How to Propagate Dianthus and Carnations, How to Take Carnation Cuttings

How to Propagate Dianthus and Carnations, How to Take Carnation Cuttings You know what they look like but don’t know what to call them, Pinks, Carnations or Dianthus. They are in fact called Dianthus but does that really matter when for this video, probably not. For me, Dianthus or Carnations as they were called, remind me of my Grandma and me growing the plants in a small section of garden so she could have them as cut flowers. So I guess it’s for those memories that as an adult I still like to grow Carnations, now called Dianthus, and have the flowers for their lovely perfume and as cut flowers. The down side to Dianthus is that even the perennial varieties only really do well for 2 or 3 years before they start to become woody and less productive as plants. To keep the plants healthy I regularly cut back the plants to encourage fresh growth, and more flowers. To prepare for when the old plants are past their best I also take a few cuttings each year. Taking cuttings also gives me plenty more plants then I originally started with. So how do we take Dianthus cuttings? Tools Required; Fresh compost in a pot, Hormone rooting powder Fill a pot with fresh compost and lightly firm down. Water the compost and leave it to stand for about 30 minutes. Take a few minutes to look at the ‘mother’ plant so you can determine which are the flowering and non flowering stems, as you can only really take cuttings from the non flowering stems. Flowering stems tend to be thinner with the leaves spaced out evenly over distance up the stem, and set out in pairs of opposite leaves (one leaf grows directly opposite the other on the stem). With non flowering stems the leaves form in tight bunches to create a fountain look. Hold the non flowering stem, close to the base of stem, between thumb and forefinger and bend at right angles to the main stem. The stem should snap out at a leaf joint. Remove the lower set of leaves and dip the base of the cutting into hormone rooting powder. Using a dipper or similar implement make shallows holes in the compost, approximately 2cm deep. Place the base of the cutting into the hole and then lightly firm the compost. This ensures that air pockets are removed and that there is good contact between the cuttings and compost. Place cuttings in a partially shaded position and keep the compost on the moist side until the cuttings have established roots. Rooting will take 1 or 2 months. Once a good root structure has formed the cuttings can be potted on and ready to provide plenty of flowers for the future. If you like what you have seen then please subscribe to my channel.