PERPETUAL-FLOWERING CARNATIONS.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XLVII, Issue 26, 26 June 1912, Page 38

PERPETUAL-FLOWERING CARNATIONS.

.STOPPING. With regard to the first stopping of perpetual carnations, there is out one way the world over to top your earnations with successful after results. If done correctly it means a nice shapely plant, with plenty of breaks, or a lanky misshapen plant if stopped without judgment. Amateurs will find that tins operation is a puzzling one, for it depends on the nature of the cuttings themselves, the soil in which they are potted, the climatic conditions, their sub sequent handling after potting, and, lastly, the variety itself. Taking the five mentioned conditions as a whole, it is hardly necessary to add that they must all be favourable to the growth of the cutting, for if one of them is overlooked there is but one result—failure.

When your young carnations are nicely established in three-inch pots and have about nine joints, then is the time to top them. To begin with, the wood is ripe and sufficiently matured when the cutting has reached its ninth joint, and will easily snap off under a practised hand, but I advocate for amateurs to cut the tops off with a sharp knife, so as not to damage the buds below, which, if damaged, means a loss of one break. This brings us to varieties. The Enchantress family — White Perfection, Pink Delight, May Day, Beacon, etc. — should be stopped down to the sixth joint. Varieties like Caiola, Edith Waters, Roseate Dawn, and the slower growing sorts it is as well to leave at least eight joints on the plant when stopped. Having stopped your plants, possibly you will have the inclination to use the top as a cutting, but my advice is—don’t; for without doubt much of the ■unsatisfactory experience with new varieties is due to the mad rush in endeavouring to propagate in unreasonable quantities by propagating tops.—W.H.G.