LAYERING CARNATIONS

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 874, 18 January 1930, Page 28

LAYERING CARNATIONS

To increase one's stock of carnations, the plants may be layered from now onward. Layering is a useful method of propagation, for varieties which do not readily strike from cuttings. Method: A compost of leaf-mould, sand and loam, in about equal quantities, should be prepared and spread to a depth of three inches round the plant that is to be layered: the young plants will then root readily. The shoots selected should be denuded of some of the leaves at the base of the young wood, so that they can easily be placed under the soil. Half-way through the shoot cut a slit half an inch long in an upward direction. so that a tougue is formed, then press the slit portion of the shoot into the compost, and peg it down above the tongue. The young shoot must be made to stand upright, for in so doing the slit portion is kept well open, another layer of the compost should then be added, and the whole well pressed in and watered. Should warm weather ensue, it will be necessary to water them two or three times a w-eek. The best time of the year to put down layers is from December to the end of February. Layers should make roots in from three to five weeks, and should be lifted carefully and cut off at the end of the shoot (or young plant now), nearest the parent.