Perennials: Dianthus (Pinks & Carnations)
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7.5cm-90cm (3in-3ft) |
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15cm-45cm (6-18in) |
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Late spring to fall |
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Well-drained neutral or alkaline soil |
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Sunny position |
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Powdery mildew, Aphids |
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Pinch out tips & buds |
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Medium |
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Medium |
Dianthus (Pinks & Carnations)
Common Name: Pinks and Carnations
Family: Caryophyllaceae
Native Range: None
Bloom Color: White, reds and pinks
Since Roman times, when slaves wove the blooms into garlands, Dianthus has been a popular plant with gardeners, florists and flower arrangers. Species of dianthus are better known as pinks or carnations with pinks, most often, being smaller than carnations. Florists' carnations, often used in buttonholes at weddings, are known as perpetual carnations and are not really suitable for growing in the garden.
Dianthus are categorized into many categories the main two, pinks and carnations, are further split.
Pinks, shown right (click to enlarge), have four color classifications of: self (all one color); bicolor (the petal has a patch of contrasting dark at it's base); laced (similar to bicolor but the patch extends in a band to the edge of each petal) and fancy (speckled or striped contrasting colors). Pinks can also be called 'Modern Pinks', 'Miniature Pinks' or 'Old-Fashioned Pinks'.
Border carnations, dianthus caryophyllus (pictured at the top of this page) are also separated into four classifications of color: self; fancy (with a single color decorated with flecks or stripes of another); picotee (white or yellow flowers with a differently colored margin on the petals) and clove (any combination of colors or single colored but smelling of cloves).
More about Dianthus (Pinks & Carnations) below, after this video presentation
Cultivation
Dianthus are reasonably easy to grow with pinks requiring less work than carnations. Dianthus is best planted in spring or fall in well-drained, neutral or alkaline, garden soil. They should be planted where they will get plenty of sun as they will otherwise grow weak and leggy. Tall varieties should be staked with canes. Pinks should be fed in spring but carnations are best left and are best replaced every two years.
In the middle of spring pinch out the growing tips of young pinks to encourage the production of side shoots. On carnations only the competing buds should be removed from the flower stem to encourage the top or crown buds to grow at their best.
Propagation
To propagate dianthus it is again necessary to treat pinks and carnations differently. Carnations can be easily layered in mid to late summer. It will usually take about six to eight weeks for the layers to root when they can be transplanted to their permanent positions in the garden. Pinks are best increased by taking cuttings of side shoots which can be planted in cold frames until rooted then placed singly into pots.
True species of dianthus can be grown from seed sown in late spring or early summer. Unfortunately there is likely to be great variation in the seedlings.
Pest and Diseases
Dianthus is generally trouble free but they can become infested with aphids which attack stems, leaves and flower stalks. Such an infestation can seriously check the growth of your pinks and carnations and the aphids fowl the plant with honeydew. Root aphids can also prove to be a serious problem as they damage the growing system of the plant.
Powdery mildew can appear on dianthus as a fine white dust. In very humid conditions and where plants are crowded leaf spots can become a problem. In poorly-drained, wet or waterlogged ground pinks and carnations can develop crown rot.
At a later date we may take an individual look at pinks and carnations which have some differences worth noting.
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