Carnations - no matter what type they are - are real beginner flowers when it comes to their propagation. All you actually have to do is plant the seeds directly outdoors and then wait. However, you need a little patience, because the usually two-year-old perennials usually only bloom the following year.
How can you sow carnations correctly?
Carnations can be easily sown by sowing seeds directly outdoors or in pots between June and early September, keeping the soil slightly moist and allowing the plants to bloom the following year. Carnations are frost hardy and often self-sow.
The right time for sowing
Many of the biennial summer flowers, including carnations, are typically sown between June and early September. The young plants only bloom in their second year, and sowing earlier - for example in early spring - does not change this. If sown early, the young carnation only develops a rosette of leaves, but no flowers. However, you should refrain from sowing in late autumn, as the plants will no longer have time for their necessary development until the onset of winter.
Sow carnations directly
Sowing cloves is a very simple matter: you first dig up the garden area in question thoroughly and, if necessary, incorporate some compost and/or lime - depending on the type and variety. The bed is then raked smooth and furrows are made about two centimeters deep. Place the seeds there at regular intervals and then cover them with soil. Keep the substrate slightly moist. The plants will germinate within a short time, so you should separate them after a few weeks. The young carnations can be left outside over the winter without worrying as they are frost hardy.
If you already have carnations in the garden, you don't need to do anything about their propagation. All types of carnations self-sow very reliably and in this way form dense mats.
Grow carnations for the balcony
Sowing carnations in pots works in a similar way to the garden. First fill any planter (€199.00 on Amazon) with a mixture of finely crumbled potting soil, sand and some compost. Sow the seeds there at a depth of about two centimeters and keep the substrate slightly moist. These young carnations can also stay outside over the winter, but - in contrast to the planted specimens - they need some protection. So place the pot on a Styrofoam base and cover the young carnations with a few spruce branches.
Tip
Propagation from cuttings also works excellently for many types of carnations. To do this, cut half-ripe cuttings from non-flowering shoots in the summer, which can also be planted on the spot.
