CARNATIONS ARE EASY T0 GROW 
CULTURAL DIRECTIONS FOR 
CARNATIONS 
ay to Grow if These Simple Rules Are 
Followed 
PREPARATION OF SOIL 
Select a sunny spot in your garden and be sure 
that your soil is well drained, yet not too light and 
sandy. The novice will find a medium heavy loam in 
raised or banked bed as ideal. To this soil, a liberal 
amount of bone meal is spaded in before plants are 
set out. To counteract extreme acidity, which is un- 
favorable for healthy carnation growth, apply de- 
hydrated lime or wood ashes lightly. 
TREATMENT OF PURCHASED PLANTS 
Our carnation cuttings are all taken from healthy 
field grown plants. They are rooted in cool benches 
and subsequently hardened in open air so that they 
require very little shading, if any, when planted. 
The cutting should be set out as shallow as possi- 
ble not deeper than it was in the sand. Stemrot will 
occur when planted too deeply. The plants should be 
thoroughly watered when set out and no more water- 
ing is necessary until the surface shows signs of 
getting dry. 
STOPPING AND DISBUDDING 
Plants should be spaced sufficiently apart so that 
they will have ample air circulation between the 
plants when they have formed the bushes. They are 
first stopped when 3 or 4 inches high. The object of 
this is to encourage the young plant to build up 
bushy plant, which in turn will produce more flowers. 
The best method is to pull the center out; do not 
break it off. When the stem is broken off, only 2 or 3 
new growths will appear but when pulled off, several 
stems will rise from this first operation. The centers 
of these new growths are further topped occasionally 
until far into July, when winter flowers are preferred. 
Then the plants are allowed to form their flower 
stems. When the buds develop sufficiently large, all 
side buds are removed thus leaving single buds to a 
stem. 
Very wet or very dry soil conditions are both 
detrimental to support a vigorous, healthy growth 
of carnations. Although in winter, they will stand 
being kept fairly dry much better than on the wet 
side, especially since we have most of our rainfall at 
that time here in Southern California. 
As carnations are an ever-blooming flower, feeding 
should be made almost the year around after the 
final topping in July. Nitrogen content stimulates a 
rapid leaf and stem growth; phosphoric acid and 
potash build up steady, firm growth of plant with 
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