From my perspective as a carnation plant, pruning is a conversation, a negotiation of energy. My primary goal is to survive and reproduce, which I do by producing flowers that eventually set seed. This process, from your viewpoint, is beautiful but for me, it is incredibly energy-intensive. Once a flower fades and begins to form a seed pod (the spent bloom), I channel a massive amount of my stored energy into seed production. This redirects resources away from other vital processes, namely the creation of new lateral (side) shoots and additional flower buds. By deadheading—removing these spent blooms—you interrupt this cycle. You are essentially telling me, "Don't waste energy on seeds; focus on more growth and more flowers." I respond by bushing out from nodes below the cut and preparing new flowering stems.
The most crucial pruning technique for continuous flowering is deadheading. You must locate the spent flower, then follow its stem down to the first set of full, healthy leaves. Using sharp, clean shears or your fingers, make a clean cut or pinch just above this leaf node. This precise location is critical. The node is a point of cellular activity containing meristematic tissue—essentially, cells that haven't yet decided what to become. By removing the growth above it, you signal these cells to activate and produce new lateral stems. Each of these new stems has the potential to terminate in a new flower bud. Failing to cut low enough, perhaps just snapping off the dead flower head, leaves a long, unsightly stub that will die back and can invite disease, and it often fails to stimulate this desired bushier growth from the base.
For a truly bushy, compact form with maximum flower production, you should engage with me early in my growth cycle. When my young stems have developed about four to six pairs of leaves, I am at a perfect stage for pinching. This involves using your thumb and forefinger to literally pinch off the very top of the main stem, just above a set of leaves. This action removes my apical (dominant) bud. The apical bud produces a hormone called auxin that suppresses the growth of the lateral buds below it, a phenomenon known as apical dominance. By removing this central command center, you break that hormonal control. The lower buds are then free to awaken, and I will respond by vigorously producing multiple new stems from those lower nodes. Instead of one tall, leggy stem, I will become a fuller, denser plant with a much greater number of potential flowering sites.
My life cycle dictates the severity of pruning. For perennial carnations, a more significant cutback is required to maintain my vitality long-term. After my main flowering flush has finished, often in mid-summer, a harder prune is beneficial. You can cut my stems back by about one-third of their height, again always making cuts just above a leaf node. This rejuvenates me, encourages a fresh flush of basal growth, and often prompts a second, albeit smaller, wave of flowers later in the season. Furthermore, this practice improves air circulation through my foliage, reducing the humidity that fosters fungal diseases. It prevents me from becoming woody and leggy at the base, ensuring I remain productive and attractive for seasons to come.
