Sweet William - These are descendants of D. barbatus. The leaves are sword-shaped and they produce clusters of flowers that come in a wide range of colors.
POTTING:
Carnation - Greenhouse: Cuttings that have been rooted are used for cultivation in the greenhouse. Commercial growers usually plant them 3-4 inches apart in bench rows. It's better for most gardeners to pot them individually in 2 ½-inch, well-drained pots. They should have soil that is enhanced with lime and bone meal, which is added at the rate of a 4-inch pot full of each, to each bushel of screened soil. Set the newly potted plants along the greenhouse bench, pots touching and make sure that each variety is labeled correctly. The young plants should be shaded with cheesecloth or newspaper at first; 2 or 3 days after potting, they should be given full sun exposure. The temperature at night should be around 50 degrees and good ventilation should be given on sunny days, except during severe frost. Once the roots have penetrated the soil, which should be in 5-7 weeks, the plants should be repotted into 4-inch pots filled with the previously described soil. In the early stage, many plants will send up flower growths. These should be pinched out at 3 or 4 nodes from the base, never near the top. Pinch once in a while to encourage bushy growth, until mid-September. At each pinch after the first one, it's necessary to cut the growth back to a point 3 or 4 nodes below its end; otherwise, the formation of a new side growth isn't likely to be realized. In the past it was usual to set the plants from 4-inch pots into good soil in the garden and later, transfer them to the greenhouse bench or 8-inch pots in September. It has been found that Carnations can be grown with less risk of disease if they're planted in the bench straight from the 4-inch pots in May. When they're planted in the greenhouse, fresh soil that contains at least 25% decayed organic matter should be used; a bit of lime and superphosphate or bone meal should also be added to the soil before planting. Place the plants 8-10 inches apart and set them pretty high to protect them from stem rot disease. It would be beneficial to form a slight channel between the rows at planting time so that water will sink into the roots without settling on the stems. To obtain good flowers, remove all but the center bud from each stem, while they're still pretty small. Carnations quickly use up the nutrients from the soil; during sunny weather, from autumn to spring, lightly apply 5-10-5 or some other complete fertilizer every three weeks just before watering. Important ways to keep the foliage its healthy blue-green color and to prevent split calyces are: a dry and well-ventilated atmosphere without drafts, a night temperature of 45-50 degrees, and a thorough watering when the soil begins to dry.
Outdoors: Carnations aren't hardy where winters are harsh, but in mild climates they may be grown as perennials. They'll flourish in fertile, well-drained soil that contains lime. They should be planted in a sunny spot. When harvesting wild Clove Pink, pick only newly opened flowers for fresh use. If they are going to be used for flavoring, pluck off the petals and snip off the bitter white bases. For potpourris and sachets, dry with a desiccant such as silica gel to preserve the natural color of the petals.
Soil-less Culture: Hydroponic cultivation of Carnations is another method that has been adopted by some novices. A shallow tank is filled with gravel or small stones to help anchor the roots and a nutrient solution is pumped into the tank to feed the plants by subirrigation. Another way that doesn't require a tank or pump is known as Sand Culture. Fill benches or pots with sharp sand (not too fine or coarse) and feed the plants potted in it with nutrient salts in given quantities at the prescribed times. The nutrients, along with the three basic plant foods, nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, include trace elements such as boron and magnesium. Soil-less culture is interesting and useful, but it requires strict care and attention according to the instructions of those who have studied the subject.
Dianthus - These plants are great for the moraine, scree or rock garden. They need full exposure to sun and gritty, sandy soil containing lime. Plant in the spring or fall.
Pinks - These plants love sunshine and the best soil for them is deep, crumbly loam. They will, however, thrive in regular garden soil. Too light or too heavy soil can be fixed by adding well-decayed farm manure, compost, or other well-decayed humus-forming material. On light soil, ground limestone at 8 oz. per square yard, will also be beneficial. Hydrated lime at 4 oz. per square yard should be mixed into heavy soil. It is smart to wait a few weeks and for rain, before setting your Pinks in soil so treated. Wood ashes are good for light soil and sand, old limestone rubble or sifted, gritty coal cinders are good for heavy soil. Make sure the soil isn't acidic, but don't overdo the liming. Pinks do better when only a modest amount is present. Pinks won't survive in saturated soil. To make certain there is enough drainage, it may be necessary to raise the beds 4 to 6 inches.
Sweet William - They should be planted 10 to 15 inches apart in regular, well-cultivated soil in a sunny spot.
PROPAGATION:
Dianthus - These can be propagated by seeds or cuttings.
Carnation - Greenhouse: Carnations grown in the greenhouse can be increased by cuttings in December and January. Three-inch pieces can be taken from the base or bottom half of the stems of old plants. However, cuttings made from shoots just above the base give the best results. Fairly strong cuttings will produce heavy plants faster than stringy, short cuttings. Remove the leaves from about ¾ inch of the base, so that no leaves will be buried. Right underneath the lowest node of each cutting, make a clean cut. The long, tip leaves should be cut in half to prevent excessive wilting before roots have developed. Your cuttings will form roots in about three weeks when they're inserted in a sand propagating bed in a 40-degree temperature. If bottom heat is available, keeping the sand five degrees warmer than the atmosphere will accelerate the production of roots. Some people use a hormone preparation on the cuttings before planting, but this is unnecessary if the atmosphere is favorable for root formation. When they have formed roots, they need to be transplanted to their permanent spots. Commercial growers usually plant them 3 to 4 inches apart in bench rows, but for the home gardener, it's better to pot them individually in 2½-inch pots. From here they are attended to as described above in the potting section.
Outdoors: Seeds, which will bloom within 6-9 months, cuttings, and layering are all methods of propagation, however, seeds will not truly reproduce their parents. A substantial amount of variation will occur among the seedlings.
Pinks - Pinks can be increased by cuttings, layering, or seed. Cuttings of young shoots having three or four pairs of mature leaves may be taken from mid-May to mid-July. Pull off the lower pair of leaves and cut through with a sharp knife right below the joint. Insert the cuttings into well-packed sand in a cold frame and give them a light watering to settle them. The frame should be in a cool, shady place and be kept closed until they’ve formed roots. Seeds may be sown in pots or flats filled with well-drained sandy soil in a cold frame or greenhouse from mid-March to mid-April. When they've formed their first pair of true leaves, they are transplanted to other flats or to a bed of soil in a cold frame, 2 to 3 inches apart. When they begin to crowd each other, plant them outside, 8 to 9 inches apart, in nursery rows, 12 to 18 inches apart. Seedlings will bloom the second year after sowing.
Sweet William - Seeds are the easiest way to increase Sweet William. They are sown thinly in drills, 12 inches apart in a nursery bed or cold frame in May or June. In mild climates the plants may be transplanted in September to October form the nursery rows to the location where they will bloom the next summer. In harsh climates they should stay in the cold frame throughout the winter, protected with mats or other suitable covering on cold nights and well ventilated during mild days. When spring arrives, they are transferred to their flowering positions.