Actually, carnations don't have to be pruned particularly hard, but a care cut can be useful. In the article below you will learn when which pruning is appropriate and how to cut cuttings.
Dried or faded carnations should be cut off
Cut off the faded
It is usually advised to cut back faded shoots. Such pruning makes the mats look tidy again, and some types of carnations even grow back and produce a second, albeit less lush, bloom. This second bloom is common after pruning in both Pentecost and Spring carnations. However, you should avoid this pruning if you want to get seeds - for this the fruits must be allowed to ripen after flowering. In this case, the pruning takes place in the spring.
cut cuttings
If you want to grow cloves as a single variety, you should propagate the plants using cuttings, which are cut in late summer. Proceed as follows when propagating cuttings:
1. In July / August, carefully cut off eight to ten centimeter long non-flowering side shoots.
2. A bark tongue of the main shoot should be preserved at the base.
3. Remove the bottom leaves.
4. Dip the bark tongue in rooting powder.
5. Plant the cuttings in a sheltered corner of the garden.
6. Ideal potting soil is a mixture of sand and peat.
7. Only the cutting base is covered by substrate.
8. A slip-on glass bell offers additional protection.
9. After about a month the cuttings are rooted and repotted in a light soil mix.
10. This consists of a mixture of compost soil and peat.
11. The young carnations overwinter in the cold frame.
12. If the temperature falls below 10 °C, they must be overwintered indoors.
13. In March / April the plants arrive at their final location.
tips
If you are cutting carnations for the vase, do not choose specimens that are already in full bloom. Instead, it is better to use stems whose flower buds are only slightly open - the longer the bouquet of carnations will last.