Carnation Flower

About Carnation Flower and Plant

The single flowers of the Carnations species, Dianthus caryophyllus have 5 petals and vary from white to pink to purple in color. Border Carnation cultivars may have double flowers with as many as 40 petals.
When grown in gardens, Carnations grow to between 6 and 8.5 cm in diameter. Petals on Carnations are generally clawed or serrated.
Carnations are bisexual flowers and bloom simply or in a branched or forked cluster. The stamens on Carnations can occur in one or two whorls, in equal number or twice the number of the petals.
The Carnation leaves are narrow and stalkless and their colour varies from green to grey-blue or purple. Carnations grow big, full blooms on strong, straight stems.

Types of Carnations

Carnation cultivars are mainly of three types:

• Large flowered Carnations - one large flower per stem.
• Spray Carnations (Mini Carnations) - with lots of smaller flowers .
• Dwarf flowered Carnations - several small flowers on one stem.

Growing Carnations

• Carnations grow readily from cuttings made of the suckers that form around the base of the stem, the side shoots of the flowering stem, or the main shoots before they show flower-buds.
• The cuttings from the base make the best plants in most cases.
• These cuttings may be taken from a plant at any time through the fall or winter, rooted in sand and potted up.
• They may be put in pots until the planting out time in the spring, which is usually in April, or any time when the ground is ready to handle.
• The soil should be deep friable and sandy loam.

Carnation Plant Care

• Carnations need some hours of full sun each day and should be kept moist.
• Avoid over-watering as it may tend to turn the foliage yellow.
• Spent flowers should be removed promptly to promote continued blooming.
• Quality of the bloom rests on the soil and irrigation aspects for growing carnations.
• Those who grow carnations should know the importance of pinching, stopping and disbudding.
• At the time of plucking the carnations, leave three to four nodes at the base and remove the stem.
• The plant foliage should not be exposed to the direct heat of a stove or the sun.