leaves are almost bound to be splashed, and it is advisable to take the following steps which minimize 
the dangers of wetting the foliage and spreading disease: 
1. Water on bright days and complete watering as early in the day as possible so the foliage 
will dry rapidly. 
2. Ventilate freely when watering and after watering to keep down humidity and encourage 
drying of the foliage. 
3. In conjunction with liberal ventilation, when outdoor temperatures permit, turn in additional 
heat to speed the rate of drying moisture on the foliage. 
TEMPERATURE 
A night temperature of 50° F. is optimum for carnations. Lower temperatures reduce and delay produc- 
tion, and higher temperatures reduce quality, particularly during the winter when daylight is inadequate. 
For the occasional cloudy day, a daytime temperature of 55° F. is satisfactory. During prolonged periods 
of cloudy weather it is better to hold the day temperature approximately the same as night temperature, 
50a E: 
During bright weather, daytime temperatures of 60 to 65 degrees are compatible with a 50° night 
temperature, 
The importance of uniform temperatures can hardly be overemphasized. Fluctuating night temperatures 
are associated with splitting of flowers. This is particularly evident in early fall when boilers are not 
started up for the occasional cold nights. Two or three nights when the temperatures drop to the lower 
forties increase the incidence of splitting for several weeks. The value of automatic heat and tempera- 
ture controls in carnation houses has been well established. 
LIGHT 
In most carnation growing areas light is the limiting factor to maximum growth, production and quality 
during the winter months. Carnations should have the lightest house or bench available, and the glass 
should be kept clean. In areas where summer heat is intense, some shading of the glass helps quality 
on benches which are in summer flower production. In those same areas, if the house is well ventilated, 
it is not desirable to shade houses in which carnations are not in crop. 
When field plants are benched in midsummer, the glass is shaded for a week or two, while the plants 
are recovering from transplanting shock. As soon as they are established, the shade should be removed. 
In contrast with this shading requirement for field plants, it has been found feasible to bench rooted 
cuttings direct from the sand during warm weather, without shading the glass. Losses have been 
virtually nil, and the young plants develop rapidly. 
Supplementary artificial light hastens bud development, but also weakens stems and reduces flower 
petalage, and hence has found no place in commercial production. 
SUPPORTS 
Carnations are supported by the wire-and-cross-string method. Wires are strung tightly lengthwise of 
the bench, one wire between each row of plants. Strings are tied to the wires across the bench, separat- 
ing the plants in that direction. The first set of supports is strung five or six inches above the soil. The 
additional sets of supports are spaced eight inches apart. 
Much labor is saved and fewer stems broken if each set of supports is in place before the plants reach 
it. Maximum growth can be achieved and crooks kept to a minimum if the shoots can come up through 
or be trained through a waiting support. In some carnation ranges it is an established policy to have 
all sets of supports ready to lower in place at the time of benching or shortly after. 
Since there is a continual need for support at all levels, the supports are kept in place until the plants 
are thrown out. Workers should go through periodically to straighten and train shoots through the 
proper openings of the cross-wire supports. 
