If you’ve been growing flowers for a while, chances are you’ve heard someone mention “pinching.” But what exactly does it mean—and why should you care?
Pinching is a simple but powerful gardening technique where you remove the growing tip of a young plant to encourage it to branch out. The result? Bushier plants and more blooms. But not all flowers benefit from this method. In fact, pinching the wrong plant can reduce your flower production or delay blooming. Read on to learn which flowers to pinch, which to leave alone, and how to do it right.
What Is Pinching?
Pinching involves snipping or pinching off the top inch or so of a plant’s main stem. This redirects the plant’s energy to lateral growth—resulting in a bushier shape and more flower-producing stems.
It’s especially helpful for cut flower gardens where stem count matters. But timing and technique are everything!
Annual Flowers That Benefit from Pinching
These annuals thrive when pinched early in their growth (usually when they are 6–8 inches tall and have at least 2–3 sets of true leaves). Pinching is typically done just above a leaf node. Below is a handy chart of some of the most common flowers to pinch:
Annual Flower |
When to Pinch |
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Amaranth |
6–8" tall |
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Ageratum |
3–5" tall |
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Asters |
After 3rd set of leaves |
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Calendula |
3” inches tall |
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Cosmos |
6–8" tall, 3–4 leaf pairs |
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Celosia (plume types) |
6–8" tall |
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Dahlia |
12-18” tall after 3-4 sets of leaves |
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Marigolds |
After 3–4 leaf sets |
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Petunias |
Remove 1 - 2", leaving at least 3" stems |
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Phlox |
6" tall |
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Snapdragons |
4–6" tall |
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Strawflowers |
6 – 9” tall |
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Sweet Peas |
After 3rd set of true leaves |
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Salvia (annual types) |
4–6" tall |
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Zinnias |
6" tall, after 2–3 sets of true leaves |
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Perennial Flowers That Benefit from Pinching
While not all perennials respond well to pinching, many do appreciate a spring trim to keep them compact and encourage multiple stems.
Perennial Flower |
When to Pinch |
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Asters (New England or New York) |
Spring, 4–6" tall |
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Bee Balm (Monarda) |
Early spring, 6" tall |
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Coreopsis (Threadleaf types) |
4–6" tall |
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Garden Phlox |
Spring, when 6–8" tall |
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Shasta Daisy |
Spring, when 4–6" tall |
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Russian Sage |
Spring, when 4–6" tall |
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Yarrow |
Spring, when 4–6" tall |
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Flowers You Should Not Pinch
Some plants naturally produce a single strong stem or bloom, and pinching them can weaken the plant or delay flowering:
- Larkspur – Sensitive to disruption; do not pinch
- Delphiniums – Focus energy on strong central spike; better to stake than pinch
- Foxglove – Biennial; pinching may disrupt bloom timing
- Statice - naturally produces multiple stems
- Stock – Naturally grows as a single stem
- Sunflowers (single-stem types) – Pinching delays or stops blooming altogether
Final Tips for Pinching
• Use clean snips or simply your fingers.
• Always pinch just above a set of healthy leaves or nodes.
• Water after pinching to help the plant recover.
• For succession planting, pinch some and leave others for staggered blooms.
Pinching is one of those small gardening techniques that pays big dividends when done correctly. Take a few moments early in the season to give your flowers a pinch—and you’ll be rewarded with fuller, more productive plants.