care of carnations, lack of flowers?

Question

no new buds after removing spent flowers.

Answer 1

For continued blooming feed lightly every 6 to 8 weeks with an all-purpose (10-10-10) liquid fertilizer. Cutting side flower shoots will make the central bud grow in a larger flower.

Normally, the Carnation is a hardy perennial, but the garden kinds, or marguerites, are usually treated as annuals. The FORCING KINDS FLOWER ONCE, new plants being grown each year from cuttings.
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Carnation (Dianthus caryophyllus)
Disease Control Outlines
http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/r280110611.html#VIRUS

Answer 2

all I know is that carnations love to grow in very cool weather......the only family of carnations we can grow in the south (even in the winter months) are the dianthus, etc., not nearly as pretty as carnations. I don't know where you live ....example people need to know what zone they live in and what the alititude is to give others a shot at the answer.