Best method for pinching out plants to avoid ‘crowded’ blooms

Best method for pinching out plants to avoid ‘crowded’ blooms

03/21/2023

Carol Klein explains the importance of judicious pruning

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Pruning is a common gardening method used to encourage new growth, more flowers and fruit on certain plants. While the method of pruning is well-known, a lesser-known method that’s often used on younger plants is “pinching out”. Some plants that benefit from pinching out include tomato plants, petunias, basil, sweet peas, fuchsias, marigolds and dahlias.

With this in mind, Andrew White, a gardening expert at Rhino Greenhouses Direct has shared his advice exclusively with Express.co.uk for gardeners hoping to pinch out their plants this spring.

Pinching out

Pinching out is actually even easier than pruning plants as it often doesn’t involve using secateurs.

Gardeners usually pinch out by literally pinching using their fingers. The act involves using a thumb and forefinger to pinch off new growth at the end of a stem.

Andrew said it’s “kindest” to use fingertips when pinching out or using “finely pointed snips/secateurs”.

When pinching out, it’s important to “avoid” damaging the leaf nodes underneath the point gardeners are pinching out.

Gardeners also shouldn’t pinch out plants too soon. Andrew added: “Wait until the plant has sufficient growth to withstand the pruning and has reached an appropriate height.”

The gardening expert also implored gardeners to “know when to stop” when they’re punching out their plants.

“The more you pinch out, the longer you’ll be waiting for flowers/fruits.

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“Pinching too much can also lead to very bushy plants that crowd blooms”, he said.

Pinching out dahlias

Dahlias are popular blooms that come in a beautiful range of colours, sizes and shapes.

Dahlia tubers will need to be planted indoors in containers in spring and dahlia seeds need to be sown in early to mid-spring.

Before pinching out, the main stem of the plant needs to be 12 inches tall with at least four sets of leaves.

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Pinching out when the stem is still short could lead to a squat and tightly bushy dahlia plant.

Andrew shared what to do once the plant’s flowers start to show. He explained: “When the flowers start to emerge, they will crowd each other and a lack of air circulation can result in pests and diseases.

“The beautiful blooms will also be harder to see. Pinch out the uppermost tip of the stems just above a set of leaves.

“Once the flowers are blooming, cutting and deadheading also helps to stimulate strong growth and more flowers.”

Pinching out basil

Basil is a popular herb that can be used in a plethora of savoury dishes. Furthermore, it’s easy to grow, smells incredible and can even repel flies and mosquitoes.

Andrew said the herb does “particularly well from pinching back” because it tends to grow from one central stem.

Pinching out allows the plant to grow more bushy and leafy with plenty so there’s plenty to use for cooking.

When harvesting basil, or any herb, always cut the stem down to just above leaf nodes as with the pinching method.

Don’t be tempted to just pull leaves off as bare stems will simply be a drag on the plant’s resources. Cutting the stem also promotes root growth.

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