What is wrong with my Carnations?

notshyofeffort

Hi all

I grew these Carnations from seeds in March last year they and transferee seedling to these pots. I have had 1 plant produce 2 flowers they seem to well but growing in an interesting fashion.

This spot does get morning sun and will get more sun in summer. Should I just let them be and they might flower or just get rid of them. I am in Sydney (Chatswood).

Cheers

MitchellMc

Hi @notshyofeffort,

Carnations tend to fall over under the weight of their flowers and can require staking. Since you haven't seen many flowers yet, that's obviously not the case here. I suspect what you are seeing is leggy plants. You can avoid this draping effect by correcting some issues and trimming the leggy sections back to a leaf node.

Carnations needs to be in a sunny location and require high levels of light. They will do best with up to 8 hours of direct sunlight each day. It sounds like there is inadequate sunlight in this position, so it would be a good idea to move them to a sunnier location. 

Consider what potting mix they are planted in. They prefer moist, well-draining soil. If the soil holds too much water, it can cause the stem to weaken and fall over. 

They aren't particularly good with high winds because of their top-heaviness. Placing them in these window planters at the top of the fence could be causing them to be buffeted by wind and blown over.

I'd suggest the best course of action would be to move them to a sunnier location, give the really long stems a trim back and then stake the rest upright. Here are some thin bamboo stakes that would be suitable.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Mitchell