Dianthus carnation - what is it and how to grow

Preparing for the spring gardening season, I wandered into the store in search of seeds. Among the flowers was a Dianthus carnation. On the bag was a photo of a lush bush with small pink flowers. Tell us what kind of plant it is and how to grow it? Where to sow - for seedlings or in the ground? Unfortunately, apart from the photo, there is no other information on the package.

Many gardeners think that Dianthus carnation is the name of the variety, but this is not entirely true. In fact, "dianthus" is the Latin name for this flower. As for the varieties, there are just a huge number of them, because there are almost 400 types of carnations alone. They differ in shape, size and color, but all carnations bloom charmingly. There are among them both varieties, both for open ground and for home cultivation. What is Dianthus and what does he love?

Description of culture

A herbaceous plant, carnation grows in a compact bush. Its height depends on the variety, but in general it does not exceed 80 cm. There are also miniature species with a height of only 15 cm. The bushes consist of juicy, but strong, stems, erect or lying down. Throughout their length, thickenings are clearly visible, from which lanceolate or subulate leaves grow oppositely. They are light green in color, with a smooth leaf blade ending in a sharp tip. There is a silver coating on top. Carnation rhizome is taprope, but not very long, maximum 20 cm, with short lateral roots.

Dianthus blooms from the end of spring on the tops of the shoots, single small inflorescences or collected in umbrellas. Each flower consists of 5 petals with jagged edges, in the center there are stamens. The color of the inflorescences is very diverse, there are simple and double varieties.

Carnation is a perennial in nature, but is most commonly grown as a biennial or annual plant. Perennial varieties are also available, but by the second year of life they greatly lose their decorative effect. Their stems thicken, lignify, turning from a delicate bush into a spreading half-shrub.

Popular types of dianthus

As a horticultural crop in our climate, only about 30 species of carnations are grown. Among them, the most common are:

1. Herb. Abundantly flowering low bushes (maximum 40 cm) with narrow bright green leaves. Bloom all summer and until mid-autumn with small carmine inflorescences with a purple core.
2. Shabo... Lush bush up to 60 cm high with narrow short leaves (up to 2 cm). The inflorescences are large enough, up to 7 cm in diameter, double or semi-double, with petals dissected along the edge. They can be white, pink, red, yellow.
3. Turkish carnation. Biennial up to 75 cm high with long, up to 10 cm, but very narrow leaves. The flowers are simple, pink in color, most varieties have a light border around the edge of the petals. Can be solitary or collected in dense inflorescences.
4. Chinese carnation. A dense bush no more than 50 cm high with lanceolate leaves twisted at the tips. It blooms from mid-summer to the very frost. The color of the flowers is varied, but with the obligatory presence of burgundy stripes on the petals.

Dianthus carnation: cultivation features

The plant is planted by seed. Seeds can be sown in early May or before winter, in early October. To bring the flowering of annual varieties closer, the cultivation of seedlings is also practiced.In this case, sowing should be started in the month of March.

To grow dianthus, you need to take a well-lit garden bed. It is advisable to dig up the soil with the introduction of compost and bone meal.

Caring for a carnation in a flower bed will not cause much trouble. You need to water the bushes regularly, but not much, not forgetting that they have superficial roots. From excess moisture, they begin to rot. During the season, it will be enough to make 2 dressings. In the spring, during the period of active growth, you need to fertilize the plantings with ammonium nitrate. The second time, fertilizers in the form of superphosphate are applied before flowering, when the buds begin to set. Tall species need support, and varieties that are intended for cutting need to remove lateral shoots and part of the buds.

Growing Chinese carnations and shabo through seedlings - video