CARNATION

(S.N-Dianthus caryophyllus L.)

Carnation (Dianthus caryophyllus L.) belonging to the family Caryoph

yllaceae.
Chromosome no- 2n= 30
It is one of the important cut flower crops in the International flower ma
rket.
It is more preferred to other cut flowers due to its
 Large array of colours,
 Excellent keeping quality,
 Wide range of forms
 Ability to with stand long distance of transportation,
It is commonly called as Carnation, Divine flower, Clove pink, Gilly
Flower.
IMPORTANCE AND USES
One of the top ten cut flower crops in the Inte
rnational flower market.
Apart from cut flower it is being used for bed
ding, pots, rock gardens, window boxes and ed
ging.
It gives a unique softness in the rock gardens.
Popular in flower arrangements for decoratin
g homes.
Flowers also have medicinal properties.
Used as cardio tonic.
It is also used for perfume extraction in Franc
e.
ORIGIN:
♣ It is native to the Mediterranean region but its exact rang
e is unknown due to extensive cultivation for the last 200
0 years.
♣ Dianthus in Greek ‘dios,’ divine; ‘anthos’, flower which
means 'Flower of Zeus' or Divine flower.
♣ The cultivar ‘William Sim’ produced in 1938 by William
Sim of USA.
BOTANY:
 It is a herbaceous perennial plant growing to 80 cm
tall.
 The leaves are glaucous grayish green to blue-green,
slender, up to 15 cm long.
 The Flowers are produced singly or up to five togeth
er in a cyme;
3–5 cm diameter and sweetly scented;
colour is bright pinkish-purple, red, white, yellow
and green.
 Carnations will grow from 2" to 3 feet high, most gar
den varieties grow 10 to 20 inches tall.
 They bloom mainly during cool times of the year, esp
ecially early winter.
TYPES OF CARNATION
1.Chabaud or marguerite:
 Developed by crossing D. chinensis x D. caryophyllus,
 They are annuals produces single or double flowers.
 Reproducing by seeds
 Flowers are large with fringed petals. Moderate vase life.

2.Border and picotee:

 Easy to grow and has symmetrical flowers
 Flower colour varies from single to blend with irregular markings
.
 They produce single stem in first year and form bushy in subsequ
ent years

3.Malmaison:
 Malmaison has stiff and massive habit with broad leaves
 Flowers are large and fully double mainly pink with well frilled c
enters.
 Flowers have rich fragrance.
 Suitable for pot purpose due to its dwarf in habit.

4.Perpetuals:
 They are hybrids involving many Dianthus species.
 Plants are not hardy and flower all round the year.
 Flower stalks are long and hence suitable for cut flowers.
 They produce better quality flowers and
withstand long transportation.
 They are grouped into standards or Sim and sprays.
Chabaud/ marguerite Border/ picotee

Malmaison Perpetuals
1. Standard types:
 Produces single large blooms with longer flower stalks.

2. Spray types:
 The miniature or spray type produces many flowers of small
er size.
 Better adapted to warm climate than standard types.

Standard type Spray type

SPECIES:
There are about 250 species of Dianthus of which only a fe
w are under commercial cultivation. They are as follows,

Major species
D. caryophyllus
D. barbatus
D. chinensis
Other species
D. alpinus
D. grandiflorus
D. giganteus
D. hybridus
D. nobilis
 SOIL/GROWING MEDIA AND PREPARATION OF BEDS
Soil should be ploughed upto 80-100 cm deep.
Addition of calcium carbonate or dolomite limestone to corrects severe acid
condition and also supplies calcium and magnesium for plant nutrition.
 Addition of sulphur or use of acid forming fertilizers will inturn
reduces the soil pH if it is on the higher side.
 A rich sandy loam or loamy soil is considered to be the most ide
al for successful production of carnation.
 The ideal soil pH is between 6.0 to 7.0
 EC of 1.2 at the start of the crop and 1.5 at the generative period
is ideal.
 Plants can be grown in a perlite / rock wool mixture at 3:1 or 1:
1.
 Soil mixture : 50 % sand, 30% loam and 20% clay
 Media have to be sterilized with methyl bromide@ 25-30g / for
maldehyde @ 3-7% (7.5 to 10.0 l/100/sq.mt or Basamid (Dazo
met) @30-40g/m2
 Bed size : 30 cm height ; 1.05 m wide ; length varies as per the l
ength of the protected structure.
 Spacing between beds : 30 cm
 CLIMATE:

Light is the most important factor, which influences growth of the plant.
Mild climate with a temperature ranging from 5-180C is considered to be the i
deal for the crop.
Quantitative Long Day :
plant (long days promote flowering)
Co2 enrichment in greenhouse upto 500-1000 ppm improves the flower qualit
y.
Day temperature - 28oC (20 -25 0C)
Night temperature - 16-18oC (10 -15 0C)

1.

VARIETIES:
1. Standard Carnation
Red : Scania, Tanga, Killer
Pink : Nora, Pink Sim, Candy, Calypso
Yellow: Pallas, Murcia, Tahiti
White : Sim, Roma, Candy white
Others: Charmeur, Santiago, Vanessa, Monaco, Regina, Trendy,
Rush, Internet, Monopole, Cobra, Shocking pink and White Sim, Papaya, Gold
 CULTIVARS OF CARNATION

Dona Farida Firato Hildelgo

Lavender Lace Lady Green Master Sunrise

Baltico Cherry Solar Farida Frivole

Malga Dover Pink Dover Liberty

Parasio Red Corso White Wedding Pax

2. SPRAY CARNATION
Red : Rony, Karma, Etna
Pink : Annelies, Barbara, Silvery Pink
Yellow: Odeon, Alicetta, Lior
White: Royalette, Tibet, Excel
:
Others: Exquisite, Scarlet Elegance, Kissi : Kristal, Celins, Furore,
White Barbara and Red Barbara, Stardust
PROPAGATION:
Carnation may be propagated by both sexual and asexual methods.

SEED :
♣ July or August to October
♣ In the hills, sowing should be done during August to October
and March to April depending upon temperature.
♣ :
At four-leaf stage, the seedlings are pricked or transplanted.
♣ Sowing at 20oC gives the maximum germination.
VEGETATIVE PROPAGATION
CUTTING
Using soft terminal cuttings is the common method of multiplication used by commercial
growers throughout the world.
Cuttings of 10-15 cm with 3-4 nodes weighing around 10g are ideal for multiplicati
on.
Rooting hormone such as IBA at 500ppm is used prior to planting of cuttings for rooting.
Terminal cuttings give rise to good plants. Cuttings can be stored at 0 oC before planting fo
r several weeks.
Cuttings are spaced at 5 cm apart and intermittent misting should be used for good rooting
.

LAYERING
♥ Layering is done in pots or directly in the ground.
♥ The layering generally roots earlier than the cuttings.
♥ Ground layering was found to be most suitable method.

GRAFTING
♥ 65 to 70 % success
♥ Union was completed in 15 days.

MICRO-PROPAGATION
♥ Almost all parts of the plant may be used as explants in carnation except the ro
ot.
PLANTING AND AFTERCARE:

Carnation plants are planted in different spacing normally, 30-45 pla

nts per sqm is considered to be ideal.
Different spacings 15x8cm, 15x15cm, 15x20cm and 15x10cm, are f
ollowed.
Shallow planting is followed. Deep planting should be avoided. Sha
ding should be given in the beginning of the crop for few days.
Care should be taken to maintain the humidity to prevent plants from
drying.
SPECIAL CULTURAL PRACTICES:
1. SUPPORT MATERIAL:

 Carnation crop has the tendency to bend unless supported properly. Hence the crop n
eeds support while growing.
 Good support material is metallic wire woven with nylon mesh.

2. PINCHING:
Pinching refers to breaking out tip of budding and encouraging growth of side s
hoots.
Essential for Standards.
4-6 well grown laterals are allowed.
At six pairs of leaf first pinching has to be done.
First pinching done 3 -4 weeks after planting.
Depending upon the need of crop spread it is classified into,
 Single,
 One and half and
 Double pinches.

SINGLE PINCH
 Ideal time for pinching is morning.
 When the plant attains 6 nodes, the first pinch is given.
  5 -7 cm of apical portion has to be pinched off.
 This would give rise to 4-6 lateral shoots.
 ONE AND HALF PINCH
 After single pinched shoots flower, half of side shoots are pinched off.
 2-3 of these lateral shoots are pinched again.
 DOUBLE PINCH
 All the lateral shoots are pinched off. i.e., 3 - 4 weeks after first pinch
 Pinching is done at 4 well developed pairs of leaves

4. DISBUDDING:
 Disbudding refers to removal of side buds so that the central/terminal bud rec
eives maximum food for the full development.
1. FOR STANDARDS
 Removal of lateral buds.
 Main flower bud alone left.
2. FOR SPRAYS
 Terminal or main buds are removed to encourage more number of side s
hoots.
 Best time for disbudding – when apical bud is 15 mm in diameter.
 MANURING:

No inorganic fertilizers in first 3 weeks after planting

Fertilizer application of 40g N, 20g P and 10g K, in addition to
5kg of well decomposed FYM /m2 will increase the yield of flo
wers. OR
250 : 80 : 200 : 125 : 400 g / m2 / yr N, P2O5, K2
O, Ca, Mg application in 24 splits once in 15 days.

IRRIGATION:
♣ Over watering and poor drainage causes root death and stunt
ed growth.
♣ Water logging would cause deprival of oxygen to plants.
♣ The growing medium should be evenly moist.
HARVEST AND POST HARVEST:
After planting normally it takes 110-120 days to come to peak flowering.

STANDARDS
Carnation flowers mature in 4-5 months period.
Standard cultivars are harvested at ''Paint Brush'' stage with half-op
en flowers, or almost fully open flowers.
At large bud / tight bud / cross bud stage
Petals are visible at this stage
SPRAYS:
When at least 2-3 top flowers have opened & other buds show colour

TIME OF HARVEST:
15 – 20 weeks after single pinching

YIELD:
On an average 10-20 flowers / plant/year or 150-300 flowers / m 2
/ year
Yearly production of 300-400 flower/m is ideal and economical.
2
POST HARVEST OPERATIONS:
Harvested flowers are bunched together based on their physical meas
urements like length of stem, diameter of flower etc.
For a good post harvest life, flower stems have to be trimmed at the b
ase and should be immediately placed in a bucket of preservative sol
ution (Acidic pH 4.5) with 2-5 % sucrose and biocides for 2 to 4 hou
rs.
Carnation flowers can be stored for 2-4 weeks before marketing.
Flowers have to be packed in cartons lined with polyethylene be pre-
cooled without lid.
The plastic is then loosely folded on top of the stems and the lid is cl
osed.
These cartons are stored in cool chambers designed to maintain 00C
with good air circulation and a constant RH of 90-95 %.
Floral preservatives like, 8-HQS or 8-HQC @ 200-600 ppm; STS (Si
lver Thio- sulphate) @ 0.2- 4mM; Cytokinin @ 10-100 ppm; Sugar
@ 0.5-2% and Citric acid @50-100 ppm.
PHYSIOLOGICAL DISORDER
CALYX SPLITTING:
Cultivars with too many petals are susceptible to calyx splitting.
Due to fluctuation in temperature and environmental conditions also influences calyx
splitting.
MEASURES
Selection of cultivars that are less prone to splitting,
Regulation of temperature and maintenance of optimal fertilizer level can minimize this d
isorder.
This can also be reduced by placing a rubber band or 6mm wide clear plastic tape is
used around the calyx of the flowers which have just start opening. This operation is
referred as ‘Calyx banding’.

PEST AND DISEASES

Aphids
Thrips
Red Spider
Nematodes
Grading
Packing

37

Packing comprises
three stages :
•Bunching,
•Wrapping and
•Packing.