Having trouble growing carnations indoors

Question

I cannot seem to get the seedlings to progress past first set of leaves. I need help, please. I have searched for answers, bought books, tried 4x this year, and bought seeds from 2 different sellers, still having this issue. Also have tried starting mix as well as potting soil with fertilizer, also tried just misting them, adjusting time of light, covering with plastic bag for a time. Also different temperatures, and different rooms… What am I doing wrong?

Answer 1

Without actually seeing what you’re doing, it’s pretty hard to answer what you’re doing wrong. We can only give you suggestions, and it’s up to you to think carefully about your processes, and experiment with different approaches until you find what works. The first thing that comes to mind is that you’re having problems with damping off fungus. This article has a few tips on combating this common problem: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/garden-how-to/seeds/what-is-damping-off.htm
I can say you definitely don’t want to be using potting soil to start seeds, but beyond that there are a number of mixes you can use. Also, consider using a heat source under the growing trays; many people have found that’s a big key to successful seed starting. Here are a couple of articles that have some guidance for you: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/flowers/dianthus/growing-carnations.htm
https://www.ag.ndsu.edu/pubs/plantsci/landscap/h1139.pdf