Growth and cation accumulation in spray carnations

Spray carnations (Dianthus caryophyllus ‘Exquisite’), planted as potted cuttings in December, had a maximum dry-matter production in summer of 22 g m^?2 day^?1, calculated for the net surface area completely covered by the crop. This value is fairly similar to the maxima established for outdoor crops in The Netherlands.The cation contents in the whole plant, expressed as percentages of dry matter, followed the series Na < Mg < Ca < K. They displayed no significant deviations from what was found in the literature for perpetual-flowering carnations. Growth was slow in the early phase of the crop and the cation accumulation was correspondingly slight. Growth increased at about 3 months after planting out. Over the period from March to September (24 weeks), the contents established in the aerial parts of the spray carnations amounted to 0.2 kg Na, 6.2 kg K, 2.9 kg Ca and 0.6 kg Mg per 100 m² gross.