Carnation bearded - a bright summer flower for a colorful flower bed

Tell us what this miracle is - a bearded carnation? The seeds were given by a friend, she said, you can sow directly into the ground and the bush will bloom beautifully. I did just that, not all ascended, but there are a dozen plants. But now the summer is already over, and they are not going to bloom, just green leaves. Maybe the seeds turned out to be wrong or should it be? When will she give the buds?

At the beginning of summer, when the spring flowers have already wilted, and the summer flowers are still just tying the buds, the bearded carnation blooms. Its flowers, although small, are collected in lush inflorescences and are painted in bright colors. Against the background of a still green flower bed, the bushes look gorgeous, and they also spread a delicate sweet aroma around. What is this culture and is it difficult to grow it?

The scientific name of the flower is dianthus barbatus, but it is better known as the Turkish carnation. She was nicknamed bearded for her long bracts.

Bearded carnation - description of the species

One of the most beloved varieties of dianthus belongs to the clove family. This is a very beautiful and compact plant in the form of a lush bush, whose average height is about 40 cm.There are taller varieties reaching 60 cm.Fans of miniature flowers will like dwarf hybrids only 15 cm tall.

The bush consists of erect stems, on which lanceolate leaves are located opposite. In spring and summer they are green, and by autumn they acquire a reddish tint. In June, lush corymbose inflorescences with a diameter of up to 12 cm form at the top of the stems. They consist of small but brightly colored flowers. The bearded carnation will delight you not only with simple and double flowers, but also with a wide palette of their colors. These can be both plain and multi-colored types:

1. Dianthus Diana, Grace, Snezhana will surprise you with stuffed with terry buds.
2. Lilipot and Midget varieties will delight in modest sizes.
3. The carnation of Noverna Clown will enchant with multi-colored flowers. She has different buds on one stem: pink with red or white with lilac.

Agricultural technology for growing Turkish carnations

In general, the plant is considered unpretentious, but has its own characteristics. By its nature, the bearded carnation is a perennial, but here it grows as a biennial. The bushes have a two-year growing cycle, and the flower reproduces most often by seeds. The easiest way is to sow them directly into open ground, but you can also seedlings... In the first year of life, the carnation builds up a lush leafy rosette. Flowering will come only next summer.

Terry varieties of bearded dianthus are best propagated by cuttings. Seed-grown bushes most often bloom with simple flowers.

You need to plant a Turkish carnation in a well-lit place, but it can survive partial shade. The plant is not demanding on the soil, but it blooms more abundantly on nutritious loams. One-year-old bushes winter well and do not need shelter in the south. In regions with a cooler climate, cover the flower bed with spruce branches. Carnation reproduces well by self-seeding.

Bearded carnation in a flower bed - video