AboutTom 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.
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
