How to Grow Annual Carnations

Carnations (Dianthus caryophyllus) are actually perennial plants, returning year to year in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 6 to 9. If you live outside these zones, don't fret. While your winters may not be suitable for keeping carnations alive, you can treat them like annuals and grow them during the warmer months. Start carnations indoors from seeds in the winter so you can enjoy their colorful blooms from spring until fall.

Planting tray
Potting medium
Plastic bag
Flower pots

Instructions

- 1
  Start carnation seeds indoors in the winter, about 12 weeks before the last frost of the year.
- 2
  Fill a seeding tray with moist commercial potting mix, or make your own with one part vermiculite sand and one part sphagnum peat. Leave 1 inch of space between the top of the soil and the rim.
- 3
  Scatter the seeds, about three or four seeds per section, and cover them with a thin layer of moist soil. Cover the tray with its lid. If the tray does not have a lid, slide it into a large plastic bag and seal.
- 4
  Place the carnations in an area that is approximately 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Light levels do not affect germination. Keep the soil moist and in about 20 days, they should begin to germinate.
- 5
  Take the lid off or remove the planting tray from the bag and move the carnation seedlings to a sunny location. Repot the healthiest seedlings in small flower containers using the same type of soil mix once the plants have developed three leaves. Continue to keep the soil moist.
- 6
  Plant carnations outdoors after the seedlings have grown for about 11 to 12 weeks. Take the carnations out of the trays, keeping the soil together and replant them in a sunny location, about 6 inches apart. Remove the plants from the garden in the fall after they die back.

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