Sowing in open ground
The first step is to figure out when to plant a Turkish carnation outdoors. They do this in the third or fourth decade of May, when the threat of night frosts has passed, and the soil and air have warmed up enough.
On a note! Sowing seeds in open ground can also be carried out in the fall - in October, but remember that the seed in this case, like the soil, must certainly be dry. After sowing, the site is insulated with sawdust or peat. In the spring, the mulch layer is removed.
Sowing seeds is desirable in a sunny area. The most preferred are places with sandy loam or loamy soil. A couple of weeks before sowing, the bed is dug to a depth of about 20 cm and a mixture of compost and wood ash is added - for each square meter, about 7 kg of organic matter and 250 g of ash. In parallel, you can fertilize the soil with mineral fertilizers for flowering plants - about a tablespoon per square meter. We cover the prepared area with polyethylene and leave it for 10-15 days.
We proceed directly to planting a Turkish carnation:
- We make shallow grooves in the soil, leaving a distance of 15 cm between them. Thoroughly spill them with water.
- We put seeds in each groove. Do not forget to leave 2-3 cm between them.
- Sprinkle with substrate on top and slightly compact the soil. Cover the crops from above with woven material.
- When the first shoots appear, we remove the cover.
Collection and selection of seed
Before starting work on planting carnations, the gardener has a choice - buy ready-made seeds or prepare them yourself.
It can be tricky to seed your own seed as clove seeds need dry, warm and sunny weather to ripen. Flowering occurs in the second half of summer and around the end of August, and then, instead of inflorescences, boxes with seeds appear. It takes about 30-40 days for carnation seeds to ripen, so in the absence of a dry warm autumn, the gardener will have to try to get seeds of the proper quality.
For better preservation of the seeds, a transparent cloth should be wrapped around the flower - gauze or nylon, since the fruits of the carnation, when ripe, spill out onto the ground from the open boxes.
In most garden varieties of carnation, seeds cannot be collected from annual plants, but only from perennial or biennial representatives. For example, the perennial blue imago carnation variety allows harvesting seeds for several years in a row. This variety is distinguished by lush bushes with single blue flowers and looks great both when planted in balcony boxes and pots, as well as outdoors. Self-collected seeds can be stored at home for about 3 years.
Let's take a closer look at popular varieties.
Florists often use bright solid color carnations. Thanks to the wide color palette, different varieties of garden carnations can be used to create different compositions. Let's take a closer look at the best varieties for growing in the garden.
Champagne. Terry golden petals emit a pleasant, delicate aroma. Flowers 5–7 cm in diameter are collected in inflorescences, which can be up to 20–25 pieces. Low stems form a neat bush. The variety is suitable for decorating flower beds and for cutting into bouquets. After a long flowering of buds (from June to October), it is recommended to bring the plants indoors.
Difficulties in growing carnations
However, there are still a few common problems to be aware of before landing. Although the plant is not too demanding on conditions, it is afraid of pests.
Carnation pests:
- A spider mite affects the carnation - in this case, the reverse side of the leaves will be covered with a white bloom, and the plant will bloom much worse.
- Aphids, powdery mildew and other common pests also pose a threat.
The carnation must be protected from threats: if any plant on the windowsill is affected, it is better to immediately remove the carnation pot to another place. If signs of disease appear, the leaves are washed with soapy water. In this case, you need to make sure that the soap does not get on the roots - this can only damage the plant. The foam is left on the leaves for several hours (but not overnight), and then washed off.
If these measures do not work, it is better to purchase special fungicides in a phyto-pharmacy. One of the effective remedies is Actellik - this drug kills most pests, but it is toxic, so it is used only in extreme cases. Another effective remedy is Fitoverm, it is safer, but you still need to carefully follow the instructions.
Often cloves get sick if poor quality soil is used. Purchased in a store, and even more so recruited in the garden, the earth must be spilled with a weak solution of potassium permanganate in order to kill microorganisms.
Necessary conditions for growing carnations at home
Home care for a room carnation is simple. But in order to get a brightly flowering plant, it is necessary to provide it with comfortable conditions.
The soil
Ideal for indoor cloves is a neutral soil consisting of:
- leafy ground (1 hour);
- peat (1 tsp);
- turf land (2 hours).
Before starting sowing, the soil is thoroughly spilled with an antibacterial solution.
Temperature
- The plant grows and develops comfortably in a cool room. Optimum temperature conditions are 12-14 plus degrees.
- The plant is sensitive to sudden changes in temperature conditions. When the temperature rises above +24 degrees, the plant stops blooming; if the air temperature drops below +8 degrees, the flower may die.
Lighting
Carnation is demanding on lighting. It is necessary that the flower be illuminated with natural light every day for at least 5 hours. But it is necessary to avoid the bright rays of the sun on the surface of the leaves of the plant.
If it is impossible to ensure the flow of natural light to the flower for more than half of the day, then artificial lighting is required.
Air humidity
Regular spraying with warm, settled water will provide the plant with rapid growth and the formation of strong peduncles.
Watering
The plant is also demanding for watering. The earth in the flowerpot should not be allowed to dry out
The comfortable development of the flower will be ensured if the soil in the flowerpot is constantly moistened.
It is also important to ensure that moisture does not linger at the bottom of the pot. This can be achieved by pouring a layer of drainage mixture on the bottom of the flowerpot before sowing the seeds or in the process of transplanting the plant.
Water for irrigation must necessarily settle within a day or two
Do not water the flower with cold water, this can negatively affect the duration of flowering.
Watering cloves is best done in the evenings.
Top dressing
To get a lush blooming bush, it needs regular feeding. Fertilizer for flowering plants is applied every 2 months after the initial transplant.
The second way to feed the flower is by spraying with mineral and fortified formulations. Spraying is carried out once every 10 days.
The ideal fertilizing option for cloves is a mineral fertilizer with a large presence of potassium.
The plant is an annual, therefore, no transplantation of an adult plant is performed.
Reproduction
The easiest way to grow indoor carnations is by seed. Sowing seeds in the ground is done in early spring (early March-April).It is best to use seeds obtained from last year's plants for sowing work.
Carnation breeding rules:
- Carnation seeds are distinguished by excellent germination.
- Pre-soaking of seeds is not required. This procedure can be simplified: place the seeds in a small container filled with soil, then spill the soil abundantly with warm water.
- The seed container is placed in a brightly lit and warm place. As a rule, the first shoots will emerge from the ground within a week after sowing.
- As soon as the seedlings grow into young bushes, it is necessary to carry out the formation of the plant. The top of the plant is pinched at the time of the appearance of 5 true leaves. A similar method is used to pinch the side shoots.
- Carnation begins to delight flower growers with lush flowering 3-4 months after planting. If sowing is carried out in early spring, then the plant will bloom all summer and early autumn. Autumn planting of seeds in the soil is allowed, but in this option, the flowering of the plant will begin only next year.
Air humidity and watering
Air humidity for a carnation is almost irrelevant. It does not need to be additionally sprayed, this procedure is even contraindicated for the above reasons. Even in winter, when the central heating turns on and the air becomes dry, additional moisture is not required.
Watering is carried out as the soil dries up. Instead of handling the watering can with a fixed period, for example, every 3 days, it is recommended to monitor the soil moisture. Flat wooden sticks, which are still used for ice cream, are well suited for this. The test procedure is simple: the stick must be immersed in the substrate and left for 5 minutes. If, after removing from the soil, a wet trail remains on it, watering is not yet required.
Reproduction methods
To get a beautiful garden from carnations, you can purchase seedlings, sow them and grow them from seeds, or use the method of dividing the bush and cuttings. If you have at least one healthy adult bush, you can divide it into smaller ones. This procedure is carried out in the spring, until the moment of active growth of the plant. For the procedure, it is necessary to dig out the entire bush, divide the root system and carefully cut it with a knife so that in each part there is a well-formed deciduous rosette.
Another option involves the propagation of carnations by cuttings, the harvesting of which must begin from the first month of summer. The stalk should be 10-15 cm long and have at least two pairs of well-developed leaves. For rooting, wet sand is used, where the cuttings are placed. To make the growth process go faster, it is better to cover the stalk with polyethylene, or put a glass container. If everything is done correctly, then after a month the cutting will take root, and it can be transplanted into the ground.
Carnation can also be propagated by seeds that are collected from bushes or purchased in a store. Sowing of planting material is carried out from May to June
It is important to properly prepare the ground, which should be fairly light. You can buy it in the store or make it yourself by mixing turf soil with peat and sand.
A simpler solution is to use peat tablets, where the seeds are sown.
In order for the seed to give healthy shoots, it is important before planting to lower it into a solution of potassium permanganate and leave it there for 20 minutes. The soil should also be disinfected by exposure to high temperatures
The grains are not deeply deepened so that growth is faster. You do not need to water the soil, you need to sprinkle it with water and make a greenhouse, which is removed with the appearance of green shoots. For the growth of carnations, seedlings are placed in a lighted and warm place, where they are located until the onset of spring and transplant into open ground.
Shabo carnation in landscape design, combination with other plants
Creative landscape designers are very fond of the Shabo carnation for its unpretentiousness, grace, tenderness and brightness. The variety of varieties and varieties allows plants to harmoniously fit into any kind of garden and flower garden.
Low-growing varieties are used to frame garden paths, island flower beds.
Other types fit perfectly into the compositions of rockeries, alpine slides or mixborders. The Shabo carnation is used as a bright and eye-catching decor located on balconies and outdoor verandas.
Flowers look great in floor pots and planters.
Higher varieties of carnations can become a worthy decoration on any part of the entire landscape; they are planted to decorate lawns and ridges, to decorate gravel beds.
Carnation Shabo champagne variety
The versatile carnation flower is combined with many plant representatives, but it looks especially good in a company with various herbs.
- Pink flowers can be planted with lavender and oregano.
- Inflorescences of delicate pastel shades are ideal in the vicinity of lemon thyme.
- Purple carnations can be planted with blue anhedonia, camphor wormwood and thyme.
Lemon basil, mint, lobelia, sage, laurel, rosemary can be excellent companions for Shabo cloves.
Since the Shabo carnation retains its attractiveness for a long period after cutting, it is often used in bouquets and festive flower arrangements. These versatile cultures, thanks to the numerous palette of colors and shades, are able to create a unique design, an unforgettable festive atmosphere. Bouquets not only become a real decoration of the holiday, they also fill the room with a unique aroma.
Location and temperature
The culture is light-loving. It should be located on the south, south-east or south-west window. This will extend the daylight hours. The longer it is, the more nutrition the plant receives, which means that it grows faster and better forms flowers. But you cannot overexpose the plant: it can get burns. If you leave the pot on the south side, it should be shaded.
In winter, if the carnation was planted in the fall, the flower will need additional lighting with a phytolamp. So the culture will receive the required amount of ultraviolet radiation. You can do without UV lamps, but in this case, flowering may not take place. Without enough light, the bushes stretch out and become less beautiful.
How to Grow Turkish Carnation?
Room temperature within + 20 ... + 25 degrees is the most comfortable for the plant. Maintaining it in centrally heated homes will be easy. Cloves can easily tolerate constant maintenance in conditions of + 13 ... + 15 degrees. If there is a partially insulated balcony, you can leave it there.
Please note! The plant is able to tolerate frost only if it grows in open ground, which freezes more slowly. An indoor flower, forgotten in the frost, can die overnight, because the soil in a small pot cools very quickly .. As for the heat, a carnation can withstand air heating up to +35 degrees
In summer, it is recommended to take the flower out to the balcony or place it next to an open window so that it does not overheat. But you should refrain from showering or spraying: water falling on the stems and leaves can lead to the development of a fungus
As for the heat, cloves can withstand air heating up to +35 degrees. In summer, it is recommended to take the flower out to the balcony or place it next to an open window so that it does not overheat. But you should refrain from showering or spraying: water falling on the stems and leaves can lead to the development of a fungus.
Feather carnation care
The plant is unpretentious and care consists in timely watering and fertilization.It is required to weed the soil from weeds only near young plants, because when they grow, they take up all the space, and drown out weeds. After the plant fades in the flowerbed, it is necessary to cut off the inflorescences, and cut the bushes in half (for those who have severe winters, it is better to leave them as a "fur coat"). This technique allows the plant to build up a green mass, the feathery carnation will bloom more abundantly in the next season. The feathery perennial carnation is a winter-hardy plant, therefore, without special shelter, it tolerates frosts well, which is why it has earned such great popularity.
Reproduction
To get more flowering bushes in the country garden, we use cuttings, dividing the bush, propagation by layering and seed propagation.
By cuttings
A great way to maintain maternal qualities. For reproduction of perennials, plant tops and main shoots are used. In June, cuttings 10 cm long must be cut. The top can be removed, and the bottom cut at an oblique angle below the leaf node. The lower foliage can be torn off. Cuttings are planted in a nutrient substrate in small containers. After 2 weeks, roots will appear on the cuttings, and the plant can be transplanted to a permanent place or into flower pots.
Important!
When transplanting near plants, you need to compact the soil well.
To keep the feathery carnation in bloom until the next season, it is necessary to transfer the flower pots with the onset of cold weather to a cool, but frost-free room. From time to time, when the earthy coma dries out, the cloves need to be watered. It will be possible to plant flowers in a summer cottage in mid-May.
By dividing the bush
A simple breeding method that allows you to enjoy the flowering of new specimens in the same season. You need to start dividing a perennial bush in early spring, the bushes have time to take root in a new place and bloom in a couple of months.
Do not try to preserve overgrown specimens with small flowers. Even reproduction by dividing the bush will not renew the plant. It is better to propagate such specimens vegetatively, and dig up and discard old bushes.
Reproduction by layering
Long vegetative shoots allow propagation of these perennial flowers by layering. To do this, a deep longitudinal incision is required on the underside of the stem of the pinnate carnation, at the internodes. Then put this part of the stem on the ground with an incision down, pin it down and sprinkle it with soil. Water regularly to keep the soil moist at all times. Root formation occurs within 2 weeks, after which it is necessary to separate the young plant from the mother, and transplant it in a summer cottage to a new place.
Pests and diseases of flowers
Plumose carnation bushes growing in open field rarely get sick. But greenhouse flower representatives have a hard time. The development of fungal and viral diseases in perennials is influenced by many factors, such as thickening of plantings, constant dampness and an excess of nitrogen fertilizers against the background of a deficiency of potash. You can not apply manure and pure nitrogen fertilizers under the planting of pinnate carnations. It is recommended to feed with complex fertilizers containing potassium.
Plants die from viral diseases and cannot be saved, but fungal diseases can be dealt with. If velvety spots with a bloom appear on the leaves and stems, it is necessary to treat the plants with fungicides.
Fusarium is especially dangerous. The development of the disease occurs inside the plant, the base of the stem and root rots, the leaves of the perennial plant roll up, the stems break off at the base. To combat fusarium, fungicides are used, spraying the plants twice with an interval between treatments of 1 month.
