My carnations have weak stems, how can I fix them?

Question

I know I might not be able to fix them this year but what can I do to keep next years flowers from touching the ground?

I am kind of hoping for a soil additive to make the stems stronger next year.
If carnation stems are always this weak I might do better planting something else next year.

Answer 1

I found your question to be very interesting and read the great advice everyone's has offered so far.

Here's my helpful tip that should help improve the carnation stems within a few days.... try spraying some foliar calcium on your carnations.

I've always recommended it to farmers and it works quite well in increasing stem turgidity. Although many growers use calcium in their granular fertilizers, it does not translocate up into the foilage very readily. They find that by spraying calcium, it helps strengthen and thicken the cell walls--even protecting the blooms and stems from certain diseases.

I recently found some foliar "Calcium Chloride" at Lowe's and intend to spray it on my apples to help increase their crispiness and storage after harvest. It is highly recommended to prevent "bitter-pit" (when apples turn brown inside). I've also noticed that my peaches don't bruise as easily after spraying it.

You can spray it on strawberries, peaches, nectarines, plums, cherries and most of your vegetables as well as almost all of your ornamentals. (HINT: After you've mixed the calcium with water, add a little dishsoap to help with adhesion of the mixture onto the leaves and stems...since carnations have a heavy waxy coating to their foliage)

Keep in mind that you should not spray more than once every 3 weeks or you could get a build-up of chloride within the plants AND the stems may become too brittle.

Hope this information helps. GOOD LUCK!

-Certified Professional Crop Consultant with over 30 years of experience and a Degree in Plant Science

Answer 2

Commercial grows always cage them......cages that increase as the plants increase.

Also if the light is low, the plants should receive less water. Overwatering during low light produces soft growth. Carnations are best irrigated by demand (if possible) rather than by a set schedule (sprinkler system)

Finally don't force the nitrogen fertilizer. Maybe using an organic type would be better. (try a pinch of Epsom salts around the plants next year too......the magnesium is something often low in older flower beds...no more than a teaspoon or less, per plant)

Answer 3

The only way is to try to stake them up. The flowers in full bloom are too heavy for the stems. You may try some metal flower stakes.(they have a loop in them and are meant to be pushed down and loop around the flower) They are green so they really won't be noticible in your garden

Answer 4

Try to stake them. They need like a stick or something to keep them up. Try a little fence around them on both sides so they can lean against it.