DIRECT BENCHING 
THE DIRECT ROUTE TO GOOD CARNATIONS 
A method of producing carnations in a shorter time and with less labor and lower costs should interest 
every carnation grower. This has been done with amazing success recently by direct benching of rooted 
cuttings. This method does away with either one or two transplanting processes, depending upon the 
present method used. Several months of preliminary growing are eliminated through properly timed 
propagation. Furthermore, better timing to hit the best sales periods appears to be more nearly attain- 
able with this method of faster growing. The key to the success story of direct benching of rooted 
cuttings is that plants grown this way are never retarded in growth, have less chance of disease in- 
fection and break more freely and grow faster. 
PROPAGATION CHANGES | 
Instead of the usual procedure of midwinter propagation, heavy cuttings are rooted as needed, timed so 
that they are ready to plant direct in the bench as soon as it is cleared of a previous crop and the soil 
readied for planting. The cuttings must be vigorous, plump and free from disease — the kind that 
can best be secured from strong, healthy mother block stock plants. For direct benching, strong top 
cuttings are superior to heel cuttings. 
PLANTING TIME 
Direct benching of rooted cuttings may prove to be a round-the-clock operation, with various propaga- 
tions and plantings aimed at specific cropping dates. However, the experience thus far shows direct 
benching to be particularly useful for planting from March through early July. Never plant the cutting 
any deeper than it was in the propagating media. 
SPACING 
Avoid the temptation to double up or plant close. Use standard spacing. The rapid heavy growth and 
heavy bottom breaking fill up the bench much faster than might be expected. 
PINCHING 
Pinch once and only once, one month after benching the rooted cuttings. By that time the breaks or 
shoots will be well started along the stem of the young plant or cutting. Having four to eight breaks, 
measuring one-half inch to two inches in length is not uncommon by the time the direct-benched cutting 
has been in the bench for one month and is ready for the first and only pinch. After the top of the 
cutting is pinched out, these side shoots or breaks develop and elongate at a fast pace. This single pinch 
must be made high to assure enough breaks — merely remove the tip of the young plant. 
To avoid heavy cropping at one time some growers pinch part of the shoots that develop after the first 
pinch. This second pinch should be delayed until after the shoots are 8 or 9 inches long. 
FERTILIZING 
Excellent results have been obtained by giving a light liquid feeding ten days to two weeks after bench- 
ing. Subsequent feeding and watering should be adequate to maintain active, vegetative growth 
constantly. 
NO PINCH METHOD 
Some growers who have practiced direct benching favor no pinch method. The plant is allowed to grow 
and produce a bloom before the plant is stopped. When cuttings are planted during winter and early 
spring the first bloom is of very high quality. The breaks appear before the bloom is cut and very little 
difference can be detected from the usual pinched plant. 
CROPPING TIME 
Information on cropping time is by no means complete, but it is apparent that with experience timing 
will be more accurate than with other methods of growing. One reason is that the first crop of flowers 
from a single pinch tends to be grouped more closely than when plants have been pinched several times. 
The subsequent crops are more scattered, ; 
tin Bata ge (Continued) 
