How to grow a carnation at home?

Growing carnations at home are practiced by many amateur gardeners as well, for example, as growing gerberas... This flower has been popular since antiquity and is an unpretentious cold-resistant plant. It is resistant not only to low temperatures, but also to droughts. The best option for growing plants will be fertile soils with good lighting and sufficient heat. Carnations are grown by seeds, which are sown from summer to autumn, both in open ground and for seedlings. Carnations are one- and two-year-old, as well as perennial. The colors can be very varied. There are many types of carnations. The main ones include Dutch, feathery, Chinese, garden carnations.

Planting carnations for seedlings

To get seedlings of carnations, you need to prepare seedling boxes with soil, moisten it and make small indentations - grooves, the distance between which should be about 2 cm. Seeds should not be sown too often. Sprinkle them on top with the same soil. After sowing, the box is covered with glass or placed in a plastic bag. After that, the seedling box should be placed in a room with a temperature of + 24 ° C. After planting carnation seeds periodically you need to monitor and remove condensation from glass or cellophane. Usually, the first shoots appear a week after planting. Next, the cover is gradually removed and a backlight is installed above the box. To prevent sudden temperature changes, young plants are covered at night.

Watering plants should be careful, not plentiful. For greater stability, they can be sprinkled with soil. This is especially true when the seedlings are pulled out. It is necessary to plant seedlings after 2-3 true leaves appear. In the future, you need to take care of the hardening of the seedlings. It is usually planted in open ground in late May - early June. The distance between plants is about 20 cm. This is what concerns planting carnation seeds. 

Reproduction of carnation

Now let's talk about the reproduction of this flower. Reproduction of carnations is possible by cuttings, layering, vegetatively. At the same time, the option of dividing the bush will not be suitable for all types of carnations. In a carnation, the root system consists of a main root, from which many lateral ones grow. There are times when lateral shoots are rooting. The result is a new plant. If we talk about hybrid and varietal varieties of carnations, then in this case they resort to special propagation using cuttings.Since we are talking about cuttings, it would be worth mentioning the timing. The best period for propagation by cuttings is late May - early June.

The process itself carnation propagation by cuttings is the following: you need to cut directly below the node. The stalk should be about 10 cm long and contain 3-4 knots. The lower leaves are removed. Next, you need to make an incision in one third of the thickness of the stem. To do this, you can use a sharp knife. The incision is made along the length of the lower internode. After the operations carried out, the cuttings are placed in a prepared moistened substrate and then in a cool greenhouse. Root formation takes place within 2-3 weeks.

As for reproduction by layering, this method is used for carnations that have long vegetative shoots. Such carnations include bearded and Turkish. The method also involves cutting the shoot and fixing it to the soil. After that, it should be covered with sand and watered periodically. The main thing is to ensure that the incised section of the stem is constantly in wet soil. When roots are formed, shoots begin to grow from the node located above. After that, you can start separating the new plant and planting it.

Carnation care

At growing carnations at home care consists in the use of dressings throughout the summer, which are used as complex fertilizers. The frequency of dressing is once every 2-3 weeks. The only thing that should not be used is fresh manure. As mentioned above, good lighting is necessary for carnations. If the plant feels a lack of light, then the foliage becomes shallow, flowering is scarce. There are varieties of garden carnations that are very sensitive to freezing temperatures in winter. This is especially true for those plants that have reached the flowering stage. This means that even in the fall, garden carnations need to be covered with spruce branches. It is necessary to remove it only after the regular frosts have passed.

Diseases of the clove

If we talk about plant diseases, then to a greater extent the death of young carnations occurs due to the effects of various bacteria and fungi. Plant wilting usually occurs in areas with excessive moisture, as well as with high doses of nitrogen fertilizers. Let's dwell on some types of clove diseases. Fusarium disease manifests itself in the form of wilting and yellowing of the leaves. It also applies to the main diseases in growing asters... The stem is also drilled in the lower part. After a while, the entire plant, including the roots, is completely affected by Fusarium. On the leaves, you can observe the appearance of fungal spores, which are expressed in the form of pink pads. Also, this disease can occur due to applying fresh manure when planting a plant.

Another type of disease is phialophorosis. It is somewhat similar to fusarium, since the leaves from the bottom begin to turn yellow and wither. Some leaves may turn red. If you cut off the stem, you can see rings or brown dots. Due to rhizoctonia in the plant, the stem decays at the root collar. As a result, the carnation receives neither nutrition nor moisture. Gradually, the leaves dry out. This was only a part of the diseases of carnations. But the main question that many growers ask is how to deal with these diseases and what should be the preventive actions?

First of all, when loosening the soil and weeding is carried out, you need to be careful so as not to damage the plant. For preventive purposes, a manganese solution can be used to disinfect the soil after seedlings appear, or after planting seedlings in open ground. Potassium permanganate is used several times a week.If you notice the first signs of the disease on plants, then it is worth using a solution, in principle, of any fungicide, for example Bordeaux liquid, topsin or foundationol. Those plants that are completely affected should be removed.

When rust appears on the nails, powdery mildew and other spots, it is necessary to spray with a solution of foundationol, euparen. You need to spray at least 3 times every 10 days. Prevention is the same as for the above diseases. Rust can be dealt with by liming the soil. Perhaps, this can be the end of this article dedicated to growing carnations at home.

My courtyard

Carnations are beautiful flowers, divided into many types: Chinese, Turkish, garden, indoor, spicy. This flower is quite popular with gardeners for its long flowering, variety of petal color, and unpretentiousness. It is not difficult to grow a carnation on your site or indoor pot, this plant ideally takes root as a perennial or as an annual, it all depends on the variety.

Carnation

Lilac carnations on the table

The most famous types and varieties of cloves

Turkish carnation

Turkish carnation

This type of carnation is most commonly used for horticultural production. The biennial forms a lush bush up to half a meter high. Carnation flowers cover the entire surface of the bush in an even and dense layer, forming a colored cloud. This is one of the most popular types of this plant. The homeland of the Turkish carnation is Southern Europe, where the flower has taken root in the wild.

Despite the fact that the Turkish carnation is a perennial, gardeners prefer to renew the plant every two years due to a sharp decrease in flowering. In the first year, the plant forms a lush bush, and in the second year it begins to bloom profusely for several months. In the third year, the Turkish carnation practically loses all its decorative qualities.

Turkish carnation

The most popular varieties of Turkish cloves include the following: Red Monarch, Kupferroth, Vice Risen, Mirage.

Turkish carnation (bearded)

Dutch carnation

Dutch carnation

This type of flower is known to everyone, because it is he who is grown in greenhouses and sold in flower shops. The stems of the flowers are long - more than a meter, knotty, the leaves are small, narrow, dark green. The Dutch carnation is divided into three subspecies of varieties: tall (for sale), medium-sized and low-growing (for landscaping flower beds). It is from the Dutch carnation that Shabo and the Grenadines originated, which are considered to be separate types of flowers.

Garden carnation (Dutch)

Dutch carnation in the garden

Carnation Shabo

Carnation Shabo

This type of carnation can be both an annual and a biennial, it all depends on the growing area. In the southern regions, this plant most often grows for two years, in regions with a temperate climate - one. This is a rather thermophilic species, but tolerates small frosts easily. The plant does not form a lush basket, the stems of this type of carnation are rather fragile, with a large number of nodes. The leaves are small, dark green in color. The flowers are terry, with a large number of petals, the diameter is up to 7 cm. The color of the flowers is very diverse, it all depends on the variety. Shabo carnations are very fragrant, have a long flowering period, and when cut, retain their freshness in water for a long time.

Shabo carnation in the garden

The most popular varieties of this species: Zhanna Dionysus, Aurora, Luminette Mix.

Carnation Grenadine

Carnation Grenadine

This type of two-year-old carnation is distinguished by its unpretentiousness and frost resistance, which makes it possible to grow flowers even in regions with a temperate climate. The plant is medium-sized - the stem height is no more than 45 cm. Carnations form a rather lush bush with a large number of knotty stems. A well-developed basket contains more than 180 stems with flowers.The flowers of this type of carnation are very large, strongly fluffy, with a wide range of colors. In the first year, a large basket is formed, the second year is distinguished by long and abundant flowering. The frost resistance of the carnation species allows it to winter in the ground without any consequences for the plant.

Chinese carnation

Chinese carnation

This type of annual plants is distinguished by its unpretentiousness, good germination and high flowering capacity. The height of the bush does not exceed 40 cm, the stems are knotty, with a large number of narrow leaves. The flowers are weakly double, 6-7 cm in diameter. The flower petals are paired, with denticles along the edge. The color of flowers is very variable, some varieties are multi-colored. A distinctive feature of the species is burgundy stripes along the petals.

Undersized carpet carnations

Alpine carnation

Alpine carnation

The height of the stems is 15-25 cm, the baskets of the bush are very lush, which creates the feeling of a carpet. The flowers are bright red, small, with a purple eye. It develops and grows well on poor soils, not whimsical to care for, suitable for the formation of borders and rockeries.

Carnation Pink alpine

Sand carnation

Lush bushes form a solid carpet. The height of the stems is 15-20 cm, the flowers are small, up to 2 cm in diameter. The petals are weakly fluffy, most often painted white or pink. The species is distinguished by abundant flowering, unpretentious care.

Sand carnation

Sand carnation - lush bloom

Deltoid carnation

The bushes form a dense turf carpet through which the soil is not visible. The height of the stems is 10-15 cm, the flowers are small, fluffy, most often painted in white, pink and purple. Differs in high decorative qualities due to long and abundant flowering. The species is considered self-sowing, since after flowering it forms a large number of seeds with high germination.

Pinnate or Hungarian carnation

Video - History of the carnation: variety of species

Growing carnations in personal plots

Soil selection and preparation

Carnation is a thermophilic plant that blooms beautifully in full sun. Flowers do not tolerate shade and excess moisture, which immediately affects the flowering capacity.

Where to grow cloves

Plants thrive in neutral soils that are well fertilized. Peaty, loamy and sandy lands are also suitable for flowering beauties. On heavy soils, the plant's flowering decreases, therefore, in the place where it is planned to plant a carnation, it is advisable to dilute the earth with sand or peat.

Peat application

If the soil in the area is acidic, it must be deoxidized with dolomite flour.

Dolomite flour use

Clove has a positive attitude towards natural and mineral fertilizers and responds with abundant flowering. Before planting seeds or seedlings, it is advisable to add potash fertilizing without chlorine and nitrophosphate to the ground. If the soil is prepared from winter, then you can fertilize it with manure. It is impossible to apply fresh manure in the spring under the cloves, the plants can "burn out".

The most non-aggressive fertilizers among all types of manure are goat, rabbit and, in part, sheep

Growing carnation seedlings

Carnation seeds

Clove seeds ripen in a capsule. Carnation propagates in different ways: by seeds, cuttings, layering. It all depends on the type of plant. Perennials are most often renewed and propagated in a vegetative way, annuals and biennials are usually sown in open ground or germinated with seedlings.

Step 1. Preparing the soil and seeds

It is customary to sow carnation seedlings at the end of winter or at the very beginning of spring. For seed germination, you can use ready-made soil or make the soil yourself. For the soil, turf and peat are needed in equal proportions. Sand must also be included in the mixture, but in a smaller amount than the other components. It is recommended to calcine the sand before mixing for disinfection.

Growing carnation seedlings

Prepared Seeds

Step 2. Filling the pots with soil

The prepared mixture is scattered into boxes or pots. It is advisable to spill the soil well with a weak solution of potassium permanganate. Before planting the seeds, the soil should be thoroughly moistened.

Step 3. Sowing seeds

The seeds are immersed in the soil by 1 cm and slightly covered with sand from above. This is necessary for the best germination of the material. After planting, the containers should be covered with foil, creating a greenhouse effect. The optimum temperature for seedling germination is 18-20 degrees.

Sowing seeds

Moisturizing crops

Sowing containers are closed with a lid

Step 4. Care of crops

After the appearance of the first shoots, the process of hardening the plants begins. The film must be removed, and the pots with sprouts must be transferred to a room in which the air temperature does not exceed 12-13 degrees. You also need to provide young plants with good lighting, at least 12 hours.

Carnation shoots

Carnation sprouts

Watering the seedlings depends on the quality of the lighting. If the plants are under special lamps, the sprouts can be watered abundantly. If the sprouts get by with daylight, watering should be very moderate, otherwise there is a risk of provoking the development of fungal diseases.

Step 5. Dive the carnation

It is best to dive plants from the box when the sprouts have released 2 leaves. Plants need to be transplanted into the soil of the same composition. It is recommended to plant sprouts every 3 cm, the distance between the rows should be at least 5 cm.

2 week seedlings

Dive soil

We take out the sprouts with a clod of earth

Separating the sprouts

We moisten the soil and make holes

Planting and watering the sprouts

It's important to know. Experienced flower growers advise planting flowers at the first pick directly into cassettes, which will allow a strong root system to form. Also, this method makes it easier to transplant plants into open ground and protect the seedlings from infection with various diseases.

Step 6. Transplanting cloves into the ground

At the end of April, the seedlings need to be prepared for transplanting into the ground. Preparation consists in hardening and pinching the seedlings. Hardening should be carried out daily, but make sure that the plants are not in a draft. Pinching of the growth point is carried out when 5 leaves appear on the shoot. This will allow a lush bush to form.

Seedling carnation

Sowing carnation seeds in open ground

Seeds are sown in the ground in early May. Frosts of at least 4 degrees are not terrible for seeds; rather, on the contrary, hardening will benefit the plants. Shrub types of carnations are best planted at the distance that corresponds to the height of the shoots: tall - 45-50 cm, medium-sized 30-40 cm, undersized - 20-25 cm.The distance between the rows should be observed in the same way. Seedlings of carnations grown on windowsills are planted according to exactly the same principle. But the landing time is the end of May, when the probability of night frosts is minimal.

The carnation is planted in the ground and covered with foil

Reproduction of perennial carnation

Perennial carnation species can be propagated vegetatively, this method helps to preserve the species characteristics of the mother plant. Since the lateral stems of a carnation are branched and powerful, the bushes are often propagated by cuttings. The procedure is carried out at the end of May. Healthy and powerful cuttings are selected, which are cut to a length of 10 cm, it is desirable that there are several nodes on the cuttings. You need to cut the stalk strictly at an angle. Then a vertical incision should be made on the lower part of the cutting, dividing the shoot into two parts by a third of the length. With this cut, the shoot sticks into well-moistened soil and becomes slightly compacted. If the procedure is carried out correctly, after a couple of weeks, roots appear on the cuttings and then shoots.

Carnation propagation by cuttings

Breeding a pinnate carnation by cuttings

Reproduction by layering is similar to cuttings, but the incised lateral shoot does not immediately separate from the mother bush. The separation is carried out only after the shoot gives the first shoots.

Reproduction by branches

Reproduction of a carnation by dividing a bush

Plant care

Features of carnation care

Carnation is a rather unpretentious plant that does not need constant watering. With proper lighting and the absence of stagnant water in the ground, the plants will delight with amicable flowering all summer.

Features of Turkish carnation care

The location of plants in sunny and well-warmed places is also due to the fact that young shoots of carnations are very sensitive to night and day changes in temperature in spring. Temperature jumps especially negatively affect young bushes that have not reached the flowering stage.

It's important to know. If the soil on the site is very waterlogged, it is recommended to do drainage before planting the plants: a cushion of sand or rubble that can wick excess moisture away from the roots.

Biennial plants that begin to bloom only in the second year of the growing season should be protected from the cold for the winter. To do this, the bushes are covered with spruce branches so that a vault forms from the needles, protecting the shoots.

With timely fertilization, carnations often begin to bloom again in one season. To provoke re-flowering, you need to cut off the stems with wilted buds at a distance of 8-10 cm from the ground. Then the ground at the roots of the bush must be loosened, complex fertilizer for flowering plants must be applied and well watered. After 3-4 weeks, the bush releases new shoots, and the carnation continues to bloom until late autumn.

Fertilizing cloves

Fertilizer should be applied after transplanting seedlings into the soil or emergence of seedlings several times per season. Cloves accept all types of fertilizers well, the only thing that needs to be excluded is fresh manure.

Growing Shabo carnations - photo

Video - How to properly grow a carnation

Diseases and pests

Clove thrips

Clove thrips

This pest "specializes" only in carnations, it does not need any other flowers. The results of the activity of this insect are visible to the naked eye: the flowers begin to wither, the petals quickly begin to fall off. This is due to the fact that insects settle in the flower head and begin to suck the juices from it. Special pesticides help to get rid of aggressors.

Bears, scoops

These pests literally gnaw the flowers apart, completely destroying the receptacle. Also, stems and leaves of plants suffer from these insects. If you do not take action, then in a week the brood of insects is able to completely lime the flower garden.

Heterosporia

Heterosporium on cloves

The disease is caused by fungi. On all organs of the flower, spots of gray color appear, sometimes with a red border. If you do not take action, the spots begin to grow, coalescing. This leads to drying out and deformation of the plant. The fungus persists on all parts of the plant and pruning the bush will not lead to a cure, only special preparations can help.

Rust

Rust

This disease is provoked by waterlogged soil or excess nitrogen. With rust, pads form on the undersides of the leaves, in which the spores of the fungus ripen. Once ripe, the pustules burst and spores infect other parts of the plant or spread to nearby bushes. When damaged by rust, the plant begins to dry out.

Growing carnations is not overshadowed by almost any problems. The only thing a gardener needs to know is that a carnation is a cross-pollinated plant, so it is not recommended to plant flowers of one variety next to flowers of another variety.

This plant is quite unpretentious, but growing it has its drawbacks. Growing Shabo carnations from seeds is troublesome.The main problem is the long wait for the result, because the plant will bloom only six months after planting.

The lifespan of the Shabo carnation is not limited to one year, however, it does not tolerate the winter cold. You can try to protect the carnation in the open field in winter with a covering material or move it to the greenhouse during the cold weather.

Advice! Usually Shabo carnations are planted using seeds or cuttings. With the seed method of propagation, the flowers do not retain their species characteristics. Growing an exact copy of the parent specimen requires the use of cuttings.

Seeds for growing Shabo carnations can be purchased at specialty stores. Harvesting your own seeds is very difficult. This is easy to explain: the seeds simply do not have time to ripen completely, because this requires stable favorable weather conditions for a long time (up to two months). The ripening period occurs in late summer and early autumn.

If you plant immature seeds, they will disappear altogether or give weak shoots the next year.

You can sow seeds directly in the open ground or grow seedlings at home. In the first case, the carnation will bloom only in the second year. The seedling method of growing will give you the opportunity to admire the flowers already in the year of planting.

Advice! Sowing seeds for seedlings should be in February or the end of January. There is very little sunlight during this time period, so you will have to take care of additional lighting.

Growing Shabo carnations from seeds

To begin with, the planting material must be prepared: immerse for some time in a light solution of potassium permanganate. Do this for disinfection. Further, all actions are performed according to the following algorithm:

• Preparing the soil for planting seeds. You can use a ready-made store-bought mixture for flowering plants or make it yourself. An example of a soil mixture: half a part of sand, two parts of humus, part of peat and two parts of sod land. The finished soil, in which the cultivation of carnations will be carried out, must be disinfected. To do this, it is watered with potassium permanganate (low concentration) or subjected to preliminary freezing.
• Choosing a convenient container for seeds. These can be plastic boxes of small depth. It will be convenient for plants in them before the first transplant, because the roots in this period do not yet have time to grow strongly.
• The earth must be moistened and shallow holes must be made in it for seeds.
• Spread the seeds and sprinkle them with sand (it must first be warmed up at a high temperature). A substrate for flowers is also suitable; it is also laid out on top with a thin layer (about 3 mm). Compact the cover layer by lightly pressing it down with your hand.
• Shabo carnation seeds are covered with foil or glass and placed in a place where there will be a lot of heat and light.
• Wait for the first shoots. This will happen in about a week. With their first appearance, the seedlings are transferred to a cool place (temperature regime - no higher than 15 degrees).
• Do not remove the film until the last sprout has sprout. However, it is necessary to air the seedlings regularly, opening the film for a short time once a day.
• Eliminate temperature extremes and drafts, do not overmoisten, take care of good lighting of the seeds.
• A month later, the first leaves will appear. The plant is now ready for the first pick.

Picking

To improve the development and growth of carnations, they must be transplanted. They tolerate this procedure quite easily. How to do it correctly?

• For transplanting, take a large box or small separate containers.
• The ground will fit the same as when landing. It must be moist before transplanting.
• The seedlings are carefully rolled over, without sprinkling the ground from the roots. The soil near the roots must be compacted.
• Individual individuals are planted in a box with a step of 5 cm.

The second pick is carried out at the time of the appearance of three pairs of leaves. Now voluminous and spacious pots are selected so that there is enough space for the development of the root system.After this pick, the plant will be transplanted a third time into open ground. The whole procedure is no different from the first pick.

Advice! After the second pick, pinch the top of the plants. Then the carnation will start up additional shoots on the side, it will become more lush and beautiful.

Planting Shabo carnations in open ground

They are planted in April or May, when the cold weather has passed. At first, it is better to protect the seedlings from accidental night frosts, covering them with a film overnight.

Choose a good spot: it should be bright and sheltered from the wind.

The soil for carnations is moist, not acidic or alkaline. To increase soil fertility, apply fertilizers in the autumn (rotted manure).

The interval between the planted plants should be about 30 cm. They are transplanted by the transshipment method. The roots are placed close to the surface.

It is important to monitor soil moisture during this period so that the plant successfully takes root in a new place.

Advice! Do not plant Shabo carnations near busy roads. Polluted air will negatively affect the condition of plants.

Carnation rules for Shabo cloves

When caring for seedlings, it is important to follow the rules:

1. Maintain the light regime (if necessary, increase daylight hours artificially) and temperature norms (the room should be cool, no more than 15 degrees).
2. Try not to overfill the seedlings so that the roots do not rot.
3. Seedlings need to be hardened, but this should be done gradually, the lowest possible temperature is 12 degrees.

After planting in open soil, the following are recommended:

1. Avoid stagnant water, for this water sparingly.
2. It is necessary to feed the cloves. In the initial stage, the cultivation of flowers requires the introduction of nitrogen fertilizers. Use potash and phosphate fertilizers during the inflorescence period. You can buy ready-made flower formula at the store. Feed regularly (after two weeks) with a small amount.
3. Strengthen the bushes with flowers with pegs, the stem of the Shabo carnation is tender and weak.
4. Do not forget to loosen the soil near the bush.
5. To give a well-groomed look to the Shabo carnation bushes, it is advisable to pinch the shoots growing on the side.

How to protect from disease

If the carnation is sick, the diseased bush must be destroyed. In this case, the entire flower bed must be treated with copper sulfate (water solution).

Avoid planting carnations next to tulips. These flowers easily transmit various diseases to each other.

Do not plant carnations in the same spot for more than two years.

Do not allow moisture to stagnate; it serves as a good breeding ground for harmful bacteria.

How to propagate by cuttings

For reproduction in this way, do the following:

• In the fall, the best individuals are dug up and transferred to the house.
• After flowering, the stems must be shortened to preserve the plant.
• In early spring, cuttings are cut. To do this, take the middle of the stem.
• The cut must be treated with a root growth stimulant.
• Planting at home is done in moistened sand.
• The stalk is covered with glass or foil.
• Regularly ventilate and watered as needed.

Wait for the roots to appear in the third week. A bush is formed from the cuttings, which can be transplanted to a permanent place.

If you are patient and careful in handling carnation seedlings, you can wait for its generous flowering. Don't let the length of the wait scare you.

The grown Shabo carnation will become a universal decoration of any solemn occasion: whether it be a holiday or mourning. Carnation bouquets retain their beauty for a long time. Proper care will help maintain long flowering, which can continue in your home with the onset of cold weather.

Foreword

Garden carnation blooms very beautifully, and it is worth taking on a rather complicated, lengthy and laborious process - growing a bush from seeds. We have compiled a small guide to help every lover of this plant.

Seed preparation and planting

In order to properly organize the cultivation of garden carnations with the help of seeds, first of all, it is necessary to competently prepare the planting material itself. This is a fairly long and gradual process that should be started in autumn. So, collect the portion of seeds left over from the carnation flowering and hide it in a shaded and dry place. Planting is recommended around the second decade of January. Prepare the soil first. For these purposes, mix equal parts of soil with humus, then add peat (about ¼ part) and some sand.

Garden carnation seeds

Now you can start landing. The required amount of clove seeds must be soaked for several hours in a solution of potassium permanganate for disinfection and additional growth stimulation. Planting is simple - place them in pre-prepared furrows, deepening about 3-4 mm into the ground. In this case, it is advisable to fill the rows of seeds not with soil, but with pre-calcined sand. The optimal temperature regime is about + 15-16 degrees. Correctly organized cultivation will give the first shoots in 8-12 days. After that, the temperature should be slightly increased, up to + 23 ... + 25 degrees. It is recommended to wrap boxes with seedlings with a layer of plastic wrap to create the so-called greenhouse effect.

Growing strong seedlings

For good results, protect your clove seedlings from cold temperatures, drafts, and other adverse factors. Acclimate plants gradually with daily airing. To do this, once a day, remove the protective plastic film from the seedlings and leave for 5-7 minutes. Special attention should be paid to watering at this stage of care. Moisten the seedlings regularly and very carefully. In this matter, it is important to maintain a balance, since overdried soil inhibits plant growth and weakens it, and excessively moist soil can cause rotting of the root system and the death of seedlings.

When all the shoots appear, the protective film is removed from the box and it is placed on a window, preferably located on the sunny side. For normal, full-fledged development, seedlings may need additional lighting. If carnation is grown at home, you can use an ordinary electric lamp for this purpose, turning it on for 3-5 hours a day.

Growing carnations at home

As for the picking of plants, on this issue the opinions of flower growers may differ. Someone claims that a carnation needs at least three transplants, others insist on two. Pay attention to the number of seedlings that appeared during the first shoots. If there are too many of them and they shade the plants, then a dive should be made, thinning the planting furrows so that there is a distance of about 4–5 cm between the plants. Otherwise, do not rush to transplant and wait until the seedlings acquire several real leaves. Experienced gardeners say that picking helps to activate growth processes and provides plants with optimal access to the nutrients contained in the soil. The next time a garden carnation is transplanted when more than 4-5 leaves appear on it.

After the second pick, it is recommended to start hardening the plant in order to accustom it to the effects of unfavorable external factors. For these purposes, gradually lower the temperature in the room, up to + 12 ... +15 degrees. In May, boxes with plants should be taken out into the fresh air in order to gradually prepare the seedlings for the upcoming transplant. The hardening procedure during this care will make the carnation stronger, resistant to low temperatures and less susceptible to most common diseases.

Planting young plants in the ground

The best time to move carnation seedlings into open soil is considered to be the end of May - the first ten days of June. Garden carnation is an extremely delicate and light-loving plant. Therefore, landing is appropriate only in an area open to access to sunlight, but protected from drafts and strong winds. The soil for the cultivation of this beauty has been prepared since autumn by the introduction of compost, nitrogen and organic fertilizers. Just before planting, the soil must be thoroughly dug up and loosened by 3-4 mm.

Moving flower seedlings into open soil

It should also be emphasized that the carnation belongs to plants with an extremely high degree of drought tolerance, so it simply does not tolerate stagnant water. Consider this feature when choosing a footprint.

The distance between the seedlings should be about 25-30 cm from each other. In this case, the substrate accumulated on the rhizome must be preserved. When planting, it is not recommended to bury the plant too much into the ground, since it takes root much worse. At the end of the procedure, lightly mulch the soil with sand or sawdust.

Features of carnation care

Further care of the carnation does not require much effort from the gardener. However, there are still certain subtleties in leaving. To provide the carnation with maximum oxygen access and improve the microcirculation processes, the soil around the bushes must be regularly loosened and slightly undermined. It is best to do this after watering or precipitation, allowing the soil to dry out a little.

As for moisturizing, you should be extremely careful here. Excessive and intense watering can destroy the plant, provoking rotting of its root system. To prevent this from happening, moisturize your cloves as needed, but no more than once every 2 weeks. Also, make sure that no liquid gets on the buds and flowers of the carnation. This has an extremely negative effect on the condition of the plant and can cause the development of characteristic diseases and pathological conditions.

After the flower stalks appear, you will need to take care of the stability of the carnation. The fact is that this plant is characterized by long and intense flowering, up to the onset of the first frost. And so that the bushes do not break off, you will need to tie them to the special pegs driven in near each plant.

Garter of plants with peduncles

Of course, one should not forget about weeding, regularly clearing the area from weeds. It is especially important to observe this rule at two stages of the life of a carnation: during the acclimatization of seedlings after planting in open ground, as well as during the formation of buds and the phase of active flowering, which require a large amount of strength and nutrients.

Such diligent cultivation will be rewarded with a lush, but often shapeless bush, so the owner, among other things, will have to take care of the appearance of the clove thickets. To make them look well-groomed, you will need to periodically remove the side shoots by pinching. In addition, already faded flower stalks should be carefully trimmed, shortening them by about half. Such manipulation contributes to the active development and growth of the bush, increases its vitality, ensures its more active and intense flowering in the new season.

If you want the plant to delight you with abundant flowering as long as possible, you can additionally nourish it during seasonal care. The first feeding should be done 10-14 days after planting the seedlings in the soil. Clove needs especially intensive nutrition during bud formation. The third top dressing can be applied 2-3 weeks after the beginning of flowering.

What darkens the cultivation of beautiful flowers?

Cloves are quite susceptible to fungal pathologies, even with proper care.The disease manifests itself in the presence of specific spots, drying of leaf plates, wilting of stems and breaking off of buds. In diseases with a viral nature, the growth and development of the plant is significantly slowed down, its deformation is observed, the carnation practically stops blooming. To combat such ailments, leaves, shoots and stems with signs of the disease should be removed and then burned outside the garden.

After that, the bushes are treated with preparations with a high copper content. Spraying with infusions of onion husks, tobacco or garlic also gives a good effect. To reduce the risk of developing pathologies of a viral or fungal nature, it is necessary to monitor and control the level of soil moisture. Moderate watering, preventing decay processes, will serve as the best preventive measure in such a situation.

It is also necessary to monitor the cleanliness of the site, promptly remove old dried branches, as well as shoots with traces of damage. As for garden pests, the carnation is often attacked by bears and earwigs. You can get rid of them with the help of drugs such as Grizzly, Medvetox, Bankol, Fenaxin plus, Iskra, Inta-vir.

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