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CARNATION CULTIVATION

Article · January 1997

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S. R. Voleti
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 CARNATION C.ULTIVATION
Dr H.P. Singh & Dr S.R. Voleti
Divisionof Floriculture&Landscaping, IARI, New Delhi
Carnation (Dianthus caryophyiil ISfamily
caryophyllaceae)is one of the most beautiful and
commercially important flower crops. Its origin is from
south France and is a good commercial cut flower for
international as well as internal market. It occupies
second or third rank in the international cut flower trade.
Carnations have sweet fragrance, with varying colours,
like red rose, salmon, pink, purple, yellow, orange, bi-
colour, striped, white and fancy combinations.
CLASSIFICATIONAND CULTIVARS
Spray carnation
The spray carnations include strains of border, picottes
(with different coloured petal margins), Maguerite and
Chaubad types. Maguerite carnations with clove scent
are quite popular in India because of the method of
easier cultivation by seed in open field conditions.
Important cultivars are Chaubad giants, Maguerite,
Carnation Fantasie, Malmalson giants, Carnation Dwarf
Fragrance and F1 hybrids which minimise the
dependence on 'Sim Carnation'.
Standard carnation
The standard carnations ere perpetual, large flowered
with longer stems. These are of greater commercial
velue and thus called standard carnations. These were
developed by William Sim at Main in USA and are
called 'Sim camations'. These can be multiplied by
cuttings during winter months in the northern plains of
India, and are perennial in the hills. The import cultivars
are White Sim, Arthur Sim, Wimam Sim (scartet), Dusty
Sim (Dusty pink), Shocking Pink, Lena (Pink) Lady Sim
(Salmon colour), Abeds Red, Dusty Yellow, Harvest
Moon (pale golden) and Tangerin Sim (bright orange).
WEATHER
Carnation for cut flowers can be grown round the y~ar if
a properclirnatic condition is available. It requires cool
night temperature (13OC-1 SOC)and day temperature
. (23OC - 25°C).
LOCATION
Northern India is the most suitable for the cultivation of
carnation fer cut flowers. This includes areas arounc:i
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Delhi, Chandigarh, Ludhiana,Simla.Jammu &Kashmir.
Gangtok, Kalimpong,Kulu valley, Nainital,Lucknow,
Varanasi, Patna. Jaipur and Udaipur. In the Western
India places like Nasik, Pune, and Bombay; and in
Southern India, Hyderabad, Bangalore, Madras and
NilgiriHillsare suitable for cultivation.
SOIL
Carnation needs sandy loam soil.
PROPAGATION
The carnations are propagated through seed and by
cutting.
Sowing of Seed
The nursery of spray carnations raised in well prepared
25 cm high raised beds of 2 ft x 10ft. The 1 cm deep
row of sterilized beds are sown wiih seeds from 1ath
September to 10th October in the northem plains and
August to October and from March to April in the hills.
October to December has been found to be the best
time for sowing seed in South India. During sowing time,
the temperature need to be 16OC,and occurrence of rain
when the seeds are sown in open beds is deleterious to
the process of germination.
Cutting
Tht:!standard or Sim's carnation are commercially
propagated and produced by taking rooted cuttings.
Normally the terminal cuttings, three month old of about
10 cm, from lateral shoots are used as propagules.
These are kept either in sterilized raised beds or in pots
with river sand, vermiculite or peat and F.Y.M. in 1:1:1
as the rooting medium. Rooting hormones are helpful in
rooting of cuttings. The winter cuttings are best rooted.
The soil media packed in black alkathene bags can be
sterilized either by heating in a closed chamber or by
solar rays during May-June in an open condition. The
roots generally appear in three to four weeks. On
commercial scale, the stem cuttings could be rnade
rooted in Shimla, J&K and Almora Hills during summer
months and to build up parental stock. This can be
shifted to the plains in the first week of October for -
planting in beds. Some of the plants can also be
successfully produced by taking cutting from the hills to
the plain during October-November onwards. Such
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comparea to the other crops. In Poly-tunnel or glass-
. house more frequent irrigation is required, as mositure
is lost due to excessive transpiration, especially in
. summer. In winter, watering once in a week is good
enough. .
.
. FERTILIZER

. Nitrogen (N) at th~ rate of 30-40 gm per sq m. and

phosphate (P205)20-25 gm per sq m. and potash (~O)
. at 10-15 gm per m. has been found to be good. P and K
should be given at the time of preparation of bedswhile
4 N can be applied in split dosages.
o'

4
FOUAR FEEDING
4
Camation responds well to foliar feeding. The foliar
. mixture comprises of 2 parts of urea, 1 part of Amonium
.dihydrogen orthophosphate and 1 part of postassium
4 nitrate. Immediately after pinching insecticide or
4 pesticide spray such as malathion (0.2%) or Fungicide
Bavistin or Banlate (0.2%) and above foliar mixlture (3
« gm per litre of water) should be done. This should be
repeated every fortnight for extensive branching and
quality of flowers.
« plants produce maximum flowers during March-April.
I'
4The January cutting plants can be estabHshed in flower PINCHING AND DISBUDING :;
II
beds during May-June under sirid covers or under poly
II
4tunnels or f.ibre glass covers. If grown under pad cooling The plants, when attain 15-20 cm height (50-SO days il
system, these will produce first cut flower crop from old), the tip of the main stem is removed (pinched or II
4middle of October. In this way grower can easily catch stopped). The auxiliary stem should also be disbudded !I
up export market in Holland, Germany etc. within seven days of their appearance.
!
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4PLANTING SPLITING .

« Seedlingswhen become 4 weeks old can be planted in High nitrogen feeding and regular differences in fluctuating
well prepared beds. To every bed one irrigation channel night and day temperature condition, causes splitting of
4 is essential. The beds should be of sandy loam to which flowers.
well decomposed F.Y.M. 5-6 tonnes per acre is mixed in
4 the soil.
For cuttings, beds need to be raised i.e. 1 mt x 10 INSECTS, PESTS AND DISEASES
4 mt and 25 cm height for plantation. The spacing
Heliothis armigera and aphids attack the growing flower
~ between row and plants for spray type camation is 15
, em x 15 cm, and for standard type it is 20 em x 15 cm. buds which can be controlled by regular spray with
At Bangalore, where growth is generally better than 0.2% Rogor and 0.2% malathion respectively. This
4 northern plains, 45 cm x 45 cm spacing is found to be should be repeated at regular intervals or as and when
necessity arises. ,
4 the best. Planting material should be obtained from
Diseases can be controlled by sterilization of beds
reliable nurseries.
before planting. Drenching of soil with fungicide and
4
IRRIGATION
spray of fungicide -Bavistin, Captan etc. (0.2%) from
time to time would keep in controlling the diseases to a.
large extent.
4 Water requirement for carnation crop is relatively lower,
8

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