Growing carnations to brighten up your garden

Carnations are easy to grow and extremely rewarding too. You can plant a variety of colours in your garden and pick the blooms to decorate your home too. When growing carnations, you have three main methods from which to choose. You can grow them from seeds, cuttings or by using the division method. Here’s what you need to know about each of these methods.

Growing from seeds

When growing carnations from seeds, you need to make sure that you opt for a well-drained soil mix. Plant the seeds no deeper than one eighth of an inch. Leave at least 12 inches between each seed to allow for the plant to grow without being overcrowded. Even if you cannot see it above ground, their root systems need lots of space. Water lightly two to three times a week. Before you water, feel the soil to make sure that it has dried out enough. You do not want to overdo it when watering. Within three weeks, the seeds will germinate.

Growing from cuttings

Most professional flower growers use this method for growing carnations. Cuttings need to be taken from terminal flowers. These are the flowers that form at the end of the spout. They are not the blooms that grow where the stem and branch meet. These cuttings need to be between 4 and 6 inches in length. Insert the cutting in pure sand for 25 – 30 days. After this, they will be ready to be transplanted in your garden or a planter.

Growing from division

Your old carnation plant can easily be revived by dividing the plant into segments. This will create multiple plants. All you need to do is remove the plant carefully from the soil and gently pull the segments apart. Replant the division a good distance apart and enjoy! Do this every two to three years to increase the number of carnation plants in your garden.

These are the three ways of growing carnations. If you don’t know which method to choose, you can begin with seeds and then progress to cuttings and division. There are also different types of carnations from which to choose. So, make sure that you understand the needs of the plant before selecting a new home in your garden.