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evilingarnett

scared of my snapdragons!

evilingarnett
10 years ago

They've germinated, but they are so, so, SO tiny and delicate.
I have done the "greenhouse" thing : 1 flatbed, other in separate cells. So my question(S) :

How strong do they need to be to be handled? I hear 4-6 leaves,--will they get less fragile looking?

Can I just thin out the clumps in the flatbed till there are single plants 2 in apart & leave 'em til they are strong enough to be planted outdoors?

Do you have to water them? I have only sprayed the clear dome once when it looked dry.( there are moisture beads )

Do I HAVE to transfer the seedlings in the cells to bigger pots before I plant them? I am afraid I will mangle them all.

I know this is a lot of nervous ?s but
It's been my dream to grow snapdragons for many years, and i've never had a place with enough sun. I'm so hoping this is the year I get to move up from Zinnias to more challenging blooms!
Fingers crossed and thanks so much in advance.

Comments (5)

  • digdirt2
    10 years ago

    Could you post a photo of them please so we can be sure of what you are asking? Your questions and some of the terms you are using are unclear so I don't want to steer you in the wrong direction.

    I "think" if I understand what you are saying correctly you need to just leave them alone for now unless you still have some sort of plastic dome over them. If so then that should be removed. it is never left on once they germinate.

    And yes, you will need to water them - bottom watering only at this stage.

    Dave

  • Jonathan29
    10 years ago

    You should not transplant them tell they are as big as your thumb in height. like petunia's snapdragons are very small seeds and when seedlings germinate they are like tinny threads. They need to be taken care of very gingerly to avoid any upset of them rooting. only transplant them once they are more mature and plant maybe a cluster of 2 or 3 plants in one pot. Preferably i direct seed my snapdragons just because they grow so fast anyway. but petunia's i grow indoors early because they can take much longer.

    Here is a link that might be useful: TheItalian Garden

  • evilingarnett
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Thank you so much for taking the time to respond. They sure do look fragile! I have some seeds I'm going to direct sow, too. I'm such an amateur I have to start seedlings in peat pots inside, just so I can tell them apart from what might be baby weeds growing next to them. Weedlings! Sorry. Thanks again. I really appreciate it.

  • mandolls
    10 years ago

    Don't be afraid to separate and transplant them into individual pots once they get large enough to handle. That should be at 1-2 pairs of true leaves (discounting the cotyledons)

    You don't have your zone posted, so we don't know when you can plant them out. But if you are up north like me, you can't plant them out for a while. If so they will need to be separated, so they have room to grow.

    I am also growing snaps for the first time this year. Mine are in individual pots now and mostly 3" tall. I am just praying I can keep them happy and healthy for another 6 weeks inside. I plan on pinching them back soon to get them to bush out.

  • evilingarnett
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Thanks! I can't believe that these tiny things will turn into actual flower bearing plants. I'm in zone 6, so yeah it's going to be a while. I've heard a lot about "bushing out" Lets keep our fingers crossed.