Pinching back to encourage branching

I'm wondering if folks could post a list of some of the plants that benefit from pinching back to encourage branching and more compact growth. I know that mums and asters should be pinched back. What other perennials are normally pinched back? And what about annuals?

I could use a good tutorial on how this process works, and perhaps some other newbie gardeners would benefit from it, too.


EDIT: I should have searched first. I found a thread related to this. Although I still think I could use more advice. ;)

http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/822650/

This message was edited Apr 8, 2008 10:27 PM

Some perennials that will benefit from pinching include:
Penstemon, Heliotrope, Centranthus, Rudbeckia, Pelargoniums, Salvia, Pentas, Fuchsias, and many others.

The results with perennials can vary. You might get shorter plants but with more flowers on a wider plant. Many perennials will develop side branching without pinching.

Annuals that take well to piching include: Snapdragons, stock, calendulas, Clarkia, Sweet Peas, Zinnias, Marigolds, Gomphrena, Tithonia....

Pinching usually refers to removing the center growing point or first flower bud that develops...like with zinnias, when they first become visible, or even before that occurs, like when the plant has 2 or 3 sets of adult leaves. This forces the plant to branch out laterally.

Some annuals, like pansies and lobelia, naturally grow from several different "points" from the beginning and it's kind of hard to "pinch" them...nor is it even necessary to. But, sometimes you can extend their bloom period by sheering them back AFTER their bloom cycle and you'll get a second batch of blooms, like with petunias.

There's really no hard and fast "rule' to pinching . It's sort of an option, but some plants do look and produce better when they are pinched.

I go by the rule of thumb that plants that only produce ONE large flower or flower stem, I dont pinch back, like sun flowers or Delphiniums etc, I never pinch the flowers or tips from bulbs as they grow the flowering buds within the bulb before it has even grown from the bulbs. but annuals, I pinch back everything, as they want to naturally grow from seed the one season, flower and produce more seeds for survival, so the more you pinch them back early on, the more flowers they will produce as it tricks the plant into thinking it has not made flower buds therefore no seeds, other plants like carnations, dahlias etc, give out larger flowers IF you pinch off some of the flower buds, as the more buds they produce, the smaller the size of flowers, but you learn all this as you go along and over the years, it becomes second nature, your carnations or dahlias wont die if you dont reduce the flower buds, but they will have smaller flowers and a shorter flowering time.
For more info, you could go along to your book store or library and search for books on the subject of propagation and flower management, books are expensive, so look for ones that explain things in simple terms or you could end up with a biology lesson rather than some basic knowledge, Good luck. WeeNel.