To Pinch or Not to Pinch.....

Lala, I found tons of sites that say to pinch Torenia. Here's one:
https://www.veseys.com/ca/en/learn/guide/flowinfo/torenia

I just went ahead and pinched mine. Man those teensy weensy seeds get big quick!

Thanks Kelly! Mine are still teensy weensy, but I'll mark 'pinch' beside them on my list for later down the road.

Hi All:
A rule of thumb for pinching is to know the plant's habit of growth. Newly sown plants that tend to grow upright with stiff stems should be pinched when 3" tall, or when 2 sets of new leaves have formed. A new stem will sprout at each leaf axel. If pinched too early or too small, it defeats the purpose of pinching. Yet, waiting too long to pinch will produce a leggy plant at the bottom with a bushy top that is top heave and won't stand up in windy climates. Also delays flowering.

All annual and hardy garden mums should be pinched as described above. Then repeated when the shoots that grow from the axel of the leaves have developed 2 sets of new leaves.

Common geraniums need pinching as stated above when grown from seeds.

Once plants are in their second or so season, most will not need pinching since they develop new stems with age. I have 4 different colors of hardy mums that are 4 years old. I never have to pinch them since they now bush out on their own.

Pictured is one of my hardy mums varieties that I never have to pinch. It is 4 years old.

Beautiful blomma! Did you grow that from seed? I've been curious about mums from seed this year, but not heard a lot about it.

Thanks for the info!

Blomma. Your mum is gorgeous. I just started mums last year. Not knowign what I was doing, I had pinched to late really and mad most of mine get top heavy. Lovely blooms i had just had tolook at them sideways. LOL

Was out checkign my cuttign s form last year and they startign to put up new leaves. What is it evry foru weeks on mums? I know there is a saying somewhere abotu times and when to pinch them but can't remember it excactly.

Great information blomma, thanks for contributing. If I understand you correctly pretty much all seedlings can be pinched for fuller growth, the trick is just doing it at the right time?

I once read an article on mum pinching that I've always followed. It said to pinch them back by a third 3 times throughout the growing season with the final pinch being around the first of July. That's worked well for me when I get the chance to do it but unfortunately my mums rarely make it through my harsh winters.

Thank you for all the compliments on my mums.

Yes most plants can be pinched without harm but many really don't need it. As I stated above, know the growth habit of the plant you are thinking of attacking. Ofcourse, pinching can also be a method of delaying the production of flowers.

Pinching (deadheading) is good to do after flowering, but before they set seeds. Many plants, ex. Salvia will rebloom. I cut back most of my perennials after blooming for second flush of blooms. Even Gaillardias benefits from this although they tend to bloom all season.

Sorry, I guess I'm the newbie here...but could someone explain this technique of "pinching"? I read blomma's post about when to pinch, but what exactly do you pinch? And how much do you pinch and where do you pinch? I just planted a bunch of new seedlings the other day (http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/951457/), so I'm wondering now if I should concern myself with pinching!

Passiflora:
To anwer your questions.
First, I'm maily talking about flowers, not vegetables.

Pinching is just the removal of the plant's growing point, just above the axel of the lower leaves. You can use a small scissor to snip off the growing point. Just make sure you remove all the leaves on that growing point.

Since the job of a plant is to grow, it will develop side shoot to continue its growth. The side shoots will emerge from the axels of the remaining leaves below the growing point you removed. The result is a bushier plants with more stems that will produce blooms.

Not all flowers require pinching. It depends largely on its habit of growth. Most plants will bush out on their own after one or two seasons, if perennial. Annuals like Petunias should be pinched. Likewise Geraniums since these tend to grow with one stem when young.

Tomato pinching for the north
My growing season in Wyoming is short compared to the more southern areas of the country. I do not pinch tomato plants when young since they branch out on their own. It would delay fruit. However, I do pinch the growing point on all side branches and main stem in September. By then, any flower will not produce fruit, and tomatoes that are still developing will not have time to ripen. It takes energy for a plant to bloom and set fruit. By pinching as above I allow the plant to concentrate all its energy to what it already have produced, resulting in larger tomatoes.

Since you didn't mention what variety of plants you sowed, or if they are annuals or perennials, I can't advise you to pinch or not.

I hope this information helps you.

I guess I should have mentioned that my primary concern is annuals. Like you blomma, I pretty much just leave the perennials to do their own thing and usually within a couple of years they fill out just fine.

Passiflora I have listed a few things here in this thread that I'm growing this year and noted (with the help of these other fine people) which of them would benefit from a pinching and which ones don't require it. If you're growing any of the same plants that should help you, if not please feel free to ask specifics. There is an aweful lot of experience here and as you can see most of these kind folks are very generous with their knowledge.

Thanks for clearing this up for me, blomma & Lala! I will keep this thread for reference :)

If the plant blooms only from the central growth tip, like lilium, don't pinch! You will rob yourself of flowers. Anything else feel free to pinch.

I was trying to come up with another annual or perennial that you absolutely can't pinch and I am having a hard time thinking of one.

How about NOT pinching Irises, daylilies, spring flowering bulbs, cannas. As stated before, know the plant's growth habit before pinching. Any plant that grows into a bushy plant with age and normally produces side shoots, can be pinched when young.

Most Sedums can be pinched. I pinch cuttings before rooting. Produces a more compact plant. If done early enough in the season, it will still bloom at the usual time.

So, you would only pinch a plant the one time (when blomma said...as a seedling), and that's it other than deadheading flowers?

Newly sown plants that tend to grow upright with stiff stems should be pinched when 3" tall, or when 2 sets of new leaves have formed.

Pinching is just the removal of the plant's growing point, just above the axel of the lower leaves. You can use a small scissor to snip off the growing point. Just make sure you remove all the leaves on that growing point.


Just making sure I understand...if there are 2 sets of leaves and the plant is ready for pinching, you would cut just above the axil of the lower leaves, completely removing the upper leaves?

I just noticed I forgot to mention what seeds I planted. Its been 5 days since sowing and there are already so many things sprouting! I love it!

Veggies...artichoke, eggplant, peppers, tomatoes, kohlrabi, squash, zucchini

Herbs...comfrey, passionflower (P. incarnata), cumin, parsley, borage, valerian, cilantro, lime basil

Flowers...hollyhock, larkspur, foxglove, primrose, lupine

(the tall sprouts in the middle are yellow scaloppini squash)

This message was edited Feb 14, 2009 8:51 AM

Looking good there Flora!

And again thanks to everyone who has contributed to this thread. So many of the things I'm growing this year are new to me (most were gifts or trades) so other than looking at pictures I'm just not all that familiar with their growth habit. You all have been a GREAT help.

Passiflora
"Just making sure I understand...if there are 2 sets of leaves and the plant is ready for pinching, you would cut just above the axil of the lower leaves, completely removing the upper leaves?"

NOOOOOO!

Not just above the axel of the lower leaves. Pinch/cut the growing point above the upper, second pair of leaves. In other words, you should still have 2 sets of leaves left.

Personally, I wouldn't pinch seedling more than once, unless they have grown lanky in a growing indoors. They do need their leaves to manufacture food for growth. Often, seedling grown in the house tend to get lanky. If the growth seems stretched out between sets of leaves, their stems may become soft rather than sturdy. These plants should be pinched back just prior to planting them outdoors even if it means you have to cut further down. It will make for a sturdier plant.

Mums and geraniums can benefit from another pinching of the growing point for more blooms.

Whew - glad you told me all this! Thanks again, blomma.

LALA_JANE
Pinch the following varieties. Some on your list I'm not familiar with so can't advise. I don't grow many annuals anymore. Mainly perennials.
Browallia
Heliotrope
Phlox - annual
Abutilon
Mimulus tigrinus (monkey flower)
Torenia
Lobelia
Lobelia - trailing variety
Salvias - both splendins and coccinea
zinnias
marigolds

Salvias (perennial) can be deadheaded to bloom again. Actually, I shear down my plants 2-3" down to get rid of all the developing seed heads before they are ripe.

The photo is perennial Salvia superba x 'Blue Queen' . Drought resistant and hardy zones 4-8. Blooming begins in June. I pinched it as a seedling. From there, it doesn't need it as the clumps enlarge every year, producing more branches on its own.

Hi KLSTUART:

No, I didn't grow it from seeds. This is a hardy garden mums from Home Depot, which they offer only late summer and early fall. Those offered during spring are not hardy and may be annuals. I have never seen seeds offered for hardy mums. Only seeds from the annual summer flowering types. Those are not hardy in my zone. There are many varieties but few hardy down to zone 4. I may try to save seeds from my mums and see what I get for the fun of it.

As far as pinching mums, I don't pinch mine since they are 4 years old and are bush out on their own. If you sow seeds of the other kind, yes, pinch them. Follow my guide above, then repeat when those side branches have developed 2 sets of leaves. You can repeat again if not bushy enough. They won't bloom until days are shorter and night cooler in the fall.

The photo is a new one I bought from Home Depot last fall. I hope that it is hardy in my zone. I love the color. There is never a Latin name on the tags. Only that it is a hardy garden mum. My mums begins to bloom early September, until cut down by frost.