Carnations » Plant, care, propagate and more

Plant carnations properly

With that preferred cloves take root quickly in the garden, prepare the soil carefully. Thorough weeding is just as important as deep raking and removing roots or stones. Soil additives such as compost, bark humus, leaf soil, vital lime and quartz sand compensate for minor shortcomings. In the end, the substrate should be humus-loose, well drained and chalky. Planting proceeds as follows:

• Place the potted flower with the root ball in water
• Dig small pits 20-30 cm apart
• Create drainage at the bottom with grit, broken pottery or gravel
• Repot the soaked plant, insert in the middle up to the lower pair of leaves and water

Since the flowers do not like a humid environment, mulch is not spread on carnations. Inorganic mulch is only tolerated in rock gardens or gravel beds.

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care tips

If carnations find the optimal conditions as a result of expert planting, care is limited to the following measures:

• Water moderately during drought without watering the flowers
• Fertilize organically or with liquid every 2 weeks from May to July
• Cut faded flowers after the first bloom
• Cut back close to the ground in spring before fresh shoots

In harsh locations and in the planter, provide the flower with a light winter protection. A layer of brushwood, leaves or pine fronds in the bed is an option. Cover a large bucket with jute ribbons or bubble wrap. It is better to place small pots in bright, frost-free winter quarters.

Which location is suitable?

Carnations thrive in all their splendor in sunny, warm and airy locations. If the soil is humus-rich, calcareous and well-drained, the flowers will develop dense flower clusters over time. On the other hand, avoid a location with semi-shady or even shady light conditions and permanently moist, nutrient-rich soil. Fungal diseases and other health problems are then inevitable.

The right planting distance

No universal planting distance can be given for the multi-faceted carnation genus. Instead, the selected flower variety defines the ideal distance to the planting neighbors. For the well-known bearded carnation, a distance of 30 cm applies, while the delicate Whitsun carnation gets along with 15-20 cm.

What soil does the plant need?

Most carnations prefer a calcareous, rather poor and sandy-dry soil. Too rich a supply of nutrients affects both flowering abundance and resistance to diseases and pests. Within the broad genus, the following special features must be taken into account:

• Sweet William: all varieties of this flower prefer fresh, moist, loamy soil
• heath carnation: the plant is the only one that does not tolerate lime, but thrives in acidic soil
• Carthusian carnation: the flowers reach their optimum in the sandy soil of the rock garden
• Carnation: the lush flower feels particularly at home in moist soil

What is the best planting time?

Do not plant the flowers outside until mid-May at the earliest, so that their tender shoots are not prematurely killed by late frosts on the ground. This applies equally to pre-grown carnations and carnations that you have bought yourself. This date is also relevant for direct sowing of biennial species and varieties.

When is flowering time?

The central flowering period of carnations extends from June to September. If you combine the flowers with spring carnations, you can look forward to the filigree blossoms as early as April. Most species and varieties of this perennial plant have the potential for reblooming. If you take the time to cut off the faded flowers after the first bloom, a second bloom will follow within a few weeks.
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Cut the cloves properly

When the carnations have finished their first blooms in summer, cut off the faded flowers. In this way, the plant does not invest its energy in the growth of seed heads, but unfolds a lush second bloom. If the plant is then allowed to multiply by seeding on its own, leave the withered flowers in the bed. Together with the winter-green foliage, they are cut back close to the ground in spring at the latest to make room for fresh shoots.

As a cut vase flower, carnations will stay fresh for up to 3 weeks if you cut the stems 1-2 cm above the ground early in the morning and change the water daily.
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watering cloves

Carnations love a periodically moist substrate. This claim implies that they don't want to be bothered with drought stress or waterlogging. Therefore, always water after a thumb test when the soil has dried. In the tub, this care is required at shorter intervals than outdoors, where the natural rainfall covers a large part of the water requirement.

Fertilize cloves properly

As a weak feeder, the graceful flower rarely requires additional nutrients. Fertilize In the bed from May to July every 2 weeks with compost and in the bucket with diluted liquid fertilizer. Optionally, administer one once in early summer long-term fertilizer for flowering plants.

hibernate

Carnations are naturally hardy in winter. Since this attribute is differently pronounced in the countless varieties, we recommend the following precautions in case of doubt for safe wintering in beds and planters:

• Cover flowers in the bed before the first frost with needle brushwood or leaves
• Wrap the plant in the bucket with bubble wrap and place it on wood
• Warm the substrate with a layer of wood wool, leaves or straw

Above all, however, consider the impending drought stress in the event of a frost. If there is no snow, water the plant on frost-free days. Fertilizer is not given from August to April.
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multiply cloves

The following two methods of propagating carnations have proven themselves in the hobby garden for generations:

cuttings

In summer, cut off 10 cm long, non-flowering shoots below a leaf node. Defoliate the lower part so that at least the upper pair of leaves remain. After small seed pots were filled with peat sand or pricking soil, place two-thirds of a carnation cutting in it and water on. At the partially shaded, warm window seat, take care of the young plants while they are rooting so that they can be planted out next May.

division

In early spring or late summer, dig up the plant, dividing the root ball into two or more segments with at least 2 shoots. Planted in the new location, watered regularly and spoiled with compost, the flowers bloom in their usual splendor from the following season.

cloves in the pot

In the pot, the flower impresses with its nostalgic flair on the balcony and as a houseplant on the sunny windowsill. Insert drainage under the substrate to prevent harmful waterlogging. If the soil feels dry in the morning, water with tap water at room temperature. The flower in the pot is fertilized with liquid fertilizer every 14 days from May to July. If you regularly clean withered flower heads, the flowering period will be many days longer.

Carnations don't bloom

Do not be surprised if a sown carnation does not bloom in the year of planting. It is usually a biennial plant. In the first season, it is busy developing a root system and dense foliage. Exactly at the beginning of the next growing season you can look forward to the first flowers.

What are the most beautiful types of carnations?

Not so easy to discover the ideal carnations for your own green kingdom among the more than 27,000 enchanting varieties. Knowing the most popular types makes it much easier to choose:

carnation (Dianthus caryophyllus): perennial, multiple inflorescences, height of growth 40-80 cm, flowering period June to September
Whitsun carnation (Dianthus gratianopolitanus): persistent, single flowers, height of growth 5-15 cm, flowering period May to July
Beard Carnation (Dianthus barbatus): biennial, multiple flowers, height of growth 30-50 cm, flowering period June to August/September
Sand Carnation (Dianthus arenarius): Individual flowers, finely feathered, height of growth 10-20 cm, flowering period July to September
Carthusian carnation (Dianthus carthusianorum): persistent, 5-7 flowers per head, height of growth 15-45 cm, flowering period June to September
heather carnation (Dianthus deltoides): perennial, branched, bushy, height of growth 10-40 cm, flowering period June to September
Emperor carnation (Dianthus chinensis): Perennial, branched, height of growth 30-60 cm, flowering period May to September
spring carnation (Dianthus plumarius): cushion-forming, 1-5 flowers per stem, height of growth 20-30 cm, flowering period April to July

The heather carnation has rightly established itself as a standout plant as flower of the year. In addition, the flowers are protected in Germany. Incidentally, the well-known cloves do not belong to this genus, but belong to the myrtle family.

How to care for carnations after flowering?

When it comes to carnations, don't settle for a single bloom. If you cut off the withered flower stalks in summer and apply a dose of fertilizer to the soil, a magnificent second bloom will appear within a short time. If you do not want the plant to self-seed, cut off the stems again immediately after the second flowering. The evergreen foliage adorns the garden during the cold season, so that it can be cut down to the ground in good time before the new shoots appear in spring.

trivia

In the workers' movement, the red carnation is still used as a symbol of identification not only in Germany, but worldwide. Socialist parties have used the symbolic flower since the late 19th century. Century as part of their logo. Students at the venerable University of Oxford wear a white carnation to their first exam, further on, pink flowers in order to prepare for the final exam with a red carnation decorate.