Why Do My Carnations Bloom But Then Wither?

Carnation plants can be damaged by various factors, including improper pruning, fungal diseases, insect problems, and improper watering. To ensure the longevity of your carnations, it is essential to condition them after they have been cut and dried. For carnations, choose stems with closed blooms but showing full color, while for minis, choose stems with closed blooms showing some color on lower buds. Avoid stems with slab sides, bullheads, blown heads, or sleepy heads.

Rejuvenation can be achieved by splitting root masses into separate plants, using a large, heavy book like a phone book to press flowers. Air-drying is the easiest method, but it takes longer and may cause the flowers to lose some of their color. Choose healthy carnation stems that have been properly dried.

If transplant stress is not the issue, there are other common problems with carnations, such as fungal disease that causes buds to rot and dry up before opening and insect problems that cause empty buds. Bud worms, the larvae of moths, can cause empty buds. Most flowers need to be deadheaded unless you want them to go to seed and then go dormant.

Drying is a sign of dying, possibly due to infection of the roots by fungus that infect in the absence of air. Plucking the dried/dead buds off seems to help, but the flowers don’t last long either. The most likely reason for carnation deterioration is a combination of factors such as improper watering, possibly a large difference between the water and the plant’s growing conditions.

Highly sensitive to ethylene, pre-mature petal wilting, petal inrolling, and discoloration can occur due to no or incorrect use of anti-ethylene products. If your plants receive good full sun and drainage, they may be able to recover from these issues.