CARNATION GROWING AND ITS PROBLEMS IN TURKEY

Growing of "cut flowers" in Turkey has been developing since 1925 continously. It has been determined approximately a total of $8.000.000 cut flower sale per year, according to the statistical data of 1986. Among these products, as selling price, roses have the highest ratio (24%) and then carnation (21%), gladioli (16%), chrysanthemums (13%) and other flowers (26%) follow it.

Carnation growing is concentrated in the vicinity of Yalova in Marmara Region which is situated in the North-West part of Turkey and in Izmir and its neighbouring localities of Aegean Region which is situated in the West part of Turkey.

Carnation growing is being done more in small family farms and simple greenhouses. Greenhouses usually have a wooden construction and have a plastic cover. It is very difficult to create the controlled conditions in these greenhouses. Problems of carnation growing are mainly caused by greenhouse construction and technical treatments.

The main problems are determined from the point of view of growing techniques such as obtaining of the rooted carnation cuttings, soil preparation, temperature and lighting, ventilation, irrigation, pinching, crop programming, harvest and then grading, packing and storage.