Chinese carnation attracts attention with its generous elegant flowering. It came to Europe from China, which follows from the name itself. Wild species are found in northern Korea with Mongolia.
Description and Features of Chinese Carnation
Refers to perennials, but can be grown as an annual. A characteristic feature is the presence of articular stems with narrow leaves in the nodes. Flowers of various shades are located singly or in the form of an umbrella. The outer edge is cut with beautiful cloves. Terry varieties with a fringing are especially attractive.
Widely used in landscape design. Planted in the garden on flower beds, alpine slides or near paths. He does not like cold, so in winter it can freeze. Planted in open ground with seeds or seedlings. Flowering begins in July and lasts all summer until September, for some varieties until late autumn.
Popular varieties of Chinese carnation
They have been breeding Chinese cloves for more than 300 years, so they have bred a variety of hybrids, magnificent varieties with interesting shapes. Flower enthusiasts prefer dwarf plants with luxurious flowering.
| Grade | Height (cm) | Flower | Flowering period |
| Diana | 25 | Large, non-double, single, varied coloring with strongly cut edges. | July - September. |
| Geisha dance | 30 | Strong peduncle, fragrant, blood red, ordinary. | |
| Supra | 25 | Bright, openwork, ordinary. | From July to October. |
| Grace | 30 | Fragrant, terry. | July - October. |
| Diamond | Purplish red, fluffy. | ||
| Chibo | 25 | A mixture of Turkish and Chinese. | Mid July - Mid November. |
| Dulce | Turkish velvet mixed with Chinese. | July - October. | |
| Terry Mix | 20 | Terry combination of various shades. Beautiful shape, graceful serrated petals. | |
| Grace | 30 | The compound is lilac or purple. White border with dots. | All summer long. |
| Charms | 20 | Semi-double, scarlet, spectacular. | From July to the end of September. |
| Carnation Chinese + Bearded Ideal Select | Interspecific hybrid, bouquet type, fragrant | Early spring is fall. |
Chinese carnation planting
Growing cloves on your site, you need to know about its good features. In the fall, self-seeding from seeds that have fallen into the ground can occur. Shoots after wintering in the soil appear in the spring, and they can only be planted.
If it is planned to use cloves for the first time at the site, then the acquired seeds can be brought into the ground immediately or germinated in a greenhouse or in a house.
In the second case, a stronger plant is obtained, but this does not give any particular benefit, because flowering cloves from seedlings or from seeds begins approximately simultaneously. Landing is carried out at a time when no frost is expected. One-year-olds begin to bloom in three months. Perennial varieties bloom only the next year. It will be possible to observe beautiful flowering only if it was grown in a warm place, competently looked after and stimulated.
Sowing seeds in open soil
In the spring, after the snow melts and the soil is warm well, they begin to plant the seeds directly into the ground. These characteristics usually correspond to the beginning of May. In this case, you must adhere to the following technology:
- seeds are dipped in succinic acid for 20 minutes to give them strength and provide the necessary substances;
- the impregnated planting material is taken out and laid out on a cloth to remove excess water;
- prepare a place in the garden, loosen it, remove weeds and lay small grooves;
- for uniform sowing, seeds are mixed with friable sand and placed in prepared grooves;
- pour a little earth on top, slightly moisten and cover with a covering material.
The following temperature conditions are necessary for seedlings to appear: for soil +15 ° C, for air +20 ° C. They should remain so around the clock. About 3 weeks will pass and you can see the first shoots. Inspect the planting, thin out and remove weak sprouts.
Growing carnation seedlings at home
It is necessary to plant seeds for seedlings in greenhouse conditions earlier, in April. Sowing is carried out in fertile soil or soil, sand and perlite are mixed. This natural material is used because of its good water and air permeability.
The procedure in this case is as follows:
- A layer of drainage is poured into the bottom, then the earth. Seeds are placed in the grooves made, and soil is placed on top of them, which is moistened.
- Cover with glass or a special material and put in a fairly bright place. Indoor air is maintained at +20 ° C during the day and +17 ° C at night.
- Airing and watering must be carried out in a timely manner.
- Shelter is removed when the first thin shoots appear.
- Diving seedlings are carried out after three good leaves in different dishes.
- Watered.
Look after seedlings, maintaining the necessary temperature and not filling with water. Before planting in the garden, a hardening procedure is mandatory. It consists in the fact that it is necessary to take containers with plants out into the open air. The period of residence is at first short, then increases and at the end it is already constant, even if the temperature drops to +12 ° C.
To strengthen the lateral shoots, branching, shoots pinch after the third true leaf. The earth dries quickly, which means it is time to transplant into a larger pot. Plants move to the garden in the first half of June. The place should be open, but closed to direct sunlight. The distance between the shoots is at least 25 cm.
How to care for Chinese cloves
Planting and care are important points in the development of this plant. Chinese cloves need to be given attention not only during germination, but also throughout the season. Active development and flowering require proper watering, cultivation and top dressing.
To improve the structure of the soil, to maintain moisture in the dry period of summer, a layer of mulch is placed under the plants, which is periodically replaced. It will allow moisture to stay in the ground, will not allow weeds to grow.
Watering should be done carefully so that water jets do not damage the plants. It is carried out once a week, well-established watering has proven itself. Top dressing is carried out 5-7 days after planting seedlings. It is better to use complex fertilizer for this, in which phosphorus predominates. The solution is watered only if the soil is moist. This application will enhance the development of the root structure, stimulate the setting of buds and increase the ability to resist fungal diseases.
A balanced fertilizer is used during flowering, it is desirable that it contains all the necessary substances, both basic nutrients (nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium), and trace elements.
Pest and Disease Control
Each plant is susceptible to attack by various pests and diseases. In order to prevent this, it is necessary to know their signs, carry out preventive measures and treatment.
| Disease / pest | Manifestation | Remedial measures |
| Blackleg | Most often manifested in seedlings. On the stem, dark patches are observed near the surface of the earth, then the neck rots, and the stem breaks. | Prevention: sterile soil, moderate watering, seed disinfection. In case of illness: the infected are removed, the rest are dusted, aired and reduced the amount of water. |
| Fusarium | It is observed if planted after or near the gladioli or asters. Depressed black spots near the root, later a pinkish-pink fluff. Plants wither, other diseases appear. | Sick plants are fully or partially removed, treated with fungicide. |
| Spider mite | First, seedlings become noticeable white grains from below on the leaves. The stain grows, dries and falls. | It is necessary to spray regularly; the tick does not tolerate moisture. Shredded garlic is placed, it is treated with infusion or colloidal sulfur. |
| Nutcracker beetle, bear, wireworm | Gnaw the roots and shoots. Prefer sour dense soils. | The soil is calcified (30 g is added per 1 sq. M) and wood ash is added. Destroy the weeds. |
| Thrips, aphids | Vector carriers of viral infection. They feed on the juice of plants. Light touches appear on the leaves, later dry. Deformation of flowers and buds is observed. They love young shoots. | It is necessary to deter, treating with solutions of onions or garlic. Insecticides are used for control. Twice in the interval of 5-7 days. |
Propagation by cuttings
Perennial Chinese cloves are sometimes propagated by cuttings. It is necessary to take a shoot on which there are no buds and there are 3-4 leaf nodes. A cut is made on it, departing from the lower weave for about 1 cm. After that, all leaves are removed, the upper ones are shortened and several longitudinal incisions are made on the knot. The sand is calcined, cooled, and the prepared stalk is placed in it, watered and covered.
In the soil and under the cover, constant humidity is necessarily maintained. Roots form in two weeks. High cloves are not cut into cuttings. Knots incise, bend the trunk to the ground, pin and sprinkle with earth.
Mr. Summer resident recommends: clove Chinese and the secret of its popularity
This beautiful plant is easy to grow, does not require much attention, pleases with its flowering almost all summer, sometimes even longer. Graceful form, a variety of colors, spicy aroma all this determined a variety in application.
Competition in the use of Chinese cloves can only be tagetes or bulbs. They have one major drawback of short flowering.
Cloves are found in a wide variety of places: in the garden and in parks, on balconies or on the street in special containers near the house. It is decorated with multicolor or monoclomb, all kinds of front gardens. In decorative floriculture, they are planted in borders, placed on the slopes of a rockery or in rock gardens. Looks great on lawns next to both undersized plants and tall ones, in various planting options.
