fectively and efficiently, planned rotations are necessary. The following rotations are possibilities where 
houses or benches can be alternated between carnations and other crops every other year: 
1. Late mums, followed by single-stem Easter snapdragons, then carnations. 
Mums followed by lighted asters, then carnations. 
Mums followed by lighted mums, then carnations. 
Mums followed by stocks, then carnations. 
Early winter snapdragons followed by second crop of snapdragons, then carnations. 
aRYON 
Early benching of young carnation plants is an important factor in developing well branched plants 
in indoor culture. Plants benched after June 1 seldom fill the bench well until the following spring. 
(Note: Rooted cuttings benched direct after June 1 actually break more freely and provide heavier fall 
and winter production than do young plants benched at the same time from pots, bands, flats, etc.) 
TWO-YEAR CULTURE 
Carrying carnation plants through for a second year’s crop has been practiced more frequently the 
past decade, concurrent with the development of more effective disease and insect control methods and 
materials. Unless a bench of carnations can be kept clean during the first year and the second summer, 
there is no need to consider carrying it through the second winter-flowering season. 
The advantages of two-year culture are: One propagation, one planting operation, one changing or 
sterilizing of soil, etc., plus the fact that some varieties produce more in the second year than in the 
first. Disadvantages commonly found are reduced flower size and stem length the second year; the need 
for absolute control of diseases and insects; heavier watering and fertilizer requirements the second year, 
and greater problems in plant support. 
Two procedures are in general use. One is to cut flowers continuously through the two years; the 
other, to gradually pinch or head back the plants in the spring, removing those shoots which would 
otherwise make summer flowers. The continuous procedure should be considered only for those varieties 
which produce flowers of good size, color and substance in hot weather and in those colors which sell 
during the summer months. Red, for example, is so little in demand during the summer, that it is better 
to pinch potential summer flowering shoots so that the comeback will be heavy in fall and winter when 
the demand is greater for red. 
Pinching or heading back for second year production is a gradual process, not a chopping off or mow- 
ing off of plants. Starting about mid-April, pinch back all those shoots which would not flower before 
June 1. As new shoots come along and are long enough to pinch, repeat the procedure. Go over the 
bench at three-week intervals, making the last pinch about July 15. This heading back results in 
much heavier fall and early winter production than the continuous cutting method. 
During the first year of two-year culture, the cutting or picking of flowers is done at somewhat lower 
levels on the plant than is the case when plants are being grown for only one season. This keeps down 
the overall plant height for the second season. 
The greatest hazard in two-year culture is the unexpected loss of plants during the late summer be- 
tween the two winter-flowering seasons. If the plants start dying out in groups it may then be too late 
to replant with carnations. If these losses are substantial, it is usually best to replace with a bench of 
snapdragons, stocks, etc., rather than nursing along a bench of ailing second-year carnation plants. 
BENCHING 
Particular care should be taken so that bench soils are readily workable and have proper moisture 
content at the time of the benching, otherwise the planting job will be slipshod and the young plants 
will be delayed in getting established. Although the soil need not and should not be worked powder- 
fine, if it is too rough it is difficult to set the plants at the proper depth and spacing, and to provide 
complete contact between soil and roots. Soils that are too wet at planting time are difficult to work, 
whereas soils that are too dry frequently delay the plants in getting established. A grower of any ex- 
perience knows when soils are suited for planting. Failure to put the soil in that condition may adversely 
affect the crop for weeks after planting. 
