WTxDaddy
West Texas
Posts: 494
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| Posted: Thu Apr 09, 2009 9:46 pm Post subject: Advice sought: pinching zinnias |
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My zinnias always get tall & leggy. I've heard of "pinching" them when shorter to force them to get bushy and not so tall. How exactly does one go about this?
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EJ
Essex
Posts: 2863
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| Posted: Thu Apr 09, 2009 10:26 pm Post subject: |
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Once your young seedlings have a couple of sets of true leaves, you litterally snip the growing tip out of the plants. You can do this just as well on larger, more mature plants. I do it with my finger nails and I do it on sweetpeas, marigolds and so on. It alters the chemistry in the dormant buds in the leaf axils and they spring into life and branch out.
Hope this helps.
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daisybeans
annapolis md
Posts: 3675
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| Posted: Thu Apr 09, 2009 10:58 pm Post subject: |
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Do you know if it works on hardy Chrysanthemums too? My Chrysanthemums get that leggy look too.
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Netty
 Regular Plants Contributor
Southern Ontario zone 5a
Posts: 9959
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| Posted: Fri Apr 10, 2009 12:07 am Post subject: |
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Yes Daisybeans, I trim my Mum's back several times throughout the summer and when it's finally time to bloom , the plants are nice and full. 
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