Alpine carnation reproduces very easily in almost all ways. It often blooms already in the first year after sowing. To do this, it is enough to grow seedlings by sowing seeds in boxes in March or in open ground in April-May.

Cuttings root easily in any season of the year if they are given moist and slightly shaded conditions. So, it is enough to cover the stalk with a jar or a cut plastic bottle, on which the label remains (it will shade the stalk), and water regularly. Cuttings should take root well before the winter cold.

The division of the bush is best done in early spring, while the plants have not started to grow, and there is still a sufficient supply of moisture in the soil. Any part of the plant containing roots and shoots is suitable for planting.

Imported alpine carnation: note!

Note that not all carnations that penetrate the domestic market winter well in our conditions. So, for all their attractiveness, some English varieties of terry undersized carnations develop well in the first year after planting, but die in winter. The same can be said about forcing carnations in flowerpots, which are supplied from Holland. These carnations are promising only in the southern regions with mild winters.

References:"Perennials for a landscape garden", V.V. Chub.

Alpine carnation is a low perennial plant with bright pink flowers. Representatives of the family fully justify their name, preferring to settle at an altitude of 1000-2000 meters. In the wild, they are found on the slopes of the eastern Alps, in the mountains of Slovenia and Austria. The natural form of the perennial is more demanding on growing conditions and does not tolerate cultivation, but the varieties and hybrids created on its basis feel great in the garden.

The homeland of the alpine carnation is the mountain slopes of the eastern Alps

Alpine carnation - description of the species

A bright green shrub 20–25 cm high with delicate flowers invariably attracts the attention of gardeners with grace and unpretentiousness. Thin, slender stems with narrow leaves form rather large cushion-shaped curtains that feel great in the extreme conditions of the temperate and northern latitudes of Russia.

The flowers of the alpine carnation are large, about 5 cm in diameter, with a characteristic, indented edge. They consist of five slightly corrugated petals of a bright pink hue with a purple base. The plant blooms from June to October, spreading a delicate aroma around and pleasing the eye with an abundance of colors.

This is interesting. Translated from Greek, carnation means "divine flower" and is considered a symbol of love and a happy marriage.

The root system of the alpine guest consists of a long tap root, which helps the plant to stay on rocky slopes, and many roots that supply water and nutrition. The life span of the flower is not too long. As a rule, it does not exceed 5 years.

In autumn, fruits appear on the carnation, resembling an oblong box with four teeth at the top. When ripe, they open, scattering small spherical seeds around the plant.

Alpine carnation varieties

In nature, alpine carnation is represented by shades of pink and red-carmine. The varieties and hybrids derived from it have a more diverse palette. In addition, they are much more stable and grow well in artificially created conditions.

So, which varieties are worth paying attention to:

• Lawn Pink is a hardy perennial with pale lilac or pink flowers and greyish green leaves. Able to grow rapidly into rich curtains with a diameter of more than 50 cm;
• Weiss (Weiss) - frost-resistant perennial with white, large flowers. A bush 20 cm high and half a meter wide is decorative from May to July. With good care, it can bloom again in August.
• Ruby (Rubin) - buds are raspberry or pink-lilac (depending on the landing site). The height of an adult bush is 20–25 cm, diameter is 40–50 cm. It blooms from May to August;
• Albus (Albus) - white-flowered, winter-hardy form. The height of the perennial is 15–25 cm, it grows up to half a meter in width. Blooms all summer.

Among flower growers, the alpine pink lawn carnation is most in demand. It is believed that it is not only decorative, but also unpretentious, reproduces well by seeds and blooms profusely in the first year after sowing.

Features of agricultural technology

Planting and caring for alpine carnation has some features. Since the plant came to us from mountainous areas, for better growth and development, it is necessary to create conditions for it that are close to natural.

The overseas guest prefers sunny, elevated areas with dry, stony soil, flavored with a small amount of humus. The best option would be a rock garden or a Japanese-style slide. When choosing a place, it should be borne in mind that an adult flower does not tolerate a transplant.

Advice. If there is no special area for growing alpine carnations on the site, you can build a small rocky elevation for it.

When planting, do not put humus or other organic fertilizer in the hole. A bush planted in nutrient soil will quickly grow and lose its decorative effect.

Reproduction of alpine carnation

The perennial reproduces in several ways, but the simplest and most convenient option is seed cultivation. At the same time, sowing is possible both for seedlings and directly into the ground. Only adult plants from the second year of life are propagated by cuttings and layering.

Growing alpine cloves from seeds

Sowing at home is carried out in February-early March. If you plant a plant later, there may not be flowering this year. The soil for cloves is prepared from ordinary garden soil, adding sand and ash to it. The main requirement is that the soil should be light and loose, with a neutral pH.

Work order:

1. The prepared mixture is mixed and poured into boxes.
2. The soil is compacted and spilled with warm water.
3. After 1.5–2 hours, grooves 1 cm deep are made in the moistened earth.
4. Seeds mixed with fine sand are placed in the pits and gently sprinkled with soil.

After the first shoots appear, the containers with seedlings are transferred to a bright window sill with a daytime temperature of 20 ° C. In the evening, the seedlings are illuminated using special phytolamps or fluorescent lamps for this.

Watering the seedlings of the alpine guest requires minimal watering, otherwise there is a high probability of a black leg appearing. Especially often the disease develops in poor lighting and low temperatures.

Advice. In order for the seeds to sprout faster, the boxes are covered with foil and placed in a warm room with a constant temperature of 22–23 ° C.

In the phase of 1–2 true leaves, the seedlings dive, planting 2 plants in each cup. In the future, a weaker flower is simply removed. When 5–6 leaves appear, the carnation is pinched, thereby enhancing the growth of side shoots.

With the advent of warm, sunny days, the grown seedlings are taken out into the street for hardening. If possible, young plants are placed in a greenhouse, protected from night frosts with lutrasil. The bushes, strengthened in the sun and fresh air, will bloom much earlier than pampered home seedlings. The photo below shows an alpine carnation ready for planting in open ground.

The flower is planted in a permanent place in late May-early June, when the threat of night frosts has passed.

Sowing alpine carnation in the ground

If you don’t want to mess with seedlings or there is no place for her in the house, you can sow the alpine beauty immediately in open ground. The distribution bed is cleared of weeds, dug up and limed. In the third decade of May, they begin sowing.

Landing rules:

1. On the prepared site, grooves 0.5 cm deep are marked every 10 cm.
2. Clove seeds, mixed with sand and a pinch of dry complete mineral fertilizer, are scattered sparsely into the grooves.
3. The bed is leveled and watered with warm water.
4. The planting is covered with a film on top to retain moisture.

After germination, polyethylene is replaced with lutrasil and left for 10-12 days. Water young bushes directly through the shelter.

Advice. You can not plant alpine carnations next to tulips. Plants have similar diseases and can infect each other.

An overseas guest sown in the ground will bloom only next year. At the end of August, the grown bushes are planted in a permanent place. To make them more magnificent, pinch the tops after the development of 8 leaves.

Alpine carnation care

Further care for cloves is the same as for other plants. The perennial should not be flooded, it perfectly tolerates heat and drought. Several times during the season, flowering bushes are fed with Agricola.

Alpine carnation does not need loosening and weeding. Usually it forms such dense curtains that not a single weed can break through them.

In late autumn, perennials are cut at a distance of 10 from the ground and mulched with peat or dry leaves. The plant is winter-hardy, so this shelter is quite enough.

With proper planting and proper care, the alpine carnation will delight for a long time with bright flowers and a delicate aroma. And having grown this perennial once, it is already impossible to part with it.

Carnation is a herbaceous perennial from the Carnation family. The plant is known to many. For several decades, this flower has been associated with the October Revolution, but even today, charming bushes in a flower bed and twigs in a bouquet are very popular. The scientific name of the carnation is dianthus, which is translated from ancient Greek as “the flower of Zeus” or “the flower of the gods”. The habitat is located in the Mediterranean, North America, Africa and Asia. In the natural environment, new hybrids are regularly formed, many of which are introduced into the culture. Decorative carnations are suitable even for home cultivation, the main thing is to choose the right place for them and follow the rules of care.

Botanical description

Carnation is a perennial flowering plant that is often grown as an annual in temperate climates. The rhizome has a rod structure with small lateral branches, it penetrates the soil by only 20 cm. The shoots are slightly branched and mainly in the upper part. They grow in length by 15-75 cm and are located vertically or lie down. In perennials, the base of the stem gradually becomes woody and a large semi-shrub is formed.

Thickenings are observed along the entire length of the sprouts in the nodes. The leaves are lanceolate or awl-shaped, firmly seated on the stem. They are opposite, in pairs. The edges of the foliage are entire or crenate, and the end is pointed. The surface is smooth, hard, with a gray or silver coating.

At the end of spring, single large (up to 5 cm in diameter) flowers begin to appear on the tops of the shoots. In ornamental varieties, they can be arranged in groups in complex umbrellas or shields. At the base of the flower is a cylindrical calyx with smooth sepals. Flowers with five wide petals bloom above it. The surface of the petals is smooth or corrugated, and the edges have a different depth of dissection. Flowers exude a characteristic tart aroma. In the central part there are 10 stamens, which slightly peep out of the calyx, and 2 columns of the ovary.

Pollination occurs with the help of insects. After that, the seed box ripens, inside which there are many small flattened seeds with a tuberous black surface. After maturation, the box opens into 4 doors.

Types and varieties of cloves

The genus includes more than 300 plant species.

An inhabitant of Western Europe and Siberia is a shoot branched from the base, 20-40 cm high. The stems are divided into short (vegetative) and longer (flowering). Linear bright green leaves in width do not exceed 3 mm. Flowers are located at the top of the shoot in 1-3 pieces. They have a purple cylindrical calyx and carmine red obovate petals. The edges of the petals are cut and strongly bent. Flowering occurs in June-October.

An unpretentious plant native to the south of Europe. It lives only 2 years and grows 35-75 cm in height. Blue-green or green foliage 4-10 cm long and 1-2 cm wide. Simple flowers 2-3 cm in diameter are pink, white, lilac, often with lighter edges. In ornamental varieties, flowers are collected in dense corymbs with a diameter of up to 12 cm.

A resident of the Mediterranean prefers a warm climate and moist, fertile land. A perennial plant capable of reaching a height of 80 cm. It has simple linear gray-green leaves up to 15 cm long. Single flowers with semi-double corollas are collected in groups in complex umbrella inflorescences. The diameter of the corolla is 3-5 cm.

A variation of the garden carnation forms a dense bush of bright green shoots up to 60 cm high. Narrow linear leaves do not exceed 1-2 cm in length. Large semi-double and double corollas with a diameter of about 4-7 cm bloom at the tops. The color of the petals is very diverse: cream, red, pink, yellow, white. The edges of the petals are cut almost to half.

Bushy perennial 15-50 cm tall, covered with lanceolate long leaves, twisted at the end. Monochromatic or bicolor flowers bloom in early July and last until the first frost. The main shade of the petals can be different: burgundy, pink, white. On the surface there are necessarily strokes or stripes of maroon color. Popular varieties of Chinese terry cloves:

• Diamond - a tall, slender plant ends with scarlet double flowers;
• Tenderness - a bush of medium height with white buds;
• Vesuvius is a dwarf plant with large orange pompoms.

Herbaceous perennial 30-40 cm high has a straight, almost unbranched stem. It, like the leaves, has a green smooth surface. The flowers exude a very intense fragrance. On a branched top, they are collected 2-4 pieces in a loose umbrella. Loose white or pink petals are cut along the edge to half.

A plant from Central Europe and Asia is distinguished by its small height and creeping rhizome. Thin knotted stems are strongly branched. Above, in June-August, small single flowers with pink jagged petals flaunt. The diameter of the corolla is 1-2 cm, but due to their large number, a dense flowering pillow or turf is formed.

An inhabitant of the mountain slopes of Italy, Slovenia and Austria grows well on calcareous soils. The length of the decumbent, thin shoots is 20-25 cm. The bluish-green growth is decorated with red-purple simple flowers with wide corrugated petals.

Reproduction methods

In culture, carnation is grown as an annual or juvenile. The reason for this is rapid aging and loss of decorativeness. It can be propagated in the following ways:

• Sowing seeds in open ground. The method is suitable for perennial species. Foliage is usually formed in the first year, and flowering begins the next season. Work begins in May, when the average daily temperature should be above +15°C. The soil is dug up in advance and fertilizers are applied. Seeds are distributed in rows with a distance of 10 cm and deepened by 1 cm.
• Growing seedlings. In March, containers are prepared with a mixture of sand, soddy soil and peat. Before use, the land is disinfected. Small seeds are distributed evenly to a depth of 5-10 mm. The surface of the soil is sprayed with a spray gun and covered with a film. The greenhouse is kept at a temperature of +18°C. Shoots appear after 7-10 days. From this moment, the shelter is removed and the temperature is lowered to +12°C. Plants need bright light, so you need to use phytolamps. Seedlings with two true leaves dive into cassettes or peat pots with a mixture of garden soil and sand.
• Rooting cuttings. The vegetative stem near the node is damaged and this place is fixed in the soil with a hairpin. The layering must be watered regularly. At the point of contact with the ground, roots first form, and then new shoots grow. After that, the plant can be separated.
• Cuttings. In spring or autumn, young shoots from 10 cm long are cut. It is good if part of the old stem remains at their base. The leaf blades are cut in half. The cut is treated with a weak solution of manganese. Twigs are planted in a pot with loose garden soil. They should be regularly watered and shaded for a week. Then the seedlings are exposed to brighter light. The adaptation process takes up to a month.
• The division of the bush. The method is suitable for species with a creeping stem and a creeping rhizome. In the spring, the sod is dug up and divided into parts, which are immediately planted in fresh pits with fertilized soil. Delenki take root within 7-10 days.

Planting and care in the open field

Carnation needs a well-lit, draft-free place. Landing is carried out at a stable warm temperature without sudden cold snaps at night. The soil should be loamy and fertile, without excess moisture. Optimal acidity is slightly alkaline. Before planting, the earth is dug up with compost, bone meal or slaked lime. Then the plants are watered abundantly.

In the future, irrigation is carried out regularly and in small portions. Even a little rain is enough for superficial roots to feed, but they also suffer greatly in drought. During the flowering period, it is important to prevent water from entering the buds.

Top dressing is applied several times a season. In early spring, the soil is fertilized with ammonium nitrate or potassium sulfate. During the budding period, the plants are fertilized with rotted manure or superphosphate, and in the fall the soil is mulched with compost. An annual carnation is enough half a serving of fertilizer.

To get compact wide bushes, pinch the shoots above 2-3 knots. Also remove wilted flowers. You also need to regularly loosen the soil and remove weeds. When growing carnations for bouquets, side shoots and some of the buds are removed so that the rest are larger and stronger. Tall plants are tied up so that the bush does not lie down during heavy rains and strong gusts of wind. In autumn, when flowering is over, all shoots are cut to a height of 10-15 cm. It is not frost that causes more damage, but flooding of the soil during thaws, so since autumn it has been covered with foil and spruce branches.

Of the diseases, the greatest danger is represented by fungal infections (fusarium wilt, phyalophorosis, rhizoctoniosis). It is possible to save the plant only in the early stages of the disease. Damaged shoots must be removed, and the rest of the vegetation should be treated with "Fundazol", "Topsin" or "Bordeaux liquid".

Caring for room cloves

Even in a small flowerpot on the windowsill, you can grow a flowering carnation bush. Chinese, Turkish or hybrid varieties are suitable for this. All of them have dwarf varieties with very beautiful flowers.

For planting use a small pot with drainage holes. A thick layer of expanded clay or brick chips is poured at the bottom. A mixture of peat, river sand, leaf and sod land is used as soil. Before planting in the ground, scalded with boiling water. In no case should the root neck be deepened.

A pot of cloves is placed in a well-lit place, but protected from midday sunlight. On hot days, it is necessary to ventilate the room more often or expose the flower to fresh air. Strong heat is undesirable for a plant, it will be best for it at + 15 ... + 18 ° C. In winter, the carnation is transferred to a room with a temperature of + 5 ... + 6 ° C.

Water the cloves 1-2 times a day with well-purified, soft water. During the flowering period, watering is carried out more often.

Twice a month, a mineral fertilizer solution with a high content of potassium salts is introduced into the soil. Stop fertilizing in autumn.

Alpine slides and rockeries give a special decorative effect to any garden. Planting alpine carnations, done correctly, will help decorate them. After all, it is on hills open to the sun that it grows best. Although both feathery and grass are also suitable for this. It is distinguished by graceful peduncles and a weak, but very delicate aroma. Growing a plant and caring for it is not difficult.

Where to grow cloves?

The carnation will find its place in every garden, there is also a room one. After all, it can be used for:

• Framing borders and rock gardens.
• There are varieties that bloom so profusely that they form a carpet. They look great on.
• Stair and wall decorations.
• Decorating the path from tiles: the plant is grown between them.

Carnation looks especially impressive on areas decorated with stones. Before flowering, it looks like a green ball, which in itself looks like an ornament. After bright colors please the eye. She, like a grass or cirrus, loves the sun's rays. Therefore, it is not recommended to plant it in the shade, where it will not be able to fully show itself. You also need to avoid lowlands in which water stagnates. The room also does not like excess moisture.

Best of all, grass and other species grow on neutral soil, previously well fertilized. But they do not like heavy. Even if you make it less saturated by mixing it with sand, it is difficult to say how successful the cultivation will be. Dolomite flour should be added to acidic soil to increase the amount of magnesium.

Reproduction methods

Reproduction is possible in three ways: using seeds, cuttings or layering. Most often, carnation, grass or pinnate, is grown using seeds. This is a fairly simple method that does not require special skills. Care is also simple. Moreover, it is possible both sowing in pots for seedlings, and immediately in open ground.

If a decision is made to grow seedlings, then planting should be done in the first half of March. It is necessary to prepare a suitable soil mixture, not forgetting it. Place it in a container, sow the seeds and cover with a film. Place the pots in a room where the room temperature is about 18 degrees. After the emergence of seedlings, you need to rearrange them in a cooler place, room temperature - 12 degrees.

Lighting must be good. In March, it is recommended to highlight seedlings using fluorescent lamps or fitolamps. If they are not, then watering should be done minimally. Otherwise, there is a high probability of such a disease as a black leg. If it was nevertheless noticed, then the affected sprout should be removed.

The plant needs a pick, this is the care. In April, the sprouts are transplanted into separate containers; the root neck should not be too deep. A little later, they will need to be pinched to make the bushes lush. Landing in open ground requires some preparation. To do this, the seedlings are taken out to fresh air. Just choose a place without drafts. The transplant is carried out in the second half of May, keeping 30 cm between the bushes.

If the feathery carnation is planted directly into the ground, then this should be done towards the end of May. By this time the spring frosts should be over. When sowing, it is recommended to maintain a distance of about a centimeter between seeds, and 10 cm between rows.

Advice! Do not plant carnations near tulips. These plants have similar diseases. They will not be easy to cure, as different drugs are needed.

In cases where several varieties of carnations grow in the garden, they can interbreed with each other and produce hybrid types of seeds. To avoid this, cuttings or layering are used for propagation. Grass grass and feathery carnation are particularly well propagated vegetatively. To do this, cut the stalk at an angle, 4 leaves should remain on it. In the lower part, it is necessary to make an incision for a third of the thickness. Root it in a damp substrate, not forgetting to cover it with a jar or plastic wrap.

How to care?

Further care for alpine carnation is the same as for other plant varieties. Do not forget about feeding. The grass will bloom even more luxuriantly and abundantly if you feed it with organic fertilizers once or twice a month. The room also needs feeding. After flowering is completed, the bushes need to be fertilized with special mineral fertilizer and humus. But fresh manure is not suitable for this.

In the summer, especially on hot days, the carnation must be watered every day. A moderate amount of water is needed, waterlogging of the soil should not be allowed. You also need to make sure that moisture does not get on the buds. How much loosening is necessary depends on the variety. The grass can grow so densely that no weeds are afraid of it. Yes, and loosening without damaging the bushes is problematic.

Inflorescences that have already faded should be removed immediately. It makes sense to leave them only in cases where seeds are needed. Their removal contributes to the emergence of new flower stalks in greater numbers. So in the future, flowering will be even more magnificent. If the care and watering is correct, then the plant can re-bloom at the end of summer.

What problems can there be?

Quality care does not always guarantee protection from disease. Alpine carnation is prone to such diseases:

• Alternariosis. It manifests itself as follows: the plants begin to wither, brownish spots and an olive-black coating are noticeable on it.
• Fusarium. This disease leads to the fact that some parts of the bush begin to grow more slowly than others.
• Rust. It is easily recognizable by the brown-yellow spots that affect the stem and leaves.

If any signs of these diseases have been noticed, then the damaged areas on the bushes should be destroyed, and the cloves should be treated with a fungus remedy.

The grass can also suffer from pests. If this happens, then you need to treat with an insecticide. In some cases, for example, when it is nematodes, it is necessary to remove the infected leaves. loosening will help.

Alpine carnation can be a decoration of the garden, and especially if it has a rockery. The plant will take root perfectly on it, and its bright flowers will harmoniously look against the background of stones. Growing it is simple, especially with the help of seeds.