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 carnations grow back every year?

Pruning and caring for carnation For perennial carnations, cut the stems to an inch (a couple centimeters) in fall and if possible cover with dead leaf mulch. For annual carnations, pull them out in fall because they don’t grow back year after year.

Should I pinch carnation?

Pinching carnations as they grow encourages the growth of lateral stems, which means more flowers will grow. Pinching is especially important if you want to grow flowers for cutting. Pinching also helps the plant to grow bushy rather than as a single tall stem, which some gardeners prefer.