Dianthus caryophyllus, commonly known as the carnation, is one of many flowers that can be propagated through stem cuttings. If you have a particularly beautiful, healthy carnation plant, you can use its stems to create clones. Planting from seeds, on the other hand, will have unpredictable results. For example, seeds from a plant with lavender blooms might produce a plant with orange, pink, red or white blooms, but a plant grown from a stem cutting will always produce lavender flowers.
Difficulty: Moderate
Instructions
Things You’ll Need:
- Garden shears
- Rubbing alcohol
- Bleach
- Peat moss
- Vermiculite
- Perlite
- 6- to 10-inch planting pot
- Clear plastic bag
- Spray bottle
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Cut a stem from a mature carnation plant at the end of the flowering season. Pick a stem growing from the base of the plant. The stem should be 6 inches long and have at least two to three nodes, which are the little bumps from which leaves grow. Sterilize a pair of garden shears with rubbing alcohol or a solution made with 9 parts water and 1 part bleach. Cut the stem at a 45-degree angle directly below one of the nodes.
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Combine equal parts of peat moss and vermiculite or perlite to make a rooting medium. You can also use just plain peat moss. Fill a 6- to 10-inch planting pot with the rooting medium. Poke your finger into the medium to a depth of about 3 inches.
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Pull off any leaves from all of the nodes except for the top two. Dip the stem into a glass of water and then into the rooting hormone so that the cut end, including the bottom node, is coated in the white powder.
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Plant the stem in the hole you made earlier. Water the pot gently so that the soil is moist all the way through. Place the pot in a plastic bag and tie off the top. Tie it loosely so that air can still circulate through the bag. Place the pot in a warm spot in indirect sunlight.
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Water the stem any time the soil looks a bit dry. Don’t let the soil dry out completely or the stem won’t root. Use a spray bottle to water the plant so you don’t disturb the rooting hormone before it has a chance to take effect. Remove the bag after about two to three weeks.
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