

Experience

I have been growing perennials for over 20 years now. I am self-taught mostly except for a master gardener class. I have experimented with all kinds of perennials including many that are not common to my area. I have read hundreds of books and grown hundreds of varieties of plants and hope to make it a business some day. I have become versed in botanical names and growing conditions and what I don't know off of the top of my head I can usually easily find in my vast array of research material and botanical and horticultural contacts. I especially enjoy experimenting with growing plants out of zone.

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