I read that you could to get them fuller and more branched ...hence more flowering vines from the base. I'm gonna try that this year with mine. When they get about 3 sets of true leaves then I'll pinch out the top set. Last year I didn't pinch my Tie-Dye MG and they were pretty stawny and unattractive.

Vera

I am afraid I waited to long! My vines are already about 12" to 15" tall, climbing up a bamboo stick I put in the pots. I was thinking maybe instead of pinching them I will just plant them closer together, when I put them out.

Jenny P

jenny- From experience last year I can tell you this:

I had Grandpa Otts. They were about a foot or more tall, many planted at mailbox, not yet flowered. Someone (remains to be known) took a weed-whacker to the whole mass.

While they never recovered in height, I did get a low-mounded show in August.

So there's SOMETHING for you in the (extreme) way of 'can it be pinched'

Hope that helps!

I got a dumb question.
When you pinch a plant, WHERE do you pinch?
(I told you it was a dumb question).
I've tried to find this info everywhere. Everyone assumes that everyone knows.
Is it the very center at the top? What about tomato seedlings-- do you pinch those at the very center at the top? And how little can a seedling be before you pinch it?

Linda

Hi Linda...
Tomato plants and pepper plants I don't pinch...I've never found it necessary.
As for pinching there are soft and hard pinches. A soft pinch is removing only the top set of leaves at the terminal end. This method is usually done on young plants when they have at least 3 sets of leaves and no side branching yet. This pinch will promote those side branches in the leaf axils to grow and thus a more compact form. A hard pinch is pinching (may need a clipper) out 2 or more set. Like mid June I will give my perennial Max sunflowers are pretty hard pinch...from 16" to about 12"..which means I will be removing about 5 to 6" sets of leaves per stem, thus regrowth will be fuller and rounder rather than super tall and floppy! Last year on the Monarda I pinched only random stems once it got about 15" tall. Basically the result was flowers on time where they were not pinched and later flowers on the stems that were pinched...therefore bloom time was spread out further :D
Just remember that are certain plants that if pinched won't flower at all because they are geared to bloom at a certain time or the season isn't long enough get blooms following the pinch because they are slow growing or whatever. Fall mums would be a good example or certain flowering shrubs....ie: wrong time of year.

Hope this helps somewhat. Maybe try a google search for Pinching techniques and plants, ect.

Vera

Thanks so much, Vera :-)
That's a good tip on the Maximillion Sunflowers. Mine are always floppy. They probably look much nicer bushy.
Your reply has been "clipped"!

Thanks to your phrase suggestion I did a search on "Plant Pinching techniques" and got much better results. I found this:

Here is a link that might be useful: Pinching techniques

I think I'll try that with my Maxies as well. I was facing increasing the height of the bamboo cages. I do it to so many other plants, like Parsley, Basil, Hibiscus and Shasta Daisy, but I never thought about doing it to the Maxies.

Thanks for the tip.

I found an article some time back about how to prune morning glories - specifically, japanese morning glories, but the method, or some variation of it, ought to work for all kinds.

Unfortunately, I can't find the article anymore, but I did save a pic - hope you can see it:

{{gwi:382199}}

PV

When I said "better results", I meant better than what I found when I did my search, not better than your reply, Vera (I just read what I wrote and said to myself, "huh?")
(I'm working on my final paper for class. I'm a little scatterbrained).

Linda

Great illustration PV!
I'll for sure try that with my Jap. MG 'Sunrise Serenade' as a few will be growing on small teepees :D

Linda...I didn't even read it that way. Good luck on the final :D

If you all try that on your Maxies you might want to try this on Hollyhocks. When the first flowering stalk starts bolting and before any flowers appear, take and cut it back into the foliage. It will bloom later, but will come back multi-branched and compact....they usually stay about 4 to 4.5 feet x 4 wide. Flowers will be a little smaller but there will be many :D

Vera

Ok, well, I just lobbed my picotee off; he was about 9 leaves strong, and now back to 6. I'll come see you if it doesn't work ;)

You don't know where I live :O

Vera

What about Malva sylvestris?

I realize this thread is a little OT, but wanted to give an update on my MG Picotee...

After lobbing it off between 6 & 7, I have two little new shoots on 4 and 6. The one on 6, however, is only looking like another flower, and not a growing point. The lobbing forced the blooms on the first 5 flowers, and they were beautiful.

Just wondering now if I'm going to get more growth or just another flower. Oh, wait, on closer inspection just now, it looks as though there is a 'full set' of stuff there: a new leaf, a new bud, and possibly a new growing point, too. There's definitely something else going on there. Will keep you updated.

I also wonder if there will be seeds? The first bloom I deadheaded when it got small. The others I just left, and they're looking almost like they're fattening up as though forming seeds. (We have some bugs in our office- usually in the form of fruit-flies or whatever they are. Smallish black things that just hover around your face occasionally. (I'm also the office 'plant lady' like the gal on the Staples commercial).

Anyway, that's all for now.