How to grow carnations to achieve full blooms
The editor introduces how to grow carnations for full blooms and related knowledge about carnation cultivation techniques, and will discuss them next.
Introduction: Carnations are one of the most common varieties of flowers, symbolizing health and auspiciousness. They have beautiful flowers and a delicate fragrance, making them very suitable for keeping at home. Potted carnations are easy to care for and have a long blooming period. The only thing that makes us worried is that if not properly cared for, carnations may have small flowers with faint fragrance and sparse branches, resulting in fewer blooms. Today, AYong is here to tell you how to grow carnations to make them full and lush, easily achieving full blooms.
Choose alkaline soil
When growing carnations, many flower enthusiasts make habitual mistakes in the basic step of soil selection. Among the common flowers we see daily, most prefer acidic or neutral soil, but carnations are an exception. They prefer alkaline soil. Therefore, when preparing the soil, we need to add some perlite and wood ash to maintain a slightly alkaline pH, and reduce the use of acidic materials like iron sulfate, vinegar, and acidic leaf mold. AYong recommends using a mixture of leaf mold, garden soil, perlite, river sand, and wood ash in a ratio of 3:2:2:2:1 to prepare the growing medium for carnations.
Ensure sufficient lighting
Carnations are typical light-loving flowers. In low-light conditions, their leaves and flowers become small, and their fragrance is relatively faint. Therefore, when growing carnations, we need to ensure they receive more than 8 hours of direct sunlight every day, especially during the blooming period.
Water moderately, keeping the soil slightly dry
Carnations do not require much water, and their roots fear excessive soil moisture or waterlogging in the pot. We do not need to water too frequently, just keeping the soil slightly moist and allowing the carnation roots to grow in a slightly dry environment. Generally, following the soil preparation method mentioned above and in a well-ventilated environment, we can water once every 5 days. Of course, we can also water thoroughly when the soil is about 70-80% dry.
How to grow carnations to achieve full blooms
Control temperature to prevent frost damage
Carnations are sensitive to temperature. They grow quickly at temperatures between 20-25 degrees Celsius, and their growth slows down significantly at around 10 degrees Celsius. In temperatures below 5 degrees Celsius, they are prone to frost damage, so it is essential to take measures to keep them warm during the winter.
Regular topping and pruning
Some flower enthusiasts find that their carnations have sparse branches and few blooms, largely due to insufficient pruning. Carnations do not have a strong ability to produce lateral branches and buds, so we need to manually top them to stimulate the growth of lateral branches and buds. This process needs to be repeated, with each branch undergoing three to five topping operations to produce more branches and create conditions for blooming.
Conclusion: In the process of caring for carnations, we need to pay attention to the soil pH, repeatedly prune, and lay a good foundation for blooming. Under these conditions, provide sufficient lighting, maintain a dry soil environment, and take measures to prevent cold damage. This way, your carnations can bloom for 100 days a year, easily achieving full blooms.
Do you understand the detailed introduction of how to grow carnations for full blooms and related carnation cultivation techniques shared in this article?