Question
hi tom,
ihave successfully grown 3 carnation plants from cuttings. they propagated on my windowsill and each grew to  be about4 inches high. i heard that to make them bushy you have to pinch off the stems in order to produce new shoots at the base, so i've been doing this for a few months and they each produced 3 new shoots that are also growing well. even though i seem to be doing a good job, i'm still a little unsure of a few things.
firstly, where should i be pinching the stems? i read on a website that i should pinch them just above the 'sixth node' being a novice, i have no idea what this means.
also, the last time i pinched one of the stems, it didn't grow back. am i over pinching? is there a certain number   of times you should pinch the stems off a new plant to encourage new growth? when is it best to stop?
they have been growing quite happily in a window box on my windowsill, but seeing as we're having such nice weather lately, i've put them outside to get some fresh air. i've had carnations before and am aware they like a lot of sunshine but is it the same for new carnation plants? how much water and food should i be giving new plants? at the moment i feed them once a week.
also, do carnation plants need chopping back after their flowering season to encourage bushy growth next year? i'm not expecting flowers on them this year as they are so young but at what point should they be flowering?
sorry for all the questions. i love gardening but i don't know much about it. i'm a bit of a trial and error person, so any help would be great.
thanks in advance, sarah

Answer
Hi Sarah,
Thanx for your question.  I've never tried to grow carnations from cuttings before.  It's easier to divide them in the fall by lifting the root clump and cutting it in half or in fourths.  Yes, in order to make plants fill out, cut the top of the plant off (the growing tip).  A node is where the leaf meets the stem.  These plants have a tendency to be more vertical than horizontal so after the cuttings have branched out a little bit, it's probably time to let them grow vertically.  You should only pinch the cutting back a few times.  If you keep doing this, it will not continue to grow.  If you have good soil, water the plants once a week unless you are getting regular rain and feed with a balanced fertilizer 12-12-12 once every 10 days or side dress with dried manure once in the spring and once in mid-summer.  At the end of the season, let the first frost kill your plant back, mulch it with pine needles or leaf mould and cut the plant back to a couple of inches above the ground.  Many carnations are not hardy below zone 8.  The hardier carnations are really dianthus which some varieties are full like carnations and look like carnations.  When putting seedlings or cuttings outdoors after starting indoors be sure to place them in an area outdoors that is protected from direct sunlight and extremes in wind, temps, rain, etc. for about 10 days.  This is called hardening off or acclimatizing.  Once the plants have gone through this period it is safe to plant them in the garden in direct sunlight.  I hope this helps.
Tom