Turkish perennial carnation outdoor planting and care

Since ancient times, the carnation has been a favorite of flower growers in many countries. The scent of a blooming culture is similar to the scent of clove buds - a well-known spice. Hence the name of this flower. But from the Greek language the name of the plant is translated as "divine flower" or "flower of Zeus".

If you decide to plant a carnation in your flower garden, then you need to know some rules for growing, caring for and propagating this flower in the open field. Numerous photos of these wonderful plants will help you choose a variety.

Small, but catchy flowers of the Turkish carnation will look great on any flower bed

Description of Turkish carnation

The Turkish carnation is one of the most common types of plant grown in flower beds. She fell in love with gardeners back in the 16th century for her bright flowering hats. This ornamental plant comes in different shades. There are both monochromatic white and different shades of red, and two- and even tricolor with different patterns on the petals of medium-sized (1-1.5 cm in diameter) flowers. The designs range from petal borders to eyes and intricate shapes. And the carnation petals themselves are very diverse. There are also five-petal varieties and varieties with double flowers. Carnations bloom from the beginning of summer for a month.

Planting a carnation

The most beautiful Turkish carnation grows in fertile soil. It blooms well in open sunny areas, but will grow in partial shade. If fertilizers are added to sandy loam and loamy soils, then they are quite suitable for Turkish cloves. Introduce compost or humus, ash, mineral fertilizers before planting when digging into the soil.

It is not necessary to dig up the future bed too deeply, 25–30 cm is enough. Further, the bed is leveled and moistened if the soil is dry. The prepared area is covered with a thick cloth for two weeks. When time has passed, you can start planting flowers.

If the soil is fertile enough - the flowering of carnations will be long and lush.

Seeds are sown into furrows up to 1.5 cm deep. Between the furrows the gaps should be at least 15 cm. Seeds are sown into the furrows, watered and sprinkled with earth. The soil needs to be lightly tamped. You no longer need to water, you just need to cover the bed with a thick cloth before the first shoots.

Carnation can be planted both in spring and autumn. It is performed using the same technology.

Attention. During fall planting, both seeds and furrows must be dry.

Turkish carnation care

As already noted, carnations feel best in sunny areas in fertile soils. These flowers are very sensitive to winter temperature fluctuations. This is especially true for young plants. Turkish carnations do not tolerate waterlogging and stagnant water.

Plants are most at risk in early spring, when temperature drops are especially large, because during the day the plants are heated in the sun, and freeze at night. To prevent the plants from dying during this period, frost-resistant varieties should be covered with spruce branches. It is possible to remove the shelter only when the probability of recurrent frosts disappears.

Protect Turkish Cloves from Frost

When the carnation has faded, the stems need to be cut and fertilized. Thus, in a month the plant will already grow new stems, and some varieties will bloom again. Turkish carnation, cultivated according to all the rules, lives up to six years, while poor conditions reduce its life in a flower garden to three years.

Water the cloves once or twice a week. And if the summer is dry, then the amount of watering needs to be increased. Water the plant on the ground, because if water drops on the flower, it can burn out in the sun.

Attention. Carnation does not tolerate waterlogging.

Fertilization and feeding

Turkish carnation, planting and caring for which were described above, also needs feeding. When growing carnations in open ground, the first feeding of the plant is done when it has reached a height of 10 cm. 1 tbsp is used as fertilizer. l. nitrophosphate and 1 tbsp. l. Agricola Forward diluted in 10 liters of warm water.

Feed the crop several times per season

When your flowers begin to acquire buds, you need to carry out a second feeding. This time you need to use 1 tbsp. l. potassium sulfate and the same amount of superphosphate, also diluted in 10 liters of water.

The third top dressing is applied directly during the flowering period of carnations for 10 liters of water, 1 tbsp is needed. l. fertilizers "Agricola for flowering plants".

Attention. The feeding consumption should be 10 liters per 5 sq. m.

Plant propagation

Reproduction of the Turkish carnation is most often carried out by seeds or layering. In order to propagate a carnation by layering, you need to follow a simple algorithm of actions:

• in July or August, the shoots must be tilted to the ground, secured and sprinkled with soil;
• tie the stem to the peg, keeping it upright;
• take care of shoots that will appear in a few weeks;
• in the fall, new shoots must be cut off and planted in open ground.

Turkish carnation seeds

Another way of breeding Turkish carnations is cuttings. For this, I most often use shoots that have not formed inflorescences in the current year.

You can also use bushes that have grown in open ground as a result of self-seeding of carnations as seedlings. They just need to be transplanted to the place you need. However, it is worth remembering that self-seeding often loses the distinctive features of varieties.

Diseases and pests of Turkish carnation

The Turkish carnation plant is resistant to diseases, but occasionally, mainly in the southern regions, it can get sick with a viral disease that is spread by sucking insects. It manifests itself in the inhibition of flower growth, the appearance of a mosaic color on the leaves, followed by their deformation. In this case, the diseased plant must be destroyed immediately, preventing infection of other bushes.

Spider mite

It can also occasionally be found in the Turkish carnation. heterosporiasis... This fungal disease manifests itself on the leaves and stems in the form of medium-sized gray spots. Sometimes the spots have a red border. Subsequently, the spots brighten and merge with each other. In this case, the flower becomes fragile in the place of accumulation of spots, the leaves turn yellow and die off.The fungus lives on the plant even after it has died, therefore, in case of infection, all remnants of the diseased flower must be carefully removed, and the surrounding plants must be treated with Bordeaux liquid or copper oxychloride.

Of the pests, Turkish carnations planted in open ground can attack spider mites and aphids.

Turkish carnation in a flower bed

The simplest and most reliable means of countering these pests is considered to be a tincture of potato tops. To do this, 10 liters of water requires 1 kg of potato tops, infused for one and a half days. Before spraying, add 1 tbsp to the tincture. l. liquid soap.

Advice. Spray cloves in a cool morning or evening.

Turkish carnation in combination with other plants

In flower beds, cloves are recommended to be planted with the same perennial sun lovers. For example, Turkish carnations will be perfectly combined with Alpine aster, Carpathian bell and rudbeckia. All these perennial flowers have the same requirements for soil, watering and feel great in open sunny areas.

Turkish carnation in landscape design

In landscape design, Turkish carnation is used quite often. The ease of caring for this flower, combined with its incredible beauty, plays a big role in this. Use cloves to create spectacular borders. Can carnations in landscape design and play the role of a lawn and serve as ground cover plants. Bright caps between the tiles of the sidewalks, framed by the steps, and decorate the retaining walls will look great.

Turkish carnation in landscape design

This flower is often used to decorate alpine slides. In addition to colorful flower beds, you can diversify your landscape design with original monochromatic duets, for example, in a combination of red carnations with blood-red geraniums.

In addition, this flower can be planted in pots and decorate terraces and rooms with small flower beds.

This flower also looks great when cut in bouquets, both as a solo plant and in combination with other flowers.

It all depends only on your imagination. And if you do not have enough inspiration - look at the photos with these beautiful flowers, perhaps they will help determine the best place for carnations in the flower garden.

The Turkish carnation is one of the most unpretentious garden flowers to care for, which pleases anyone, even the most capricious grower, with its bright saturated beauty.

Turkish carnation care: video

Turkish carnation: photo

The beauty of the carnation leaves few people indifferent. For its high decorative qualities, the plant received the name, which means the divine flower or flower of Zeus. A special place in the large family of these perennials is occupied by the Turkish carnation. Planting and caring for it is simple, and it looks bright and rather unusual.

Description of Turkish carnation

Compared to other carnations, the Turkish variety is distinguished by the fact that miniature buds are formed on its bushes, which are collected in dense inflorescences. And due to this, her flowering, even in the photo, looks more magnificent than that of her large-flowered relatives.

Turkish Carnation Haymatland

The color of the petals, depending on the variety, is white and purple, as well as a wide variety of red tones: from pale pink to burgundy. Varieties with variegated petals have been bred - they look amazing in the photo. The average flower diameter is approximately 1-1.5 cm.

Among the most popular varieties:

• Haymatland is famous for its expressive, larger than usual, dark red flowers.
• Lakhskenigin - buds dissolve the petals of a gentle salmon-pink tone.
• Schnebbel - will be of interest to those who like to grow white flowers.

Planting a carnation

Planting carnations will be more successful in fertile soil.In advance, humus or compost, as well as ash, should be added to the place of future beds. The optimal type of soil is loam and sandy loam. It is recommended to set aside an area open to the sun for a flower bed, but you can break a flower garden in partial shade.

Before planting, digging the soil to the depth of the shovel bayonet is performed. The dry soil is watered abundantly. After that, the flower bed is hidden for 2 weeks under a non-woven covering material.

Sowing seeds directly into open ground is performed in two terms:

• in the first half of summer;
• before winter - in the last decade of October.

For sowing, grooves are prepared with a depth of about 1.5 cm, leaving a row spacing of about 15 cm.The sowing density is about 3 cm.

Turkish Carnation Schnebbel

After sowing in the summer, caring for new plantings consists of regular watering. 3 weeks after the emergence of seedlings, the seedlings are thinned out so that there is a distance of 7 cm between them. When all the plants are strong, well-developed, they can be dived for further growth to another place.

When sowing is carried out in the fall, the flower beds are not moistened. Instead, the beds are mulched with peat.

Turkish carnation care

With careful care, the Turkish carnation will decorate the flower bed for 5-6 years. To do this, you need to regularly water the plants, clean the flower garden from weeds and loosen the soil.

Carnation is moisture-loving, but does not tolerate stagnant water and waterlogging - this creates conditions for the occurrence of root rot. Irrigation of the soil is carried out with an abundant volume of water once a week. In the heat of summer with prolonged absence of precipitation, this frequency can be increased. Watering is carried out carefully, at the root, so that the spray does not fall on the leaves and flowers.

Advice. After the end of the flowering period, the carnations are cut low. Before the arrival of cold weather, she can release new shoots and delight with fresh buds again.

Perennials are left to winter in the ground. Before the arrival of frost, the aerial part is cut off. Then the plantings are insulated with a layer of peat, covered with spruce branches on top.

Variegated variety of Turkish carnation

Carnation is hardy, but sudden temperature fluctuations in early spring can damage it. Therefore, with the arrival of the first spring heat, they are in no hurry to remove shelters from the beds or continue to hide plantings under spruce branches with the arrival of dusk.

Fertilization and feeding

Full carnation care should include plant fertilization. Plant feeding is carried out three times a season:

1. In the spring, when the plants reach a height of 10 cm.
2. In summer, when buds are formed on perennials.
3. And after the buds open their petals.

To do this, use nitrophosphate, superphosphate, you can purchase a complex feed for decorative flowering plants. Fertilization is combined with loosening the soil and watering.

Plant propagation

Reproduction of the Turkish carnation is possible in different ways:

• sowing seeds;
• rooting of cuttings;
• by cuttings.

It is better to acquire seeds for reproduction of a favorite variety, since the seed collected with your own hands will not give the qualities that mother plants have. But this rule can be circumvented by using one of the vegetative propagation methods in the open field.

Group planting of Turkish carnations

Cuttings are rooted in the second half of summer. For this:

1. The shoot is bent to the ground and fixed to the soil with pegs.
2. The stem, at the point of contact with the ground, is additionally buried under a layer of fertile soil.
3. The top is tied to the support so that the layering takes the correct vertical position.
4. Care for layering consists in moderate watering.
5. The separation of the layering from the mother plant is performed with the arrival of autumn.

How successful the rooting of the cuttings takes place can be judged after 3 weeks. At this point, roots develop from the nodes, and then new shoots and leaves appear on the stem.

Reference.For grafting, cut off those shoots on which inflorescences have not tied. They are planted in open ground under banks.

Diseases and pests of Turkish carnation

Growing carnations is rarely overshadowed by disease damage to plantings. The plant is highly resistant to infections. Only occasionally do flower growers notice such a disease as heterosporiosis in flower beds. It is fungal in nature and appears as gray spots with a burgundy border. If the problem is left unattended, soon the affected areas will increase in area, which will lead to the death of the leaves, and in the future, the death of the plant.

Caring for sick specimens consists in spraying with such preparations:

• bordeaux liquid;
• copper chloride.

In addition, at the first sign of illness, the affected leaves should be removed from the plants. They remain a source of infection even after this, so plant residues are taken out of the flower garden and destroyed.

Advice. Spraying of flower beds is carried out in the evening or in the morning, when there is no danger of getting a sunburn.

Of the pests, carnation is annoyed by aphids and spider mites. They fight insects with the most common folk method - spraying the bushes with an infusion of nightshade (potato or tomato tops) for two days. For this, 1 kg of raw materials will need 10 liters of water. Before use, add 1 tbsp. l. liquid or grated soap.

Turkish carnation in combination with other plants

An important rule for placing perennials in the open field is to make such combinations of flowers in a flower bed that would not conflict with each other with regard to growing and care. A light-loving carnation will be comfortable surrounded by the same admirers of the sun's rays, like herself. In addition, it is desirable that neighboring perennial crops have the same requirements for the type of soil, irrigation, and fertilization.

Therefore, the combination of carnations in landscape design with such neighbors will be optimal:

• alpine aster;
• Carpathian bell;
• rudbeckia.

Turkish carnation in landscape design

The carnation of the Turkish variety becomes a spectacular border. This feature can be applied in landscape design to decorate flower beds, garden paths, lawns. Low-growing varieties are also suitable for growing on alpine slides. Medium-sized varieties of carnations will harmoniously fit into variegated mixborders.

Turkish cloves in mixborders

It is very profitable to make a rabatka from the plantings of a Turkish carnation - this lush plant spreads out with a thick umbrella and hides the soil well under it. Such a flower bed can contain both varieties of the same flower petals, and a combination of burgundy, red, pink, purple, white varieties.

To use the Turkish carnation in landscaping, it is not necessary to reproduce the flower only in the open field. These perennials grow and thrive wonderfully in pots and ornamental urns that adorn the terraces or porch of your country house.

If you dreamed of stealing your flower garden with an elegant and unpretentious flower, your choice should fall on the perennial Turkish carnation. Growing a plant is not a big deal, and flowers will delight you with their appearance for a long time without frequent transplants.

Turkish carnation, planting and care (video)

Turkish or bearded carnation is a beautiful flower with a rich, pleasant aroma. The Greek word Dianthus, from which the genus of carnation got its name, means "divine flower". It has about 300 species of herbaceous annuals and perennials and, in addition, an endless variety of varieties and hybrids of valuable decorative flowers, common both for the bright beauty of fragrant inflorescences and for ease of cultivation.

Since ancient times, carnation has been associated with victory in bloody battles.In America, she is considered a symbol of maternal love. According to Christian legend, during the execution of Jesus Christ, where the tears of the Virgin Mary fell, these extraordinary flowers appeared.

Turkish carnation is still highly valued among gardeners for its lush, long-lasting, abundant flowering, a varied palette of colors, unpretentiousness, and a subtle enchanting smell.

Description of Turkish carnation

The Turkish carnation (Dianthus barbatus) is a perennial plant, but it is used as a biennial due to the fact that many specimens disappear in the third year of growth. Another name for this carnation is bearded - each flower has bracts. The English call her Sweet William, they eat flowers. Growing in the foothills of southern Europe and Asia, the Turkish carnation was cultivated by man many centuries ago and spread in many countries as a garden flower. The herbaceous plant consists of a knobby stem, hay-green linear leaves and a variety of flowers collected in corymbose inflorescences.

In the first year of life, a rosette of leaves is formed, in the second year the plant blooms and forms seeds. The flower consists of 5 petals and a long marigold. The petals have a horizontal plate of white, pink or lavender. Several inflorescences with 30 flowers in each can bloom on one plant at the same time - the flower itself looks like a fluffy bouquet. The fruit of a carnation is an oblong box with one nest with black seeds.

Cultural and garden forms surpass their wild relatives in decorativeness and diversity. The diverse range of colors and different forms of flowers - terry and simple - amaze the imagination. There are monochromatic flowers, variegated, two-colored, with a border, with strokes, evoking an association with Turkish ornaments. Coloring ranges from white to raspberry to dark cherry, with new varieties emerging every year with new colors.
There are tall varieties up to 90 cm and undersized ones - below 35 cm.

Growing conditions for garden perennial carnations

• Turkish carnations are planted in slightly fertilized soil or in soil consisting of a mixture of humus, rotten leaves and fine sand, taken equally.
• The best results can be obtained by placing the plants in an open, sunny place, watering regularly, without overdoing it.
• Cloves tolerate short-term lack of moisture well.
• In the period from April to June, once a week, add liquid complex fertilizer to the water for irrigation - the Turkish carnation is very responsive to feeding.

Faded flower stalks are pruned to cause a second wave of flowering.

Planting Turkish carnations in open ground with seeds

Turkish carnation seeds photo

When to plant Turkish clove seeds? These are completely unpretentious flowers that are not afraid of low temperatures. Therefore, you can safely sow a beauty directly into the ground at the first opportunity to go “into the field”: when the land is ripe, since the end of April.

• Prepare shallow furrows because the seeds are very shallow and should not be buried too deep. Enough and 1 cm.
• Leave the distance between adjacent rows sufficient, do not spare space: you need at least 15-20 cm so that the bushes do not clog each other.
• In a row, 15 cm is also left between the plants, simply breaking through the extra seedlings. You can leave 5-7 cm between the seedlings and when they reach a height of 8-10 cm, simply transplant the extra specimens to another place.

Seeds sprout for a long time, so do not worry: friendly shoots will appear necessarily, after which do not forget to break through them so that there is no strong thickening. Turkish carnations are easily bred with seeds even with the onset of summer, the bushes have time to take shape in order to winter well and please with bright flowering next year.

When sowing in early June on the seedling bed, the seeds, as rarely as possible, are laid out along the grooves spilled with water, lightly sprinkled with earth.After the emergence of shoots, care consists in timely watering and weeding from weeds. Well-developed rosettes are formed at the end of summer.

They can be transplanted to another place with a distance of 15-25 cm from each other. If you intend to leave the seedlings where they grew, then you should thin out to the required interval, replanting the excess to another place.

If young plants have released peduncles, then it is better to remove them.so that the bushes take root well and do not go weakened before winter. Next year, already with the onset of summer, the Turkish carnation will delight you with lush and abundant flowering.

There is another option for sowing Turkish cloves - dry seeds before winter... Seeds are sown before the onset of persistent cold weather directly on the garden bed without watering. Seedlings will appear with the onset of spring - such plants will bloom a little later.

Sowing in protected ground, in a greenhouse

Seedlings of a Turkish carnation photo Planting a Turkish carnation for seedlings

• A well-lit place for seed germination is chosen, maintaining the temperature there at least 13 degrees.
• Cover the garden with glass or foil to speed up growth.
• The sprouts appear together, about 2-3 weeks after sowing.
• When the seedlings grow up, do not forget to thin them out or plant them in another bed.
• Before transferring the seedlings to the garden, feed them with nitrogen fertilizer - it is used as an anti-stress drug.
• Carnations can be planted in a flower bed at a distance of 25 cm from each other when the weather is warm.

If you grow seedlings and thus extend the growing season, you do not need to cut the flowers and enjoy the flowering this year.

Turkish carnation from seeds at home Sowing seedlings

Turkish carnation growing from seeds when to plant photo

Bearded carnations are sown on seedlings with the onset of February into a special soil.

• The seeds are small, but it is quite possible to spend a little more time and plant the seeds in a separate glass. So you save yourself from the picking procedure.
• They do not deepen much, by 0.5-1 cm.
• Watering is needed in moderation, a drainage hole in the container is required to prevent stagnation of water.
• Seedlings are placed on a sunny windowsill, where caring for it comes down to watering every two to three days.
• Shortly before planting, the seedlings are hardened by placing them on the street in a place without strong drafts - first for an hour or two, gradually increasing the time to a full day.
• It is possible to plant seedlings from the end of April, but only when the threat of night frosts has passed.

How the picking of a Turkish carnation is made, the video will tell:

If you sowed seeds in a common container rather thickly, you should make a pick. Plants are transplanted into separate containers, while trying to damage the roots as little as possible.

Reproduction by layering

The variety you like can be propagated by layering:

• To do this, take a stem, press it to the ground, pinning it with a V-shaped wire at the crown.
• The peduncle should be removed.
• Sprinkle the stem with wet soil.
• After a month, rooting will occur, the layers can be transplanted to a permanent place.
• Such reproduction completely copies the mother variety.

Propagation by cuttings

They are cut from a stem taken from a plant of the second year of life, planted in loose moist soil, creating a light shade. After about 3 weeks, the seedlings will begin to grow - this can be determined by the appearance of new leaves. They are transplanted in August. They will bloom next year. If you carry out this operation in a greenhouse or greenhouse, then the cuttings will take root much faster. This method is used if you want to keep the variety you like.

Turkish carnation is capable of self-seeding propagation. Of course, there will be much fewer plants, but they will still delight you with magnificent flowering.

Diseases and pests

Carnation garden turkish planting and care photo

These flowers love sunny places, they need to be watered periodically, the soil is loosened well after each watering, which will prevent the appearance of root rot.

An appropriate insecticide is used against thrips and green aphids, which cause white spots on the petals.
When watering and feeding, try to keep the liquid from getting on the flowers.

The variety of varieties and the extraordinary unpretentiousness of the Turkish carnation can satisfy the desires of any grower. Low-growing varieties look great in rock gardens or rockeries, they will decorate an inconspicuous area of ​​the garden as a ground cover plant, planted in pots or containers will fill a balcony or veranda with aroma and paints.

Tall forms, planted on lawns, among shrubs, fit perfectly in natural-style gardens. Fragrant picturesque flowers attract butterflies, bees, birds. Cut flowers are kept in vases for about two weeks. This extraordinary flower will be a decoration of any site.

An ornamental plant with bright flowers, sweetish aroma is a popular inhabitant of various types of flower beds. In addition, perennial garden carnation is suitable for container gardening of balconies, terraces, patios. With modern seedlings, you can quickly create beautiful floral carpets in pinks, bright reds, whites and yellows.

Perennial garden carnation: cultivation features

To avoid confusion, it is necessary to understand the botanical names. The garden carnation (Dianthus caryophyllus) is a distinct species with a rich history. However, in everyday life, various carnations cultivated as ornamental plants are often called "garden".

The most famous species and subspecies:

• Garden or Dutch carnation is a perennial plant with a height of 20 to 70 cm.
• G. Turkish - grown as a biennial.
• G. lush is a perennial plant.
• G. alpine is a perennial.

Attention! Almost all cultivated carnations are perennials. However, in central Russia, thermophilic species are grown as biennials or annuals.

Simple linear leaves of a garden carnation, depending on the variety, can be green or grayish-blue from a waxy coating. The diameter and color of the corollas vary greatly. Flowers, single or collected in several pieces, bloom from June to August and September.

Subspecies Shabo Clove (Dianthus caryophyllus var.shabaud) is of hybrid origin. Flowers are large, double or semi-double, of various colors: white, red, yellow, pink. Some varieties tolerate temperatures of –10 ° C for a short time. Hibernates in open ground in central Russia in the presence of shelter.

Landing in open ground

Abundant flowering of carnations in flower beds and in containers depends on the correct choice of soil and location. This provides the plant with an uninterrupted supply of nutrients, water, and the optimal amount of light.

Soil requirements, site selection

Garden carnation prefers light, humus-rich, neutral and slightly alkaline soils. If the substrate is acidic, then add lime, ash. Heavy clay soils are improved by the introduction of peat and sand. Peat and perlite are added to the soil for the container culture.

For planting carnations, choose a well-lit area with light penumbra after 14 hours. Then flowering will be long enough. A shady place is not suitable: leaf growth is inhibited, flowers most often do not develop. Plants in hanging pots, flowerpots and containers should be protected from direct sunlight that drains the soil.

Garden carnations are not recommended to be planted together with moisture-loving plants. You should also avoid locations near streams or other bodies of water where the soil is often waterlogged.

When and how to plant?

Perennial garden carnations are grown in seedlings. Seeds are sown at the end of February or in March, pre-soaking for a day.Prepare seedling boxes or other suitable containers with loose loamy soil.

Seeds are spread on the surface of moist soil, sprinkled with a small amount of sand on top. The boxes are covered with glass or transparent film and left in a dark place at a temperature of 17–20 ° C. Shoots appear in 4–7 days. Containers with seedlings are placed on a windowsill, well-lit by the sun. Spray with water from a spray bottle. After 3-4 weeks, young plants dive into the soil of the greenhouse. Then the plucked seedlings are pinched to stimulate branching of the stem and growth of roots.

How to plant a garden carnation in a permanent place:

• Dig holes at a distance of 15–30 cm and a depth greater than the root ball.
• Add compost and sand in a layer of 3 cm to improve soil permeability.
• The seedlings are lowered into the hole, sprinkled with soil and compacted around the roots.
• Water the seedlings.
• Mulch the soil.

Attention! Drainage is necessary to drain excess water during irrigation. Carnation does not tolerate waterlogging at any age. Young plants especially suffer from waterlogging.

Direct sowing in the ground is carried out in mid-May. The seeds are deepened into the soil by 1 cm, covered with a film on top to accelerate germination and protect from the cold. As soon as shoots appear, the shelter is removed.

Perennial garden carnation: care

The seedlings are thinned out so that at least 30 cm remains between the plants. The plantings are watered, weeds are destroyed. When the stems and leaves form a dense turf, weeding is stopped.

Watering the plant

Perennial carnations cope better with a temporary lack of moisture than with excess moisture. Water the plants sparingly, only after the top layer of the soil has dried. Direct a stream of water to the soil around the root, not to the leaves. Each time after watering, it is necessary to loosen the substrate so that a crust does not form.

Top dressing and fertilization

Well-rotted organic matter is added when planting and transplanting adult plants. Full mineral fertilizer is applied as a liquid top dressing in the spring before flowering and after pruning. Plants in containers are fed more often - every 4 weeks.

Post-flowering care

If you pinch withered stems and inflorescences, then more new buds appear. Immediately after flowering, the stems are cut at a height of about 10 cm above the soil surface to maintain compactness.

Transfer

It is recommended to transplant heavily overgrown carnation bushes to a new place. This procedure is best done in August or September.

Reproduction of carnation

Even a novice florist can use any method for propagating perennial carnations: sowing seeds into the soil, dividing a bush and grafting. If the gardener wants to get a multi-colored carpet, then ready-made varietal mixtures are best suited.

A large mother bush in the spring or after flowering is cut into pieces with a sharp knife or shovel. It is necessary that each delenka has kidneys. Parts are planted in a new place, watered. Valuable varieties are propagated by cuttings. Cut shoots are rooted in containers filled with peat and sand. The substrate should be evenly moist, without stagnant water. The roots grow back within 8 weeks.

Plant diseases and pests

Garden carnation is not very susceptible to diseases, but high humidity, fluctuations in air temperature, and excess nitrogen contribute to the development of infection. If weeds are not removed, they become sources of the spread of fungal spores, viral infections, and bacterial rot. Signs of a fungal disease: the appearance on the leaves of first light, later - brown spots with a red border. Plants are treated with fungicides Fundazol or Topaz.

Carnation pests - spider mites - cover the lower part of the leaves with a fine mesh. Invasion of thrips is manifested by silvery-white spots on the leaves and flower buds. Aphids suck sap from the most delicate parts of plants; they turn pale green, often covered with mucus.They treat pests with biological insecticides: Fitoverm, Vertimek. Can be sprayed with solutions of Aktara and Actellik preparations.

Types and varieties of perennial carnations

Florists are trying to choose ornamental plants for the garden that retain their freshness for a long time and do not require complex care. The large-flowered Dutch carnation (Dianthus caryophyllus var. Semperflorens) ideally meets these conditions. It is a perennial, remontant plant (re-flowering). The hybrids that are combined into a group are obtained by crossing several species and forms of carnation. The flowers are large, double, the petals have a fringe along the edge.

The dwarf garden carnation "Lilipot" is gaining great popularity among gardeners. This is a group of hybrids: Yellow F1, Orange F1, Scarlet F1 with red petals, White F1, Light Purple F1. Plants up to 25 cm in height bloom profusely all summer, remain compact without pinching, can be used for planting in open ground, containers and flowerpots.

Old varieties of Shabo carnations are grown mainly for cutting. Garden carnation undersized from the group of hybrids F1 Dwarf mixture and remontant variety "Child of Nice" are suitable for flower decoration of ridges, mixborders, loggias and balconies, growing in containers. Compact bushes are abundantly covered with double flowers. You can sow seeds in the ground or grow in seedlings.

Even a novice florist, summer resident will be able to grow a perennial garden carnation on a plot or in a container. It is important to remember the needs and characteristics of the plant, follow the recommendations for growing seedlings and care. The carnation will thank you for your care with abundant flowering and bright greenery.