A Detailed Guide to Carnation Planting Techniques and Growing Methods

Carnations belong to the family Caryophyllaceae and the genus Dianthus. Carnations include many varieties and hybrids and can bloom almost continuously in a greenhouse. They usually produce double flowers, with diverse and vivid colors and a fragrant scent. Carnations are one of the most popular cut flowers, representing health and good wishes, and can be used for flower arrangements, corsages, and more. Below, the editor will introduce how to grow carnations.

Carnation Growth Habits

1. Light conditions: Carnations are intermediate-day plants and prefer ample sunlight. Apart from the seedling stage and peak blooming period, there is no need to worry about damage from strong light, and supplemental light can increase flower diameter and color vividness. Light intensity has a clear positive correlation with cut flower yield per unit area.

2. Temperature conditions: Carnations prefer cool conditions and cannot tolerate heat, but they can endure a certain degree of low temperature. If the summer temperature is above 35°C or the winter temperature is below 9°C, growth will be very slow or even stop. During high-temperature summer periods, corresponding cooling measures should be taken, and in winter plastic film should be used or plants should be moved into a greenhouse to maintain an appropriate temperature.

3. Moisture conditions: Carnations have a fibrous root system. Long-term waterlogging in the soil or medium, excessively high humidity, or prolonged high temperatures on leaf surfaces are all unfavorable to their normal growth and development. Therefore, drip irrigation is recommended, and attention should also be paid to water quality and water salinity.

4. Soil conditions: Carnations prefer soil that retains fertilizer well and has good aeration and drainage, with heavy loam being the best. The suitable soil pH for their growth is 5.6~6.4. Some soil analysis experiments show that within a pH range of 5.95~7.9, soil organic matter content has no obvious effect on flowering; this is mainly determined by soil texture.

Carnation Propagation Methods

Carnations are mainly propagated by seeds and cuttings. The optimum germination temperature for sowing seeds is 20°C, and seeds take a relatively long time to germinate, requiring 10~15 days. After sowing, it takes 140~160 days to bloom. The optimum growth temperature for plants is 5~20°C, and when the temperature is above 30°C, plants stop growing or even die. Therefore, in South China, cultivation is suitable in winter and spring. When production is intended for blooming at Spring Festival, sowing and raising seedlings should be carried out from August to early September in a cool region (on high mountains). The potting medium for carnations must have good drainage and be rich in organic matter, and the cultivation environment must have ample sunlight. If the temperature is too high or light is insufficient, plants tend to grow leggy, with slender branches and poor plant shape, and are unlikely to bloom.

Carnation Seedling-Raising Techniques

For a long time, most flower growers have relied on self-propagation and self-raising, consistently using the method of selecting middle side shoots from mother plants in flower-picking fields and taking them for propagation. Seedlings have been reused for many generations, causing seedling quality to decline. The quality of the seedlings directly affects the growth vigor of field plants after planting and the subsequent yield and quality of fresh flowers. Therefore, when cultivating, a mother stock nursery and a cutting nursery should be established. The techniques are as follows:

1. Seedbed preparation: Carnations are fibrous-rooted plants and require loose, breathable soil conditions with good water retention and fertilizer retention for growth; the seedbed soil should preferably be peat or other media based mainly on peat; sufficient fertilizer should be applied into the medium, including nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and some trace elements; three days before planting, water heavily to make the soil fully moist; the medium thickness should be at least 20 cm to ensure that the carnation mother plants have enough soil layer to grow roots, absorb nutrients, and grow and develop normally; seedbeds or beds should be built according to the specifications of the greenhouse or shed; the suitable height of the seedbed is 80~100 cm, and the suitable depth of the seedbed is 25~30 cm, and it must not be less than 20 cm;

2. Introducing mother plants: Select varieties according to market requirements and the local cultivation ecological environment, introduce excellent varieties with high yield, excellent quality, robust growth, strong disease resistance, and good stress resistance, and carefully tend them according to the characteristics of each variety; then take healthy cuttings and root them by cuttings to obtain high-quality strong seedlings, establish a cutting nursery, and produce commercial seedlings;

3. Mother stock nursery cultivation

① Rain sheltering: To ensure robust seedling growth, using plastic sheds for rain-sheltered cultivation of carnation mother stock nurseries and cutting nurseries is a very good measure.

② Density: Planting density has a great relationship with cutting yield; choosing a reasonable cultivation density is beneficial both for plant ventilation and light penetration and for forming a high-yielding population structure and increasing effective branches; generally, a density of about 50 plants per square meter is used; when planting carnations, the principle of planting as shallowly as possible without falling over should be grasped; after planting, water thoroughly and sufficiently to keep the roots in close contact with the soil; if planted too deeply, stem rot is likely to occur.

③ Field management: A large number of white roots growing from the root area indicates that the mother plants have survived, and at this point water should be gradually controlled to ensure a well-developed root system; every 7~10 days, apply fertilizer once according to seedling condition, and spray once with insecticide and fungicide; when plants grow to 7 leaves and 1 heart, pinching can begin, and depending on the branching ability of different varieties, leave 5~7 pairs of leaves to prepare for later side branch development for cuttings; normally they are generally not used for seedling raising and can be used as tissue culture material for rejuvenation and seed preservation; when side branches grow to 7 leaves and 1 heart, cuttings can begin to be taken; generally, 3~4 pairs of leaves are left on the mother plant, and every 25~30 cuttings are tied into a bundle with a rubber band, placed in a cardboard box or plastic box, and stored in a 1~2°C cold storage for later use.

Carnation Cultivation and Care

1. Soil: Requires clayey soil with good drainage, rich humus, good fertilizer retention, and slightly alkaline.

2. Watering: Carnations grow vigorously and are relatively drought-tolerant. In rainy and overly wet areas, the soil easily becomes compacted, and the root system develops abnormally due to poor ventilation, so during the rainy season attention should be paid to loosening the soil and drainage. Apart from timely watering during the peak growth and flowering season, at ordinary times water can be reduced, with maintaining soil moisture being suitable. Air humidity should preferably be kept at around 75%, and appropriately spraying water before flowering to adjust humidity can prevent buds from opening early.

3. Fertilizing: Carnations like fertilizer. Before planting, apply sufficient baked fertilizer and bone meal. During the growing period, liquid fertilizer should also be applied continuously, generally once every 10 days or so with fully decomposed dilute fertilizer water, and apply one topdressing after flower harvesting.

4. Others: To encourage carnations to branch more and bloom more, multiple pinchings are needed starting from the seedling stage: when seedlings grow 8 to 9 pairs of leaves, carry out the first pinching, keeping 4~6 pairs of leaves; when side branches grow more than 4 pairs of leaves, carry out the second pinching, keeping 3~~4 pairs of leaves per side branch, and finally it is best for the whole plant to have 12~15 side branches. During bud formation, keep only one flower bud at the top of each side branch, and promptly remove all small flower buds and side branches sprouting from leaf axils below the top. After the first flowering, promptly cut off the flower stalks, leaving only two buds at the base of each branch. Through such repeated pinching, the plant shape can be made graceful, with abundant and colorful flowers.

Pot Cultivation of Carnations

1. Carnations prefer an environment with dry air, good ventilation, and ample sunlight, and dislike high temperature and high humidity. The optimum growth temperature is 19~21°C. The cultivation soil should retain fertilizer, be well aerated and drained, and be rich in humus. For potted carnations, choose tall pots with a relatively large inner diameter, and first apply sufficient base fertilizer containing potassium, calcium, nitrogen, and phosphorus at the bottom of the pot. After transplanting, water once a day on sunny days to keep the potting soil moist. This is because carnations fear waterlogging and are also not tolerant of drought.

2. During the growing period, alternately apply once every half month dilute urea water, ash from burned wheat straw, or sauce residue fertilizer. It is worth noting that carnations should not be given concentrated fertilizer.

3. Ensure 6~8 hours of light every day. In midsummer, carnations are in a semi-dormant state, and at this time care should be taken to avoid exposure to scorching sun. The potting soil must not accumulate water, otherwise root rot easily occurs. To encourage branching, remove the top when the plant height is 15~20 cm.

4. Generally keep 6~7 lower side buds, then carry out one more pinching, and finally make the plant have 12~14 side branches. During bud formation, keep only one bud at the top of each branch, and all lower axillary side buds and side shoots should be removed. The second removal must be carried out before mid-August.

5. After the above treatment, carnations can be made graceful in plant shape, with abundant and colorful flowers. Generally after transplanting, if water and fertilizer are suitable, temperature is appropriate, and light is sufficient, they can bloom within 3 months.

Carnation Growing Methods: An Introduction to Key Cultivation Points for Growing Carnations

Carnations are what we call the legendary mother's flower. They are currently one of the most widely used flowers in the world. So, what are the growing methods for carnations? Generally, carnations can be propagated by sowing, layering, and cuttings, with cuttings being the main method. Carnations include many varieties and hybrids and can bloom almost continuously in a greenhouse. Since 1907, pink carnations began to be used as a symbol of Mother's Day, so today they are often given as flowers to mothers.

Carnation Growing Methods

Key cultivation points:

Soil: Requires clayey soil with good drainage, rich humus, good fertilizer retention, and slightly alkaline.

Watering: Carnations grow vigorously and are relatively drought-tolerant. In rainy and overly wet areas, the soil easily becomes compacted, and the root system develops abnormally due to poor ventilation, so during the rainy season attention should be paid to loosening the soil and drainage. Apart from timely watering during the peak growth and flowering season, at ordinary times water can be reduced, with maintaining soil moisture being suitable.

Carnation Growing Methods

Propagation methods:

Sowing, layering, and cuttings can all be used, with cuttings being the main method. Apart from midsummer, cuttings can be taken at other times, and the effect is best from late January to early February. For cuttings, choose side branches 7--10 cm long growing from leaf axils in the middle of the stem. When taking cuttings, use the “bud-breaking method”, that is, hold the side branch and bend it downward along the main branch, so that the base of the cutting has a node scar, making it easier to survive.

Carnation Growing Methods

Fertilizing: Carnations like fertilizer. Before planting, apply sufficient baked fertilizer and bone meal. During the growing period, liquid fertilizer should also be applied continuously, generally once every 10 days or so with fully decomposed dilute fertilizer water, and apply one topdressing after flower harvesting.

Carnation Growing Methods

To encourage carnations to branch more and bloom more, multiple pinchings are needed starting from the seedling stage: when seedlings grow 8 to 9 pairs of leaves, carry out the first pinching, keeping 4--6 pairs of leaves; when side branches grow more than 4 pairs of leaves, carry out the second pinching, keeping 3--4 pairs of leaves per side branch, and finally it is best for the whole plant to have 12--15 side branches.

Carnation Growing Methods, How to Grow Carnations, An Introduction to Key Cultivation Points for Carnations

Introduction: Carnations are what we call the legendary mother's flower. They are currently one of the most widely used flowers in the world. Carnations include many varieties and hybrids and can bloom almost continuously in a greenhouse. Since 1907, pink carnations began to be used as a symbol of Mother's Day, so today they are often given as flowers to mothers. So how do you grow carnations? Let us take a look together below.


Propagation methods:
Sowing, layering, and cuttings can all be used, with cuttings being the main method. Apart from midsummer, cuttings can be taken at other times, and the effect is best from late January to early February. For cuttings, choose side branches 7--10 cm long growing from leaf axils in the middle of the stem. When taking cuttings, use the "bud-breaking method", that is, hold the side branch and bend it downward along the main branch, so that the base of the cutting has a node scar, making it easier to survive.


Key cultivation points:
Soil: Requires clayey soil with good drainage, rich humus, good fertilizer retention, and slightly alkaline.
Watering: Carnations grow vigorously and are relatively drought-tolerant. In rainy and overly wet areas, the soil easily becomes compacted, and the root system develops abnormally due to poor ventilation, so during the rainy season attention should be paid to loosening the soil and drainage. Apart from timely watering during the peak growth and flowering season, at ordinary times water can be reduced, with maintaining soil moisture being suitable.



Fertilizing: Carnations like fertilizer. Before planting, apply sufficient baked fertilizer and bone meal. During the growing period, liquid fertilizer should also be applied continuously, generally once every 10 days or so with fully decomposed dilute fertilizer water, and apply one topdressing after flower harvesting.



To encourage carnations to branch more and bloom more, multiple pinchings are needed starting from the seedling stage: when seedlings grow 8 to 9 pairs of leaves, carry out the first pinching, keeping 4--6 pairs of leaves; when side branches grow more than 4 pairs of leaves, carry out the second pinching, keeping 3--4 pairs of leaves per side branch, and finally it is best for the whole plant to have 12--15 side branches.