When to plant Snapdragon in Cool Australia

Cool zone — applies to Hobart, Canberra, Ballarat, Orange, Armidale and similar areas. Growing elsewhere? Temperate · Subtropical · Tropical · Arid.

Raise snapdragon seedlings under cover and transplant them, sowing from September to December for a summer show or from February to April to overwinter for early colour. Surface-sow the very fine seed no deeper than 3 mm, as it needs light to germinate, and expect a slow, uneven 14-28 days. From sowing, allow around 110-120 days to first flowers. Set plants out 30-40 cm apart with 20-30 cm between rows. Being fully hardy, snapdragons suit the cold-winter climate of Hobart, Canberra and Orange, and an autumn sowing lets small plants sit through winter ready to bolt into bloom in spring.

Sowing calendar — cool zone

Green months are your sowing window: February to April and September to December.

Growing notes

Snapdragons are cool-season flowers at heart, which is exactly why they perform so well in a cold climate: they establish in cool weather and flower most freely in spring and early summer before the heat arrives. The main failure mode here is patchy, disappointing germination, caused by burying the fine seed too deep or letting it dry out. The fix is to surface-sow onto a firmed seed-raising mix, press the seed in gently without covering it, and keep it lightly moist and cool until it sprouts over its slow 14-28 days.

Harden seedlings off before planting out, and set them into a sunny, well-drained bed. In frost-prone districts like Ballarat and Armidale, an autumn sowing overwinters best as small, sturdy plants rather than large soft ones, which cope with cold far better.

The other issue to watch is rust, a fungal disease that peppers the leaves with brown pustules in still, humid conditions. Space plants at the full 30-40 cm for airflow, water at the base rather than over the foliage, and remove affected leaves promptly. Pinch out the growing tip of young plants once they have a few sets of leaves to encourage bushy, multi-stemmed growth, and deadhead spent spikes to keep the flowers coming through the season.

Snapdragon at a glance

Common questions

How do you germinate snapdragon seeds?

Surface-sow the fine seed onto firmed seed-raising mix and press it in gently without covering, as it needs light to germinate. Keep it lightly moist and cool, and expect a slow, uneven 14-28 days. Raising seedlings under cover works best in cool zones.

When do snapdragons flower in cool climates?

Snapdragons flower most freely in spring and early summer in cool districts like Canberra and Orange. An autumn sowing that overwinters as small plants gives the earliest spring display, while a spring sowing flowers in summer, roughly 110-120 days after sowing.

Why do my snapdragons get brown spots on the leaves?

Brown pustules are usually rust, a fungal disease that spreads in still, humid air. Space plants 30-40 cm apart for airflow, water at the base rather than over the leaves, and remove affected foliage promptly to slow it.

Should you pinch out snapdragons?

Yes, pinch out the growing tip once young plants have a few sets of leaves. This encourages bushy, multi-stemmed growth and far more flower spikes than a single unpinched stem. Deadhead spent spikes to keep the blooms coming.

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