When new gardeners hear about "pinching" plants, they're
understandably puzzled.
Just where do you pinch them? And why?
The "where" is the growing tip. You can literally pinch off the
tip between your thumb and forefinger, or-if you have a lot of
plants-you can speed up the job by using scissors or grass shears
to remove many growing tips with one cut.
The "why" is that cut stems "branch out," resulting in a more
compact plant with many more blossoms.
Chrysanthemums are one of the classic plants that gardeners
pinch, often several times during the spring and early summer. Mums
that aren't pinched back tend to topple in autumn under the weight
of their blossoms. (Some of the new varieties, which have been bred
for compact shape and better branching, are an exception. Pinch
only the mums that grow tall and straggly.)
Gardeners who want to grow prize-winning dahlias like to pinch
out all the side shoots and buds, allowing only one big flower to
form on each stalk.
Annuals like snapdragon and lisianthus also respond well to
pinching, resulting in bushier plants with many more flowers.
It's always good to pinch off growing tips of any annual that
tries to bloom before it's well established in the garden, no
matter how eager you are to see those first flowers. Over the long
haul this summer, only strong plants with good roots will deliver
top performance.
