How Do You Grow Carnations

How do You Grow Carnations

Carnation originated in Central and Southern Europe. It has many specialties such as excellent storage capacity, various colors and sizes and ability to rehydrate after continuous transportation. Its botanical name is Dianthus caryophyllus. Dianthus is a Greek word which literally means "Flower of Divine". It was grown in Egypt in 300 BC, while in France it was grown for medicinal purposes in ancient times. Muslims made perfume from carnation. Shakespeare knew it in England and it was a very popular flower in America.

 Carnation flowers are considered the best for cut flowers. It is grown in beds, edges, rock gardens and pots. The flowers have a very popular fragrance similar to cloves. When cut and used in flower arrangements, it remains fresh for a long time. Sim species of carnation was grown for the first time in India in 1980. In Europe and America, it is grown in "green house", which is a very expensive method, so now it is being grown in its natural production areas at a lower cost. In India, it is grown in 50 hectares, which also includes its annual varieties. Carnation is being produced commercially in Solan, Shimla, Mandi, Kullu, Chandigarh, Ludhiana, Delhi, Gurgaon, Pune, Bangalore and Kalimpong. Central hills of Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Nilgiri Hills and Bangalore and Nashik are potential areas for its commercial cultivation, its flowers are exported to Europe from which foreign exchange is earned.

 

Climate

The areas of Ooty (Tamil Nadu) and the mid-hills of Himachal Pradesh are considered best for the production of carnation flowers throughout the year. Long days are required for successful production of carnations and also a lot of sunlight (21.5 K lux in about 8 hours). High quality carnation flowers are produced in areas where the day temperature is 25°C and the night temperature is 10°C. 18°C ​​is considered optimum temperature for the production of standard carnations. The relative humidity in the house should be 50-60 percent. In the plains of northern India, 25-50 percent shade should be provided to the carnation plants. By doing this, high quality flowers are produced. Spray carnations are able to tolerate slightly warm temperatures. Temperature plays a special role in the quality of carnations and the formation of branches.

How To Grow Carnation From Cut Flowers

Soil

Fertile sandy loam or loamy soil is considered best for successful production of carnation. Soils which have more clay or silt should be given organic matter or compost manure. The pH value of the soil should be 6-7. Before planting the tubers, the soil should be sterilized with steam, sunlight or 5% formalin.

 Varieties

Carnation is produced commercially through standard and spray types. In standard type, all flowers except the apical flower are plucked. By doing this, a large flower is obtained on a long stem, whereas in these carnations the apical bud is plucked so that the upper buds can develop.

Standard carnations are in high demand in Indian markets, whereas in world trade, there is more demand for spray (miniatures) of Supersede standard. Wholesalers convert white carnations into green, blue, yellow and other types of colors by tinting.

Popular varieties for commercial production are mentioned in the table—

Popular Varieties of Carnation

 

Location	Standards	Sprays
Solan (Himachal Pradesh)	Espana, Red Corso, LightPink Candy, Raggio-d'Sole, Carbart, Issac, Scania.	Sems Pride, Lilia and Cherrybag       Sems Pride and Scarlet Elegance
Ludhiana (Punjab)	Espana, Marzon Limora and D'Sole.
Pune (Maharashtra)	Fambia, Aristo, Flair Style, Scania and Arthur Simm
New Delhi	Candy, Paneer, Espana, Red Corso, William Simm
Kalimpong (West Bengal)	Emra, Red Corso, Orange Triumph and Candy.
Kodaikanal (Tamil Nadu)	ArthurSim, WhiteSim and Lena.

 

New varieties of Carnation have been recommended for commercial production -

 

Colour	Standards	Sprays
1.Red	Desio, Master, Impala, Nelson and Dakar	Alistair, Darling, Red Arrow and Anne Aroni
2.Pink	Bologna, Petra, Pink Dianthus	Happiness, Light and Fantasia
3. Cherry	Pier Andelo, Dona Bracas, Lavorala and Killer	Cherry Bag, Cortina Cherry Ondelia and Siska
4.Yellow	Esti, Piano and Tahiti	Guru's Yellow, Corino and Castillo
5.White	Sansara, White Giant, Bogota and Rivera	Virgo Closeup and Westcrustal
6.Purple	Lavender Lens	Purpilchopin and Rosetti
7.Orange	Amstel, Orangepinto Solar and Orange Isaac	Nixie, Macali, Sintonia and Target
Variegated (Striped/Fancy)
1.White	Foreigner,  Olympus, Tropea Giaccia, Aledo and Atletico	Safora Mantovani, Regis
2.Yellow	Super Star, Pontiac and Michele	Naomi, Garfield, Picaro and Jaco Bin
3.Orange	Orange Prestige and Ivonne Orange	Sintonia and Fuego
4.Red	Minerva, Nicole and Roderica	Challenger

  Can You Plant Carnation In Ground

Other varieties recommended for growing in pots are:

Spider-Type - Purple Rain.

Pot carnations - Maldeves (pink), White sunny (white), Charm top (red), Sera top (pink), Davinsi (pink).

Propagation

Carnations are propagated from seed, layering, and stem cuttings. Marguerite or Chabaud varieties are often grown from seed because they produce true plants.

 

In plain areas, seeds are sown in August-October, in northern plains, early sowing is best done in August to September. By doing this, flowers are saved from the onslaught of high temperature. In hilly areas, seeds are sown in March-April or August-September. About a month after sowing the seeds, the plants become ready for transplanting.

 

Border Carnation is propagated by layering and stern cuttings. A cut is made between two nodes of the stem up to half its thickness. Which is made in the form of a tongue a little below the lower joint and the top. The cut is kept open and the jeans are buried in the soil. With the help of layering pins and then covered with soil. The last end of the branch is kept upwards. After about 1 month, the formation of roots starts in the stake. Now they are separated and planted in 8-10 cm pots. Which are filled with soil, sand and lime mold or mixture.

Sim Type Carnation is propagated by cuttings. In the northern plains, cuttings are cut from the lateral branch in the month of March and planted in sand for root formation. 2-3 cuttings are obtained from these rooted plants by July.

 Carnations can be grown as perennial plants in the hilly areas of India. But with a little care, they can also be grown in Delhi and the surrounding areas. Border carnations grow very well in the mountains, while Perpetual Flowering and Marguerite or Chabaud are more successful in the plains. In the northern plains, its flowers are obtained from January to April and sometimes from May.

 

Stern cuttings are also used for commercial production of carnation. Usually, a 10 cm long cutting is taken from the top part of the stem. Which has 4 leaves. The cutting is taken from a branch which does not have any flower bud. The lower leaves are removed. The cuttings are planted at a distance of 5 cm before planting them in sand. After a month, sufficient roots develop and then they are planted in 8-10 cm pots.

 Suitable planting for carnation production

  

Planting time	Flowering period		Plucking method
October   December   February   April	March-April   May-June   July-August   August-September	March-June   May-July   July-September   August-October	May-June   July-August   August-September   October-November

 

 Manure and Fertilizers

 Nutrients play a special and important role in optimum plant growth and high quality flower production of carnation. Generally Indian farmers do not pay enough attention to this. Recommended nutritional doses for stand and spray carnation are shown in the following table—

 How To Plant Carnations Outside

 Recommended quantities of manure and fertilizers

 

Manure and Fertilizer	Standard Type	Spray Type
Farm Dung Manure	5-10 Kg	5-10 Kg
Nitrogen	30 gm (67 gm or CAN 120 gm)	40 gm
Phosphorus	20 gm Single Super Phosphate 125 gm	20 gm (Single Super Phosphate 125 gm)
Potash	10 gm Muriate of Potash 17 gm	10 gm Muriate of Potash 17 gm

 

Farm Yard Manure should be applied at the time of field preparation. 1/2 nitrogen should be applied before planting and 1/2 nitrogen after one month. In spray type varieties, 0.1% urea and potassium nitrate (KNO3) and 1 ppm solution should be applied at an interval of 1 day till flowering.

There may also be deficiency of some micronutrients which depends on the type of soil and the presence of mineral elements in the soil. These should be given on the basis of analysis of plant tissues. Generally, there may be deficiency of iron, zinc, magnesium, molybdenum and boron in the soil. Then these nutrients should be given in the form of solution because applying it in the soil gives good results.

Tests conducted on Marguerite carnation in Bangalore have shown that nitrogen is the main nutrient affecting growth and flowering. The use of nitrogen increased the height of the plants, while phosphorus and potash had no significant effect. In some tests, phosphorus increased the height slightly. Giving a mixture of the three main elements NPK increased the size of the flowers.

For successful production of carnations, good results have also been obtained by adding bone meal @ 115 grams/sq.m. at the time of soil preparation.

Transplanting

For getting continuous flowers of carnation, its planting schedule is very important. Carnation can be produced in greenhouse throughout the year. Roots are obtained in 120-150 days. In open fields, it takes about 150-180 days from planting of carnation to flowering. In northern plains, the appropriate time of planting is from September to November for getting abundant yield from February to April, and in mountainous areas, planting is suitable from mid-April to mid-July for flower production between October to February. In areas where it snows, planting should be done in March-April, so that flowers are obtained in August-October.

Carnation is propagated by cuttings. The cuttings should be large enough. They should be hardened. Buy these cuttings from a certified source or prepare them yourself. The cuttings should be 15-20 cm long. They should be grown in the same beds. Beds should be made 1.0-1.2 m apart with a space of 45-60 cm between them. In hilly areas, flowers can be obtained continuously for 2 years. After flowering, the plants should be pruned or the soil surface should be flooded by 10-15 cm. Pruned plants should not be irrigated for 1 week and pruned plants should not be irrigated until branches appear in them. This period can be 3-4 weeks.

In the traditional method of growing standard carnation, close planting (15 x 15 cm) is done while for wide planting, planting is done (20 x 20 cm). In a one meter wide bed, planting is done in 5 rows at a distance of 20 cm. About 75000 cuttings (1,87,000 hectares) are planted per acre.

Spray carnations are planted at 30 cm x 30 cm spacing for good air circulation. In sim group of spray type, 20 cm x 15 cm spacing is recommended.

Growing Carnation

Staking

It is very important to provide support to the plants in the initial stage so that the plants stand straight and high quality flower production can be achieved.

Pinching

Picking is a very important task to obtain high quality flowers. Farmers do not pay any attention to this. 30-35 days after planting the plant, 5-6 nodes are broken leaving the apical shoot. Picking should be done below the sixth node while the apical shoot is picked above the sixth node. In this situation, flowers appear on small branches. To obtain 5-6 fully developed lateral shoots per plant, it is necessary that the picking should be done above the sixth node from the base.

Generally 3 methods are used for pinching-

1. Single Pinching - In this method the main branch is removed from below the sixth node due to which 5-6 lateral branches develop and flowers bloom on top. This method is adopted for early harvest.

2. Pinch and a half - In this method single pinching of the main stem is done and later when the branches become 8-10 cm long, they are pinched. This stage comes 30-35 days after the first pinching. 1/2 pinching of the big branches is done from each plant. 1/2 pinching is actually done in each plant 2 or 3 times after the last pinching. 2-3 flowers are obtained in the first flush and 6-8 flowers are obtained in the subsequent flushes. In this system, the first crop yields less and thereafter, the flowers are produced continuously without any peak time.

3. Double Pinch- In this, the first pinching is done below the sixth node of the main branch and then when all the lateral branches become 8-10 cm long. This situation occurs 5-6 weeks after the first pinching. 2 nodes are pinched. This method is used to pluck the flowers late and to get late flowering. Usually 8-10 branches are kept.

Usually, Single pinch, Pinch and a half method produces flowers of excellent quality, whereas Double pinching delays flowering and develops weak branches.

Plant Regulations 

By spraying 1000 ppm solution of gibberellic acid (GA3) twice, flowers with long stems develop quickly. First spray at the time of first picking and second spray when the branches become 8-10 cm long. Whereas spraying BA (50 P.P.M.) at an interval of one month increases the yield of cuttings. By spraying Chamatkar (Mepiquat Chloride) (300 ppm) twice, high quality healthy stems are produced. By spraying Chamatkar (300 ppm) twice, first spraying is done when the axillary branches become 8-10 cm long and second spraying is done when the flower buds develop, this prevents caly splitting.

Carnation Planting

Irrigation

As soon as the root cuttings are planted in the field, irrigation should be done immediately. Top spray irrigation is very effective and less expensive than surface irrigation. The top sprinkler irrigation system should be stopped when the flower buds start developing and then surface irrigation should be done. It is very important to maintain the field capacity of the medium in which the carnation is being grown. Irrigation should be done 2-3 times a week in summer and 2-3 times a week in winter.

Plant Protection

 Weed Control -

 Many weeds grow along with the carnation crop which compete with the plants for moisture, nutrients, air space, sunlight etc. Therefore, to prevent them, keep weeding and hoeing as per the need.

Insect Control

 

(1) Thrips – It is a small insect which damages the plant by sucking the juice of the soft parts of the plant.

To prevent this, 0.1% solution of Malathion/Rogor should be sprayed.

(2) Cut Worm – It damages the soft plant by cutting it from the surface of the soil.

To control this insect, lindane dust should be sprinkled.

(3) Aphids – It is a small insect which damages the plant by sucking the juice of the soft parts of the plant. Control it in the same way as green thrips.

Disease Control

Bud Rot – It is a fungal disease caused by a fungus called Alternaria dianthi. Due to this disease, buds become distorted, deformed and shriveled, which has an adverse effect on flower production. The following measures should be taken to prevent this disease -

- Captacol (0.2%) should be sprayed every week from the beginning of bud formation.

- The diseased bud should be plucked by hand and destroyed.

 

Harvesting Stage

Petal growth and bud size play an important role in the harvesting stage of carnation. Standard carnations are harvested when the outer petals are unfolded i.e. perpendicular to the edge or at the paint-brush stage, while spray carnations are harvested when 2-3 upper flowers in the panicle are open and the remaining buds start showing their colour. Nowadays carnations are harvested at the tight-bud stage. As soon as the flower is cut, it is immersed in water and kept in a preserved solution.

If you want to take a ratoon crop from your crop in the next season, then the flower stem should be harvested leaving 3-4 nodes from the ground.

How do You Grow Carnations

Grading

Immediately after cutting the flowers, they should be graded and tied properly in bunches. The standard size is graded on the basis of stem length, flower diameter and physical condition of the flowers; such as hardness of stem, free from pests and diseases, wilting, stem tearing, calyx tearing etc. In India, carnations are graded on the basis of Society of American Florists. Each graded bunch has 25 stems. About 600 carnation stems weigh about 22 kg. Carnation flowers should be stored in a place with 2-4°C temperature and 95% relative humidity. It should be stored in water containing nutrient solution. By doing this the flowers do not wilt.

Packing and Transportation

 

Carnation stems are packed in corrugated cardboard boxes. These boxes should be completely insulated. The standard size of a carton packet is 122 cm x 50 cm x 30 cm. In which 25 flower bunches are kept.

They should be transported in refrigerated vans at a temperature of 2-4° Celsius. So that the flowers can be delivered fresh to the cargo. However, in the domestic market, flowers are transported at night by buses, trains, and trucks.

These flowers are also sent abroad as per the demand for sale, but there is a lot of demand in Delhi and Mumbai.