How to properly pinch plants?
Learn plant pinching techniques and pinch like an experienced gardener. These lines will provide the theory. Then you can eagerly head out to the garden and apply the theory directly in growing practice.
Plants and flowers are pinched for two main reasons. By pinching correctly you achieve a more attractive yield because you give the plants the desired shape, and you also support their healthy development.
Many growers, not only beginners, hesitate to pinch and the word itself evokes a sense of complexity and the feeling that it's not really necessary to harvest. Yet it is a very simple method that will help you achieve a much better yield.
Influence plant growth in height, direction and final shape. It's in your hands. And with quality pruning shears, or other tools such as gloves, directing plant growth can be enjoyable.
To pinch a plant means to cut or snip its shoots or twigs, thereby supporting and maximizing branching, which is a highly desirable phenomenon for plants.
With each pinched shoot you increase the number of branches, but you also reduce the plant's height. Wondering why the number of branches increases? If the cut is made at the right place, instead of one shoot two new branches will form. If you gently pinch those two shoots, the principle repeats and from one branch we already have four! Judge for yourself, isn't it a little magical? As a gardener you simply have that power. You will discover that growing gives a person room to create and doesn't have to be just sow, water and harvest. If you have no experience with pinching yet but this idea intrigued or even excited you, let's explain how to do everything correctly.
It mainly depends on the type of plant you are pinching. For small plants there is nothing to worry about: use smaller, sharp garden shears along with a bit of manual dexterity. For large plants you'll need a sterile scalpel. Pinching is, with a bit of exaggeration, actually surgical work—you must be as precise as possible. The place and execution of the cut are essential – pinch shoots always just above the junction of two opposite branches. We only remove the tip. Besides shaping the growth of the existing plant we can also grow a completely new plant from the tip. Simply dip the pinched top into water, where with the help of a suitable rooting booster it will root easily and well. You can learn more about supporting rooting in a separate article. If you know in advance that you are cutting the tip to grow a new plant, make an angled cut.
If you are starting out, you don't have to tackle the whole crop by trial and error. Try pinching only the tops of a single plant and observe how it develops after your gentle “surgical” intervention compared to the other beauties.
Finally, it's important to mention correct timing. When to pinch plants? This is determined by how many times you plan to perform this operation during the growing cycle. If only once, wait until just before flowering. If multiple times, start pinching earlier during the vegetative phase.
Has pinching plants seemed difficult and did you need to build up courage? Don't hesitate, it's a pleasure! If any unanswered questions remain after reading this article, we'll be happy to help at the well-known address info@higarden.cz. We look forward to your questions!
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