BRIEF SUMMARY OF SALIENT POINTS 
2. 
3. 
. Do not plant too deeply, only to the depth of the 
20. 
746 
22. 
23: 
24. 
25. 
26. 
27. 
28. 
29. 
30. 
Always purchase named varieties from a_ reliable 
nursery or Carnation specialist. 
Soil must be sweet and not acid. 
Plant about 18 inches apart, if possible. 
original soil in which they have been potted. 
. Select a spot where the carnations will have full sun, 
or at least one half day sun. 
. Do not plant them under trees, or next to a hedge. 
. Drop a tablespoonful of bone meal in each hole 
before planting. 
. Do not use leaf mold or peat moss in the bed. 
. Do not have the soil too rich with steer or other 
animal fertilizer. 
. Do not feed carnations any acid foods. 
. Plants should be irrigated instead of overhead 
watering. 
. Do not keep them too wet or too dry, a middle 
condition is needed. 
. Carnations must be supported, wire holders being 
preferable, not only for correct air circulation, but 
for easy handling. 
. Feed regularly with a non-acid, well balanced food, 
but not during the winter months. 
. Water when the surface becomes dry,so the growth 
does not become checked. 
. Young plants should be pinched back to insure 
sturdy stock, at least three times before letting 
them bloom. 
. They should have good drainage, to keep the soil 
from souring. 
. Spray regularly, carrying out a systematic program 
for pest elimination. 
. Cultivate, but not too deeply, only enough to allow 
the air to circulate freely around the roots. 
In picking carnations, the blooms should be broken 
as far down as possible. Break the blooms by hand 
and not by a knife or snippers. 
Pluck the flowers three quarters open for longer 
life but not while still in bud. 
Do not plant carnation in the same bed without 
first fumigating the soil or removing the old earth 
and replacing it with new loam. 
Do not plant diseased carnations, for they will only 
contaminate the healthy ones around them. 
All propagation should be done only during the 
cool months, from October to March. 
To increase the size of the blooms, disbudding is 
required, especially around the crown buds. 
Do not plant them in complete shade, the result will 
always be a weak, spindly plant. 
A harmonious color scheme is paramount in a well 
kept garden. 
The best blooming period is spring and fall. 
It is not unusual for carnations to rest for a short 
time, in fact it is very good for them. 
Do not shock your plants by cutting them back all 
at once, do it a little at a time, for best results. 
Agricultural lime or wood ashes will be fine to 
sweeten the soil. 
[3] 
