The Secret: How to Make Snapdragon Flowers Bushier and More Productive
The Secret: How to Make Snapdragons Bushier and More Productive
If you want bushier, healthier snapdragon flowers with tons of flowering spikes and blooms, there’s one easy technique that can absolutely transform your plants, and it's impossibly simple: pinching. Whether you're growing snapdragons for cut flowers, pollinators, or to simply enjoy your morning coffee with, pinching will give you many more flowers than leaving them to their own devices will.
I posted a YouTube video earlier this year about pinching snapdragon flowers, and this is a supplemental entry for that video. I will include it further into this post so that you can see the difference in pinched and un-pinched plants in that video.
Why You Should Pinch Your Snapdragons
Pinching might feel counterproductive at first. After all, removing the top growth seems like it would really slow the plant down. Now, it's true that you may have to wait just a little bit longer for your first flowers. But in reality, pinching encourages snapdragons to branch out and produce multiple side shoots. These side shoots are what give you:
- Bushier, fuller plants
- More flowering stalks
- Longer blooming periods
- Better overall structure that resists flopping
A single pinch can double or even triple your flower production for the season. Think of it like this: your snap dragon seedling is growing tall, a single main stem. This single stem is going to flower, and more branches will eventually grow. However, if you pinch this main stem while the plant is younger, you will bypass the first main flower spike. You may have to wait an additional week or two (unless this is done early, which is recommended.) but you will end up with two or more flower spikes rather than the one. You're simply delaying the first flowers in order to double the blooms.
What Pinched vs. Un-Pinched Snapdragons Look Like
In the comparison shown in the video, the difference is dramatic. The larger, bushier snapdragon was pinched earlier in its growth, and the smaller plant was only recently pinched. Even with the age difference, the results clearly show how much better a pinched plant performs. Snapdragons, by nature, grow straight up into their first flowering spike. When pinched, the sideshoots come out at an angle from leaf nodes. This forms a bushier plant, as you can see in the photos.
In the last image, you're going to see a plant with a dead flower spike, and fresh growth. I feel like this plant shows both situations, allow me to explain. This snapdragon was planted in early spring, it produced well, and it mostly died back during the heat of summer. During the fall, it sent up another flower spike which you see in the photo. This is a great example of what plants do when you don't pinch them. This spike died back, and now many more branches are popping out below that flowering spike. Eventually, these will flower, too.
"What's the difference, then?" you ask? Well, the difference is in where the branching starts, and the timing of flowering. When pinching seedlings, pinches are lower down than natural branching typically occurs. This means you get longer cut flower stems, your plants aren't top heavy, and they'll be less likely to flop over in the wind. As for flowering, if you allow the plant to flower on that first spike, it'll take longer for other flower spikes to grow. By pinching, you're redirecting energy into more growth. You'll have more branches, more leaves, more flower spikes, and pinching expedites that growth.
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| Younger snapdragon plant that was pinched to increase branching and eventually flowering. |
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| Young snapdragon plant that was pinched at the right time and has lots of lateral growth. This will become a sturdy plant with lots of flowering spikes. |
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| This snapdragon was planted in early spring, it produced well, and it mostly died back during the heat of summer. During the fall, it sent up another flower spike which you see in the photo. This is a great example of what plants do when you don't pinch them. This spike died back, and now many more branches are popping out below that flowering spike. Eventually, these will flower, too. |
How to Pinch Snapdragons
Pinching is an incredibly simple method of plant pruning, and it's exactly what it sounds like: you just pinch the top of the plant off! Here are some tips to help you pinch your plants at the right time, in the right place. Then, all you'll have to do is wait for those beautiful flowers to show up.
- Wait until the plant has several sets of true leaves. You want at least 2-3 pairs of leaves remaining on the plant after pinching, so that the plant can still photosynthesize.
- Use clean fingers or pruning snips. You don't want to spread diseases among your snapdragons. When switching varieties, I recommend sanitizing your tools. If you notice a diseased plant, always sanitize immediately after using tools on that plant.
- When pinching, you don't want to remove a large amount of the plant. This is why this process is best done before the seedlings begin forming a flower spike. You'll generally remove somewhere between 1/2" to 2" of the plant, depending on its size and whether or not the stem has started lengthening ahead of its first spike.
- That’s it! The plant immediately begins redirecting energy into lateral shoots.
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| Young snapdragon plant that is preparing to flower. |
The Reward: More Productive Plants, More Spikes for Cutting, More Blooms All Season
Once pinched, snapdragons continue pushing out side shoots, giving you more stems to cut and more flowers overall. If you’re growing snapdragons for bouquets, this step is absolutely essential.
Don’t be afraid to pinch your snapdragons. The reward is completely worth it. With this simple technique, you’ll enjoy stronger plants, more color, and a much more abundant harvest over the spring, summer, and fall. It seems scary at first, but I highly recommend leaving a few snapdragons un-pinched, just so that you can compare them firsthand.
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