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BNCS webletter Jan 2006

A very Happy New Year to all our members and dianthus enthusiasts around the world.

We hope you have all enjoyed the festive season and that you have success in cultivating your plants in the year ahead.

Here in the UK we are having a cold snap. Whenever I go out to the PF house the heater is whirring away. On days like this I wish I grew Borders instead to save on heating. Perhaps someone will write an article on growing PF’s without heat i.e. leaving them dormant in the winter? I am sure many would be interested.

For members don’t forget the Annual General Meeting Saturday 25th February 2006 at 1.30 p.m. It is being held in the Annex to the Westgate Church in the middle of Peterborough. Tea, coffee and cakes will be provided. The hall opens at 1 p.m. For those who don’t know Peterborough there is an excellent shopping centre in the centre of town, literally 2 minutes walk from the hall. So why not come early for some shopping and make a day of it!

The following cultural notes are from Jim Linnell.

What should I be doing now?
The following notes are intended to give the grower a simple outline of the most important tasks for the coming months.
Perpetual Flowering Carnations
January – February
Clean up pots regularly, scarifying the surface of the compost to remove moss and let in air. A limestone dressing can be applied to older plants in February. Cuttings can continue to be taken if suitable material is available and bottom heat available giving a minimum temperature of 60-65f.
Continue to pot up rooted cuttings into 3 –3.5 inch pots and those, if full of roots, already in 3- 3.5 inch pots into final 2 ltr ones.
Plants planted into their finals in the autumn and hardened off will come to no harm if kept on the dry side with windows and doors only closed during severe spells
Water carefully and only when absolutely necessary, taking care to avoid splashing. On warmer days spraying against pests and diseases can be carried out preferably in the morning.
March
Continue to move on cuttings and plants, one-year-old plants into 3 ltr. pots. Older plants already in their final pots may be given a high nitrogen feed. Support plants using canes and rings as growth develops.
Young plants can be stopped leaving five or six pairs of leaves.
Continue watering and spraying carefully. Ventilate freely.

Border Carnations and Pinks
January – February
Carefully remove any dead basal leaves from plants in the border and in pots.
As with perpetuals, borders and pinks plants are better on the dry side, if you think ‘should I water’ don’t, spray carefully against pests and diseases in morning when there is no sign of frost. Ventilate freely.
March
In the border re-firm any young plants lifted by frosts, remove any dead basal leaves stalks and winter buds from plants, top-dress with a balanced dry fertiliser and hoe-in.
Plant out pot-grown carnations and pinks when soil conditions permit.
Plants indoors can be potted up into their final pots, as they become ready.
Water pot-grown plants carefully and ventilate the greenhouse freely.
Continue watering and spraying carefully. Ventilate freely.

There is still time to order plants for spring delivery.