Prune carnations to promote the overall health of the plant. You'll need to prune carnations twice a year, once in the summer to remove spent flowers, and once at the end of the growing season, cutting the plant almost down to the ground or the "basal growth" area.

Do you cut back carnations for winter?

Cut back carnations after flowering ends in late summer or before new growth emerges in early spring. Use hedge shears or pruners to cut the stems to within 2 inches from the ground. Plant carnations where the plants are exposed to at least six hours of sunlight per day.

Do carnations grow back every year?

For annual carnations, pull them out in fall because they don't grow back year after year.