Chinese carnation - growing from seeds. Chinese carnation: growing from seeds of annual and perennial plants

Everyone chooses their favorites among a huge variety of colors to suit their taste. Talking about which flower is better or worse is a thankless task. They are all undoubtedly good, at least because they are unique. Chinese carnation has an original beauty and a number of characteristics that make it recommended for cultivation to every flower lover.

These bright colors in a variety of shades you can decorate anything: a flower bed, the facade of a building, borders, a balcony (they are good in container plantings, which makes them a mobile decoration). The flowering of Chinese carnations is lush and quite long. The plant is easy to care for. If Chinese carnation has not yet settled on your site, most likely after detailed information, she will become one of your favorites, you will want to give her a place in the garden.

When does the Chinese carnation bloom?

The flowering period of Chinese carnation lasts from June to August. Today, the efforts of breeders are aimed at creating hybrids with earlier and longer flowering.

The flowers have a subtle aroma. After flowering, slightly elongated seeds ripen; if handled carelessly, they can be damaged.

Chinese carnation grows as a bush with a height of 10-15 cm to half a meter. The stems are thin, erect, and some varieties have characteristic nodules. The leaf plates are elongated in shape with pointed tips, arranged in pairs, depending on the variety, they can be narrow or wider, and curl slightly at the ends. The leaves and stems are green and may have a bluish coating.

Chinese carnation has been cultivated since 1702. It is a perennial plant, but in conditions middle zone In Russia, one- and two-year-old varieties are grown. Chinese carnation is also in demand in floristry: it is grown not only at the amateur level, but also on an industrial scale.

When to plant Chinese cloves in the ground with seeds

In the conditions of central Russia, annual varieties of Chinese carnation are most often grown, which is still better to grow through seedlings. Perennial or biennial varieties can be sown directly in the flower bed. You can sow seeds directly into the garden bed (in open ground) when the ground warms up to the range of 15-18 °C and the air temperature reaches 20 °C. Approximately in terms of timing, such conditions occur in the second ten days of May.

Before soaking the seeds for 20 minutes in the solution succinic acid, which is prepared according to the instructions. Let them dry a little, but do not dry them completely, you can just blot them with a paper napkin.

Dig up the area and remove weeds. Make beards 1-2 cm deep. Mix the treated seeds with agrovermiculite, sow carefully, sprinkle agrovermiculite on top. Moisten the crops (it is better to spray with a fine spray, as the soil should be slightly damp, not flooded). To protect against daily temperature changes, cover the top with foil at night or build a greenhouse over the crops.

Under such conditions, seeds germinate within 3 weeks. When the seedlings grow and become stronger and produce a couple of true leaves, you need to thin out the crops, leaving a comfortable distance. Plants pulled out for thinning purposes can be used as seedlings.

In regions with moderately cold winters, good self-seeding of cloves is noted.

Growing Chinese carnation seedlings at home

Start growing Chinese carnation seedlings in late February-early March (some gardeners recommend sowing as early as January if it is early spring in your region). You will need a container or any wide container. Place any drainage at the bottom, fill it with a universal substrate for growing seedlings, or prepare it yourself: garden soil with the addition of sand and vermiculite.

Distribute over the surface of the soil, sprinkle with vermiculite (it promotes seed germination), spray with a fine spray.
Place the container with the crops on a bright windowsill, maintain the air temperature at 20 °C, and the soil should be constantly moist. You don't have to cover it with film.
When the sprouts appear, the temperature will need to be lowered to 15-17 °C to prevent them from stretching.
After two true leaves appear, plant the sprouts in separate containers, where the seedlings will continue to grow until transplanted into open ground.
When the plants grow, pinch the tops, leaving 4 true leaves, and cutting off the higher ones with scissors. This will provoke the growth of side shoots and will allow you to get powerful bushes with abundant flowering.

You can replant into the ground when the threat of return frosts has completely passed. By this time the plants may already have lost their color. A week before planting, harden the seedlings - first take them out into the garden for a few hours, then increase the length of time until the seedlings are able to spend the night outside.

By transferring an earthen clod. The hole must be of the appropriate size for this purpose. The root collar is located flush with the soil surface.

How to pinch carnation seedlings video:

Conditions for growing Chinese carnations in open ground

Chinese carnation is a perennial plant. As a rule, in the first year after sowing, a strong healthy bush is formed, and abundant flowering begins in subsequent seasons (several buds may still appear in the first growing season). In addition, many annual varieties have been bred that flower in the first year - they bloom a few weeks after sowing.

Carnation is not difficult, you just need to follow some recommendations. It all starts with choosing a landing site. In order for the plant to grow well, it is necessary to choose a drained area without stagnant moisture. Do not plant in lowlands or close proximity groundwater build high bed. Chinese carnation feels great on cultivated garden soil. Loamy soils are ideal.

Can be planted outdoors sunny area and in partial shade - the flowering is equally magnificent. To support the flowering process, it will not be superfluous to apply fertilizers. Before planting, add humus or compost for digging. In strong shade, the plant is capable of producing a small number of buds per season, but this is not particularly decorative.

Even in annual varieties, the rhizome has time to grow during the season. To prevent plants from interfering with each other, optimal distance there is 20 cm between them. Density of plantings leads to poor air permeability, which can provoke disease.

Seed propagation is applicable for absolutely all plants; perennials can be propagated by dividing the bush.

Propagation of Chinese carnation by cuttings

The perennial Chinese carnation reproduces well vegetatively.

First, you can root the cuttings. Use shoots without buds that have 3-4 leaf nodes. Cut the cutting, stepping back about 1 cm from the lower node, remove all the leaves from it (node) and make a pair longitudinal sections. Remove the remaining leaves too, and shorten the top ones by half. Plant the prepared cuttings in pre-calcined sand, water, cover the top glass jar or cropped plastic bottle. The sand should not dry out. The cuttings will take root after 3 weeks, then they can be transplanted into open ground.

Reproduction by layering

Tall bushes (0.5 m high) can be propagated by layering. To do this, make a hole, bend the stem to the ground, make cuts at the node - in this place there should be contact with the soil, secure the layer with a staple, sprinkle with earth, the top of the shoot should be above the soil surface. Water throughout the rooting period. Next season, separate the young shoot from the mother plant and replant.

Dividing the bush

Reproduction by dividing the bush allows you to get several new plants that fully retain all the characteristics (doubleness, petal color). The method itself is not complicated, but it is not suitable for all varieties. Most of them have a tap root and cannot be divided. You can try dividing varieties with well-developed rhizomes. Optimal time is spring time before flowering begins. Carefully dig up the bush, divide it into several parts, each of which should contain three living growth points. Plant the cuttings in prepared holes according to the size of the root system, press the soil around the seedling with your palms, and water.

How to care for Chinese carnations outdoors

In order for Chinese carnation bushes to begin to bush, it is necessary to pinch the tops of the stems at the seedling stage (see video above).

After planting in open ground, Chinese carnation needs moderate watering, weeding, periodic application of fertilizers. Perennials need preparation for wintering.

How to water

Water your Chinese cloves regularly and sparingly. In extreme heat, water more deeply, but do not allow moisture to stagnate.

Periodically loosen the soil and remove weeds from the area.

How to feed

In order for the flowering to be lush, fertilizing will be required. It is enough to feed 2-3 times per season (after the seedlings take root, at the beginning and during flowering). Some gardeners consider it acceptable to fertilize up to 3 times a month. Give preference to potash and complex fertilizers with a low dose of nitrogen.

Trimming

Cut off faded buds from the bushes (you can leave a few to collect seeds). To rejuvenate perennial bushes (regarding half-meter ones), by August they can be pruned a little.

Winter hardiness of Chinese carnation

In autumn, the stems of biennial and perennial carnations are cut, leaving a length of about 10 cm above the soil surface. Mulch the plantings with dry leaves and cover with spruce branches; after snow falls, add an additional snowdrift.

Diseases and pests

Chinese carnation proper care not exposed to diseases and pests. The prerequisites for the appearance of diseases are waterlogging of the soil, thickening of plantings, overfeeding with fertilizers (an excess of nitrogen in the soil is especially harmful) or, conversely, a deficiency of potassium. Also, Chinese carnations are susceptible to the same fungal diseases as tulips - do not plant them next to each other. It is not recommended to cultivate carnations in the same place for more than 5 years; for preventive purposes, plantings are treated with a fungicide in the fall.

If red or dry spots appear on the plant, the bushes will wither regardless of watering, the affected plants will have to be destroyed (to avoid the others getting sick), and the plantings must be treated with a fungicidal preparation.

Destroy spider mite or other pests will be treated with an insecticide.

Chinese carnation in landscape design

Thanks to the splendor and brightness of its flowering, the Chinese carnation is loved by many gardeners.

Neat low bushes look great along garden paths, are used for edging flower beds, creating living borders, and adding picturesqueness to facades. Island or bouquet planting against the background of a lawn is an excellent option for using Chinese carnation in landscape design. When grown on alpine slide you will need to take care of the nutritional content of the soil.

Half-meter specimens will serve as background plants; you can combine different varieties, combining height and color.

Chinese cloves are grown not only for personal plots, it can often be seen in parks and squares.

Origin of the name and a little history

This plant is called carnation in Russia. Chinese carnation (Dianthus chinensis) translated from Latin means “divine flower”, the second component of the name is determined by the country of origin. It was from China that it came to Europe, also in natural environment lives in Korea and Mongolia.

The origin of cloves is shrouded in legend. She is divine because she was loved by Zeus and Jupiter. And the flowers appeared thanks to the anger of Artemis, which fell on the shepherdess. He annoyed the goddess of the hunt with his annoying singing, and from the drops of his blood this flower appeared. The entire history of the popularization of cloves is associated with struggle and sorrow. This beautiful proud flower, shining like a torch, became a symbol of the great historical events (French revolution, Great October, World War II).

Chinese carnation is a more “peaceful” representative of the Carnation family. Initially distinctive features The species had streaks of burgundy on the petals. More than three hundred years of active breeding work has significantly diversified appearance plants. Many varieties have appeared with monochromatic (white, pink, red, lilac, burgundy, lilac and even blue) colors.

There are two-color varieties: the edges of the petals are dark, or vice versa, the core is dark with more light shade to the top of the petal. There are simple, terry and semi-double forms. The simple corolla consists of 5 petals, with serrations and fringe at the ends; at double flower consists of several rows of petals. Depending on the variety, the diameter of the corolla varies between 1-4 cm.

The best varieties of Chinese cloves with photos and names

Varieties of Chinese carnation with simple flowers are as popular as double carnation. Caring for the latter is also carried out according to general rules, in addition, longer flowering is noted.

Thanks to the work of breeders, widest choice varieties:

Chinese carnation Diamond mix Dianthus ‘Diamond Mix’ photo

Diamond - bushes 25-30 cm high, double inflorescences, dark red;

Vesuvius - thirty-centimeter bushes flash with an orange-red hue of inflorescences;

Schneeball - a variety of Chinese carnation about 30 cm high, snow-white, double flowers;

Tenderness - a plant with a height of 40-45 cm, double, snow-white flowers;

Feuerball - plant height is 25-30 cm, double flowers are bright red;

SnowfireF1 – stems stretch to a height of 20 cm, flowers are semi-double, double colors: the eye is bright pink, then the shade is lighter;

Black and White - a variety with thirty-centimeter stems received this name because the inner part of the petals is dark burgundy, the outer part is almost snow-white; double flowers.

The series are especially popular:

Charm F1 - profusely flowering carnations about 20 cm high, most often grown as a container crop. There are six pure shades: coral, red, pink, scarlet, white, they can also be mixed;

Parfait F1 - crumbs only 15 cm high, flowers are not double, large. The series has two varieties: Raspberry Parfait - the dark pink core turns into a dark pink shade of the petals; Strawberry Parfait – deep pink eye, petals of a more delicate shade;

Telstar F1 – bushes 25-30 cm high. There are seven subcultivars:

Chinese carnation Crimson charm Dianthus chinensis ‘Crimson Charm’ photo

Crimson – fiery red flowers;

Picotee - fiery red petals with a thin snow-white border;

Pink – soft pink shade;

Purple Picotee - purple petals with a white border;

Scarlet – bright red flowers;

White – snow-white flowers;

Telstar Mix is a mixture of shades.

Medicinal properties of Chinese cloves

In addition to being decorative, Chinese carnation has a number of medicinal properties. Only used traditional medicine. For the preparation of medicinal products (infusions, decoctions, oils), the above-ground part of the plant is mainly used; the roots are rarely used.

The medicinal properties of Chinese cloves are due to the rich chemical and biological composition of substances. Among them: glycosides, saponins, a number of alkaloids, some flavonoids, various vitamins, coumarins, tannins. Unopened buds and flowers in large quantities contain essential oils.

Taking the drugs has an anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, diuretic, diaphoretic, hemostatic and analgesic effect.

An infusion of seeds is an excellent diuretic. The infusion on flowers has therapeutic effect with uterine bleeding.

The result of comprehensive research by Chinese scientists is proven information about the ability of the components of Chinese clove oil to inhibit the development of cancer cells.

There are no contraindications to the use of products based on Chinese cloves, but individual intolerance is possible.

Preparation of medicinal raw materials

All parts of the plant are used as medicinal raw materials: roots, stems with leaves, flowers and seeds.

Dig up the roots with a garden shovel, clear the soil and rinse well under running water. Then blot with a napkin or towel. Cut into small pieces and arrange thin layer on newspaper or a special mesh for drying. Dry in a shaded place with good ventilation (attic, shed, i.e. out of reach of moisture). Can be quickly dried in the oven at 45-50°C.

Place the dried raw materials in fabric bags and store for two years. After the expiration date there is no point in using it - the medicinal effect is lost, replace with fresh raw materials.

Harvest the above-ground parts (stems, leaves, flowers) in dry weather during the daytime (after the dew has disappeared). Cut the stems almost to the root. Separate the flowers and dry separately in the same way as the roots (on a mesh or dry bedding, spread out in a thin, even layer). The stems can be gathered into a bunch and dried by hanging. Store such raw materials in fabric bags or paper and cardboard boxes for no more than one year.

Collect seeds during their ripening period. Carefully pour out of the fruit-box. Store in paper bags. Seeds remain viable for 4-5 years.

Chinese cloves are grown as annual plant and for seedlings, seeds are usually planted in February, in previously prepared soil. The sowing process can be done randomly. The top of the seeds should be slightly covered with loosened soil. It is necessary to moisturize very carefully, only with a spray bottle. In order for seedlings to successfully sprout from seeds, the container must be placed in a very bright place and periodically moistened only with a spray bottle.

Slightly grown seedlings should be planted in pots.

In order for plants to grow healthy, they do not need to be kept in a hot place.

It should be moderately warm and light enough. When real leaves begin to appear, pinch off the tops. This way you will achieve the appearance of side shoots. When growing Chinese cloves from seeds at home, you need to take care of hardening. To do this, in early May, you can gradually open the windows on the balcony, or windows. Already at the end of May, you should start planting in the ground, the distance between plants should be about 30 cm. You need to water the flowers regularly and after a couple of weeks, you can apply complex fertilizers.

Growing from seeds

To admire the flowering plants throughout long period time, you can grow seeds in April. We prepare a suitable container for this and place drainage on its bottom. After this, add the prepared, moistened mixture consisting of garden soil, sand and vermiculite. After this, lay out the seeds and lightly sprinkle them with vermiculite. Cover the container with film and place it in a bright place with a temperature of about 20 °C.

After the shoots emerge, and this will happen within a few days, the film must be removed.

Care consists primarily of maintaining the temperature; it is unacceptable that it, even at night, drops below 17 °C. The soil must be moistened, only with a spray bottle, in moderate quantities. If the weather is not sunny enough, you should use an additional source of lighting. After a couple of true leaves appear, picking will be required. About three weeks after the seedlings appear, the ambient temperature must be reduced. The night temperature can be increased gradually to 12 °C. Suitable for this glass balcony, where you can open the window a little at night. To make the bush lush, you should pinch it above the third pair of leaves. If picking is done in convenient plastic cups, the process of root formation becomes clearly visible. If a sufficiently powerful earthen lump, you may need to transplant into a larger container.

Seedlings

The optimal time for planting seedlings is considered to be the first days of June. At this time, it is guaranteed that there will be no frost. It is advisable to choose a sunny place, shaded from the intense heat of the day. The soil should be loose and have good drainage properties. It’s okay if you have to replant flowering plant, that's quite common occurrence. When planting, it is recommended to maintain a distance of about 25 cm between plants.

How to care

To understand how to grow a plant, you should Special attention pay attention to mulching the soil. This will help achieve a long flowering period. When watering, you should adhere to a very moderate regime.

The soil should not be allowed to dry out. It should be barely damp.

We must not forget to promptly remove faded buds. 20 days after transplantation, you must add mineral fertilizers. It is also necessary to feed the plants when the budding period begins. IN last days July, it is recommended to start trimming the buds. Such an event will help achieve sustainable flowering in August. To ensure that the plant overwinters painlessly, trim it, leaving about 8cm. on top of the soil and take care of shelter.

Chinese carnation is a beautiful perennial plant. True, in regions with temperate climate it is grown as an annual. Chinese carnations have been used in landscape design for more than three hundred years (counting back to 1702). And it is not surprising that during this time many interesting varieties were developed.

Any carnation looks good in flower beds and borders, in containers displayed on balconies and terraces. A mixture of cloves of different shades can be grown on the Alpine mountains, since such plants take root well on rocky soils.

General information

Chinese carnation is a relatively low flower with a straight, erect stem and narrow lanceolate leaves of a rich green hue (in some varieties they have a twisted shape). The plant forms bushes up to 0.5 m high. But there are also dwarf varieties with a bush height of only 15 cm. It blooms from July until late autumn, so it will be a desirable crop in any garden, pleasing the eye when most plants are already withering. True, a lot depends on the region. In harsher climates, carnations will bloom only until August-September.

Her flowers are single or collected in “bouquets” of 4 pieces. A description of the plant would be incomplete without mentioning the colors of the petals. Initially, Chinese carnations were not distinguished by a particularly rich palette - there were only familiar colors: red, white, bright pink. But for long years selection has produced varieties with the most fantastic colors - purple, white-red, cherry, pearl-white, almost always with a contrasting stripe along the edges of the petals. You can also find a variegated variety, in which several shades are mixed.

The flowers of the plant are very beautifully shaped. There are varieties with the usual finely toothed edges or deeply dissected. At one time, both double and semi-double forms were bred, as well as varieties with feathery petals. Interestingly, terry hybrids can bloom longer than regular varieties, up to 5 months. But flowering begins a little later, around the end of July.

There's one more thing beautiful plant- Turkish (or bearded) carnation. It differs from the Chinese one in the presence of bracts. The variety of cloves is amazing. In the garden you can grow the most different types and varieties.

The most popular varieties

Today in stores and garden centers you can find the seeds of the most different varieties. There are about three hundred of them in total. The most popular include:

1. Diana - no terry variety, growing in bushes of medium height - up to 25 cm in height. Compact crop, blooming from July to September.
2. Supra - a non-double spreading variety that blooms from July to October.
3. Grace - a beautiful terry variety. The bushes are spreading, quite tall - up to 30 cm, sometimes more. Blooms from July to October.
4. Ideal select - a profusely flowering variety, usually grown as a biennial. The height of the bushes is 20-25 cm, the diameter of the flower is on average 4 cm (quite a lot for this type of carnation).
5. Dulce - a mixture of Chinese and Turkish velvet carnations with very beautiful and unusual flowers.
6. Lillipot is a dwarf variety that lives up to its name. Bred by Japanese breeders. Without treatment with growth regulators it will remain compact. The small bush is suitable for growing in pots. Flowers can be not only pink or red, but also lavender and even orange.
7. Chibo - another mixture of Chinese and Turkish cloves. It has a very long flowering period, until mid-November.
8. Super Parfite - a very beautiful hybrid with two-color large flowers. The bushes themselves are compact, but well branched. They can also be grown in pots on the balcony.

Finally, a popular option is terry carnation mix, when you can grow flowers of various shades from seeds packed in one bag.

Although Chinese carnation is a perennial, many hybrids were originally bred as annuals.

Growing

Regardless of whether it is a garden carnation or a home form grown on the balcony, it is very unpretentious plant, which even a novice florist can handle. Annual varieties reproduce exclusively by seeds. Perennials can be propagated by cuttings and dividing the bush.

At home, seedlings are grown as follows. First, prepare a suitable box or container (if some flowers have already been grown in it, it needs to be disinfected), and a drainage layer is placed at the bottom. Chinese carnation prefers well-moistened, slightly calcareous soil. So the soil should be light and already moistened before the seeds are planted there. You can prepare the soil yourself by mixing peat with leaf soil and sand, or buy it ready-made in the store.

Sowing is done in early spring. The seeds are planted in moistened soil and covered with a thin layer of the same soil on top, and then the container or box is covered with paper or film (in the latter case, due to the fact that the material does not allow air to pass through, regular ventilation is necessary). The temperature for seed germination should be 16-20 degrees. The soil needs to be slightly moistened so that it does not dry out.

Growing from seeds is not difficult. Typically, sprouts appear within ten days, and soon they are picked. But it should be noted that after the first shoots appear, the temperature in the room where the seedlings are grown should not exceed 15 degrees. So it’s better to leave the plants on an insulated balcony or loggia.

It is important to keep the soil moist but not wet. In warm climates perennial varieties can be transplanted into open ground in the summer, and where conditions are more severe, they are first transplanted into a greenhouse.

Chinese carnation can also be grown in open ground. No need to sow directly into flower beds. It is better to choose a place for seedlings, from where already grown seedlings can be transplanted to a permanent bed. This plant is not afraid of light frosts, so you can sow cloves as early as May. It will grow best in light partial shade, but direct shade is also suitable for these flowers. Sun rays. The flowerbed should be laid out in an area with good drainage.

Before planting, it is recommended to harden the seedlings for some time; two weeks should be enough for this. To do this, first you just need to open a window in the room, then start taking containers with plants out onto the balcony or terrace. The time spent outside should increase gradually.

When transplanting seedlings into the soil, you need to calculate the distance between them. Much depends on the variety, but it is recommended to adhere to the general rule - the distance between the bushes should correspond to their expected height. For dwarf varieties this is 10-15 cm, for short people - about 20 cm, and for large varieties- about 30 cm. In order for the bushes to branch well in the future, you need to pinch the top of the seedlings above the fourth pair of leaves.

Chinese carnation is a beautiful perennial plant. True, in regions with a temperate climate it is grown as an annual. Chinese carnations have been used in landscape design for more than three hundred years (counting back to 1702). And it is not surprising that during this time many interesting varieties were developed.

General information

Her flowers are single or collected in “bouquets” of 4 pieces. A description of the plant would be incomplete without mentioning the colors of the petals. Initially, Chinese carnations were not distinguished by a particularly rich palette - there were only familiar colors: red, white, bright pink. But over many years of selection, varieties with the most fantastic colors have been bred - purple, white-red, cherry, pearl-white, almost always with a contrasting stripe along the edges of the petals. You can also find a variegated variety, in which several shades are mixed.

There is another beautiful plant - Turkish (or bearded) carnation. It differs from the Chinese one in the presence of bracts. The variety of cloves is amazing. A wide variety of species and varieties can be grown in the garden.

The most popular varieties

Today you can find seeds of a wide variety of varieties in stores and garden centers. There are about three hundred of them in total. The most popular include:

1. Diana is a non-double variety, growing in bushes of medium height - up to 25 cm in height. Compact crop, blooming from July to September.
2. Supra - a non-double spreading variety that blooms from July to October.
3. Grace - a beautiful terry variety. The bushes are spreading, quite tall - up to 30 cm, sometimes more. Blooms from July to October.
4. Ideal select - a profusely flowering variety, usually grown as a biennial. The height of the bushes is 20-25 cm, the diameter of the flower is on average 4 cm (quite a lot for this type of carnation).
5. Dulce - a mixture of Chinese and Turkish velvet carnations with very beautiful and unusual flowers.
6. Lillipot is a dwarf variety that lives up to its name. Bred by Japanese breeders. Without treatment with growth regulators it will remain compact. The small bush is suitable for growing in pots. Flowers can be not only pink or red, but also lavender and even orange.
7. Chibo is another mixture of Chinese and Turkish cloves. It has a very long flowering period, until mid-November.
8. Super Parfite is a very beautiful hybrid with two-color large flowers. The bushes themselves are compact, but well branched. They can also be grown in pots on the balcony.

Finally, a popular option is the terry carnation mix, when you can grow flowers of various shades from seeds packed in one bag.

Although Chinese carnation is a perennial, many hybrids were originally bred as annuals.

Growing

Regardless of whether it is a garden carnation or a home form grown on the balcony, this is a very unpretentious plant that even a novice gardener can handle. Annual varieties are propagated exclusively by seeds. Perennials can be propagated by cuttings and dividing the bush.

It is important to keep the soil moist but not wet. In areas with a warm climate, perennial varieties can be transplanted into open ground in the summer, and where conditions are more severe, they are first transplanted into a greenhouse.

Chinese carnations can also be grown in open ground. No need to sow directly into flower beds. It is better to choose a place for seedlings, from where already grown seedlings can be transplanted to a permanent bed. This plant is not afraid of light frosts, so you can sow cloves as early as May. It will grow best in light partial shade, but direct sunlight is also suitable for these flowers. The flowerbed should be laid out in an area with good drainage.

When transplanting seedlings into the soil, you need to calculate the distance between them. Much depends on the variety, but it is recommended to adhere to the general rule - the distance between the bushes should correspond to their expected height. For dwarf varieties this is 10-15 cm, for short varieties - about 20 cm, and for large varieties - about 30 cm. In order for the bushes to branch well in the future, you need to pinch the top of the seedlings above the fourth pair of leaves.

Chinese carnations can be easily grown at home, on the windowsill or on the balcony. But it will perfectly decorate flower beds in the garden. At comfortable weather conditions Carnations can survive the winter, but are usually grown every year. In the middle zone it is better to grow using seedlings.

Growing Chinese carnation

Clove seeds should be sown in loose, well-moistened soil. To the surface ready soil lay out the seeds and cover them with vermiculite. There is no need to cover the seeds with film or glass, since Chinese carnation is a frost-resistant plant. Growing from seeds should be done in February or March. The container with the crops is placed in a bright place and sprayed with a spray bottle.

After the seedlings have germinated, they must be transplanted into separate pots. In order for the sprouts to be strong and healthy, they should be kept in a lighted, but not very warm place. Also, sudden changes in temperature should not be allowed, so at night, make sure that the temperature is not lower than 18 degrees Celsius. After sprouts form, the temperature can be reduced to 15 degrees. This is necessary in order to prevent the plant from stretching as a result of heat.

After 4-6 true leaves appear, you need to pinch the tops of the carnation so that the side shoots form faster. By the end of April, seedlings begin to harden. She is gradually being brought out to open air. You cannot immediately take out seedlings for a whole day, otherwise the plants will weaken and get sick. They can be planted in open ground in mid-May. Leave a distance of approximately 20-30 cm between plants and water abundantly.

When the carnation takes root in the open ground and begins to germinate, it is fed with complex fertilizers. In April, you can sow the seeds again for seedlings or in greenhouses to stimulate the flowering of carnations at different times.

For growing seeds When growing Chinese cloves in April, you need to place drainage on the bottom of the container and fill it with moistened soil. The substrate is ordinary garden soil, vermiculite and sand. The seeds are laid out on the surface of the soil and sprinkled with vermiculite.

The plantings are covered with film and placed in a bright place at a temperature of 18-20 degrees. Shoots will begin to appear 3-4 days after sowing. Then the film can be removed.

Abrupt change temperature regime negatively affects young shoots. The soil should be moistened with a spray bottle, but overflow should not be allowed. Otherwise, the clove may be damaged by the black stem. In cloudy weather and in the evenings, it is advisable to create illumination with lamps. When 2-3 true leaves appear, the plants are planted in separate pots.

A month after seedling germination, the night temperature is reduced from 18 to 12-15 degrees. To do this, plants are taken out to indoor balcony, where they will be cool at night and warm and exposed to sunlight during the day.

To form a lush flowering bush Chinese cloves, you need to pinch over the third pair of leaves. If the seedlings were transplanted into plastic cups, then it will be easy to determine how the roots formed the earthen ball. At strong education the plant is transferred to a larger container.

Caring for Chinese cloves

It is worth remembering that the soil must have time to dry out between waterings, so you should not water the cloves frequently. But the soil should not be allowed to dry out either.
The plant needs to be fed moderately. When growing cloves at home, fertilizing is applied once every 1-2 weeks. If cloves grow in open ground, then calcium fertilizers are added from the age of two years.