Our today's article will be devoted to a popular and unpretentious ornamental plant - Turkish carnation. Long flowering, pleasant aroma and juicy colors make these flowers one of the most beloved. We will tell you what conditions are necessary for growing this variety of carnation, from choosing a place for planting to how to deal with diseases and pests.
Description
Turkish carnation is a perennial plant that is most often used as a biennial, since not all specimens remain flowering in the third and subsequent years. Another name given to this plant is bearded carnation (because of the bracts on each flower).
Plant height varies from 15-20 centimeters (undersized varieties) to 60-80 centimeters. The diameter of the inflorescences is approximately 10 centimeters, in which flowers are collected in white, red, pink or burgundy. As you can see from the photo of the Turkish carnation, the flowers are not alwaysone color - two- or three-color combinations are very common. The delicate aroma of simple or double inflorescences does not leave indifferent even experienced gardeners.
Choosing a seat
Turkish carnation is considered a rather unpretentious plant. Such flowers can be grown both in the garden and as part of a composition to create a flower bed. The only requirement for choosing a place for planting a Turkish carnation is the presence of a little shading: it does not like prolonged exposure to sunlight. The best place would be a small hill on the garden plot, which in the afternoon will be in partial shade. It is undesirable to plant a plant in the lowlands, as excess moisture will accumulate there, which has a detrimental effect on flowers. In general, Turkish cloves take root well in almost all regions of our country, including rather hot ones.
Soil preparation
Turkish carnation seeds can be planted both in open ground and previously for seedlings. If in the first case this is done at the end of May - beginning of June, then in the second case - no later than April.
So, what is the soil preparation for growing Turkish cloves from seeds? Two to three weeks before planting the seeds, be sure to loosen the soil to a depth of about 25-30 centimeters. After that, thoroughly rinse it with water and cover with paper and film. The film must be removed immediately before the sowing process.
If you plan to plant carnations in October, both the seeds and the soil must be dry. Otherwise, the seeds may freeze and not withstand even the first frost, despite the cold resistance of the plant. The soil with the planted seeds should be covered with a large layer of peat or humus, which should be removed with the advent of spring, slightly covering the plant with a special covering material. This is done to provide the plant with warmth in the winter and to avoid sunburn with the arrival of spring heat.
Sowing seeds
Turkish cloves are planted in rows, the distance between which should be at least fifteen centimeters. Seeds are sown to a depth of about a centimeter, at a distance of about two centimeters between each other. After planting, the seeds are tightly pressed with a layer of soil, sprayed with water and covered with a film. Literally in a week and a half you will see the first shoots.
Three weeks after the appearance of the first sprouts, Turkish carnation seedlings must be dived. In the process of picking, the distance between the sprouts increases to six centimeters, about fifteen centimeters remain between the rows. Picking is carried out preferably in the evening or cloudy weather. After it, it is also desirable to cover the seedlings with a film.
Transplanting plants to the site
Young plants are transplanted into open ground at the beginning of summer. In order for the carnation to take root better, beforetransfer to open ground, it is important to harden. It consists in taking the plant to a colder room, and subsequently to the street altogether. Hardening begins from half an hour, and gradually this time increases to 12-15 hours. So the plant will get used to future growing conditions and calmly endure the transplant process.
The areas prepared for planting should be about thirty centimeters apart. In the first year, the plant forms a bush, which the next year reaches half a meter in height and by the middle of summer pleases with bright flowers. Leaves that form during the formation of the bush should not be removed. And for the winter they need to be covered with spruce branches to protect them from frost.
Sowing cloves in open ground
For those who do not want to spend time and effort on growing seedlings, it is possible to plant a carnation immediately in open ground. This is done at the end of May, when the soil has finally warmed up, and the likelihood of night frosts is excluded. When planting in autumn, it is also important to follow the rule of dry land and dry seeds. The soil is mulched before the arrival of winter, and cleared of mulch in spring.
For planting clove seeds outdoors, choose a well-lit area of sandy or loamy soil. A couple of weeks before sowing, dig the soil well to a depth of about thirty centimeters and apply mineral and organic fertilizers. A combination of compost and wood ash, as well as a small amount of nitrophoska, will be optimal. After these procedures, the soil is covered with a film and left for two weeks.
Before landingthe film is removed, grooves are made in the ground at a distance of about twenty centimeters, they are shed with earth and the sowing of seeds begins. The step between the seeds should not be less than 3-4 centimeters. The planted material is sprinkled with a layer of soil, pressed and covered with a film until all the sprouts appear.
Flower care
The basic rules for obtaining a he althy and beautiful plant are: competent watering, weeding, loosening and top dressing. So, first things first.
Watering is done twice a week. At the same time, the water consumption is about 12 liters per square meter of the site. In particularly hot weather, it is permissible to increase the frequency of watering, but it is worth remembering that excessive moisture leads to the development of fungal diseases and various kinds of rot. When watering carnations, direct the jet closer to the roots and stems, preventing water from entering the flowers.
Loosening the top layer of soil and removing weeds are mandatory measures to maintain the he alth of the carnation. Weed plants take nutrients from the carnation, which leads to poor flowering. Loosening the soil saturates it with oxygen and facilitates the process of moisture and top dressing.
Feeding starts from the moment when the plant reaches 10-12 centimeters in height. The first fertilizer consists in applying a solution of nitrophoska and Agricola. For ten liters of water, a tablespoon of each drug is taken. The second feeding is carried out during the formation of buds. In this case, a tablespoon is added to 10 liters of water.superphosphate and potassium preparation. And finally, the third top dressing is carried out during the flowering period. The drug "Agricola for flowering plants" is preferred. The fertilizer calculation is approximately as follows: from 3 to 5 liters per square meter of the plot.
Pests
Despite the general unpretentiousness in care, Turkish carnation, like many other plants, is vulnerable to various pests. In this section, we will cover what you need to be prepared for when growing these flowers:
- Rodents. With the advent of spring, the first leaves of plants begin to break out from under the snow, which serve as a source of food for many rodents. To protect your plants, sprinkle poisoned grain around the bushes and place mousetraps in the area.
- The root-knot nematode is one of the main dangers for plant roots in the summer. Recognizing it is quite simple - by deformed and faded leaves, swollen cuttings and stunting of the flower as a whole. The only way to deal with the nematode is to destroy the affected plant and treat the soil with chemicals.
- Insects. The two main pests of Turkish cloves are elephant peas and spider mites. The elephant gnaws the leaves of the plant, and the tick sucks the juice from the stems. A strong infusion of onion peel will help to cope with them (150 grams of peel for 5 boiling water, leave for at least five days), with which the plant is processed 3-4 times every 5-7 days.
Diseases
With proper care, the Turkish carnation practically does not get sick. But there are several maindiseases that this plant is susceptible to when growing conditions are violated:
- Fusariosis is a fungal disease that affects the plant completely. Destroying the vascular system of the flower, this disease leads to yellowing of the leaves and reddening of the stems, rotting of the roots and the basal part of the stem, and also inhibits the process of blooming flowers. Affected specimens are subject to immediate destruction, and he althy specimens should be treated with fungicides two to three times a month.
- Rust is another fungal-type disease that affects the leaves and cuttings of the plant. The affected parts of the flower are covered with brown spots, dry out and break. This disease progresses with an acute lack of potassium in the soil and nitrogen, as well as with excessive moisture. At the slightest sign of disease, the plant is immediately treated with Bordeaux mixture or HOM solution.
- Mottle appears most often in springtime and is reflected on the plant in the form of colorless spots on the leaves and deformation of the flowers. Unfortunately, there is no cure for this disease, so the diseased plant must be destroyed.
In conclusion
Following these simple instructions, you will definitely be able to grow this fragrant and colorful plant on your site. During its cultivation, you will be convinced of the unpretentiousness of the flower and the ease of this process.
