This elegant and fragrant flower has been known since ancient Greece.
The choice of location and soil for planting dianthus
Almost all dianthus species prefer sunny places, but they also put up with penumbra. The vegetation will be compact, the color and leaves will be brighter, but the flowering period will be shorter. Most species prefer neutral or slightly alkaline, moderately fertilized light soil.
Special attention should be paid to the moisture permeability of the soil – waterlogging for cloves is very undesirable, as well as ground water near the soil surface. In the fall, rotten manure is added to the digging.
Dianthus breeding
Seed and vegetative (cuttings and layering), the division of the bush can reproduce several species, so gardeners in this way practically do not use. Annual and biennial species are most often propagated by seeds, while others are propagated by cuttings.
Cuttings
The work was carried out in May and June. For cuttings, the shoots of the current year with 4-5 internodes (without flowers) are suitable. The lower 2 pairs of leaves are removed, the internodes are cut to a depth of 1-2 mm (0.04-0.08 inches).
Planted in a pre-prepared substrate of ordinary soil, humus and sand, taken in a ratio of 2: 2: 1. Then the cuttings are watered, covered (create a greenhouse effect) with a film. Once a day, the shelter is removed for ventilation. After about 17-20 days, young roots form on the stem.
Layering
Propagation by layering is the easiest way: the shoots are bent to the ground, pressed down (or pressed with a stone), covered with soil from above, regularly moistening it. After rooting the shoot, the young plant is separated from the mother plant and planted in a permanent place.
Sowing on seedlings
The sowing period is calculated individually, taking into account:
- the growing season of a particular variety.
- the term of planting seedlings in the open ground.
Sow in a soil mixture prepared from turf, humus and sand, taken in equal proportions. The seeds are sprinkled with soil (2-3 mm/0.08-0.12 inches), moisten the crops with a spray gun, cover the agricultural plant so that the soil does not dry out. After the emergence of seedlings, the shelter is removed. In the stage of 2-3 leaves, the seedlings are dived into separate pots. After about a week, you can start feeding with complex mineral fertilizers. In the open ground, seedlings are planted at a distance of 15-20 cm (5.9-7.9 inches), watered, and the planting sites are mulched.
Dianthus care
Like many cultivated plants, dianthus should be regularly cleaned of weeds, watered, and fed with humus and complex mineral fertilizers during growth and flowering. Be sure to remove the wilted flowers, leaving the stem no more than 10-12 cm (3.9-4.7 inches). Species and varieties with thin long stems should be tied to supports.
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