Commercial Floriculture

Propagation

• Carnation may be propagated by both sexual and asexual methods.

Seed :
• July or August to October
• In the hills, sowing should be done during August to October and March to April depending upon temperature.
• At four-leaf stage, the seedlings are pricked or transplanted.
• Sowing at 20oC gives the maximum germination.

Vegetative Propaation
Cutting
• Using soft terminal cuttings is the common method of multiplication used by commercial growers throughout the world.
• Cuttings of 10-15 cm with 3-4 nodes weighing around 10g are ideal for multiplication.
• Rooting hormone such as IBA at 500ppm is used prior to planting of cuttings for rooting.
• Terminal cuttings give rise to good plants. Cuttings can be stored at 0oC before planting for several weeks.
• Cuttings are spaced at 5 cm apart and intermittent misting should be used for good rooting.
• Cuttings normally develop good root system within 21 days.
• The rooting medium should be sterilized before planting.
• Drenching with fungicide is ideal to control fungal problem during rooting.

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Layering
• Layering is done in pots or directly in the ground.
• The layering generally roots earlier than the cuttings.
• Ground layering was found to be most suitable method.

Grafting
• 65 to 70 % success
• Union was completed in 15 days.

Micro-Propaation
• Almost all parts of the plant may be used as explants in carnation except the root.

Vitrification in carnation
• A problem will encounter during the In-vitro culture of carnation due to the formation of abnormal leaves and stem with thickened and translucent structures.
• Shoots with such abnormal leaves usually turn brown and failed to root in the rooting medium.
• Vitrification in carnation tissues, by transfer from solid to liquid medium was accompanied by decreased lignin content.

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