Growing Carnations?

I live in zone 6 and was thinking of growing some this year. Will they grow here? Also, is it better to grow from seed or buy an plant from a nursery?



They don'y need anything special do they?

Growing Carnations?
Buy diathus from a good nursery and you should have them for years to come.



They should be planted where they will receive at least 4-5 hours of full sun each day. They do best in fertile, fast draining soil. Avoid over-watering because it may tend to turn the foliage yellow. Usually a weekly watering of established plants will suffice unless the weather is extremely dry.



Dianthus will often reseed themselves, so don't be too hasty in removing spent plants from the ground. Perennial varieties may be propagated by tip cuttings, layering or division. Spent flowers should be removed promptly to promote continued blooming.



Plant Dianthus species 12 to 18 inches apart and at the same depth at which they were previously growing. The crown (or top of the root) must be level with the surface of the soil. (Never bury any part of the stems.) Unlike most other plants, Dianthus plants should not be mulched. They require good air circulation around the stems at all times and must be kept as free from foliage moisture as possible. (Water only in the early am to avoid problems)



For continued blooming feed lightly every 6 to 8 weeks with an all-purpose (10-10-10) liquid fertilizer.



Hope this helps! :)
Reply:From plants. In fact if you can find 4 inch pots or larger, get those. Carnation from seed.......takes way too long. Dianthus range in size so do some research first.
Reply:i live in Illinois.. and had a carnations plant... they are very temper mental... do some research on them... dianthus do not look like carnations and have no where near the pretty smell... i had a few last year in pots i think like 4 and they all died of root tot.. they had proper drainage.. and i didnt water them that often... so buy one plant and see how they do.. walmart usually has them for a few dollars. good luck!