Growing Better Snapdragons

This year I’m changing how I grow them.

Last season they were spaced a bit wider, and while they did fine, I’m tightening things up this year to fit more plants in the same space. Snapdragons actually tolerate closer spacing better than people expect, especially when they’re grown for cutting rather than landscaping.

I’m also adding netting. Without support, snapdragons love to lean, twist, and grow into those classic S-shapes once they put on height. Netting keeps them upright, straighter, and easier to harvest — especially after wind or heavy rain.

One of the biggest lessons last year was pinching.

Pinching means removing the top growing tip of the plant when it’s still young — usually when it’s about 4–6 inches tall. It feels wrong the first time you do it. You’re cutting off a perfectly healthy top. But that single cut tells the plant to stop racing upward and start branching instead.

The plants I pinched produced more stems, sturdier growth, and better overall shape. The ones I didn’t pinch bloomed earlier, but with fewer usable stems and more flopping.

So this year:

• Tighter spacing

• Netting from the start

• Everything pinched

Snapdragons are cool-season workhorses. They like early planting, cool nights, and steady picking. The more you cut, the more they give — right up until summer heat tells them it’s time to rest.

They’re not flashy flowers. They’re dependable ones. And with a few small adjustments, they go from “nice” to genuinely productive.

Gardening is mostly this: paying attention, taking notes, and doing it better the next time.