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Dahlias pinching out.

martinjwoodsmartinjwoods Posts: 13
in Problem solving
Curious as to what would happen if i did not pinch out my Dahlias? Had the odd one before but never tubers but plants bought from a nursery.  It seems such a shame now they are sprouting all over and in a couple of weeks i have to cut them down. Anyone ever not pinch them out?

Posts

  • JennyJJennyJ Posts: 10,576
    I've never pinched out Dahlias.
    Doncaster, South Yorkshire. Soil type: sandy, well-drained
  • punkdocpunkdoc Posts: 15,039
    Me neither.
    How can you lie there and think of England
    When you don't even know who's in the team

    S.Yorkshire/Derbyshire border
  • Mary370Mary370 Posts: 2,003
    Me neither 
  • Nanny BeachNanny Beach Posts: 8,719
    Nope, I know Monty says you get more flower stems, but I only grow the cactus and dinner plates, more than enough big flowers for me!
  • NollieNollie Posts: 7,529
    Pinching them makes them shorter and bushier. So logically, if you don’t you will get taller, skinnier plants. I pinch out most of them but the ones I grow right at the back of the border, where I want them tall, I don’t. If you want bigger but fewer flowers, remove the two smaller buds growing either side of the main one in the middle or if the reverse, do the reverse. 
    Mountainous Northern Catalunya, Spain. Hot summers, cold winters.
  • JennyJJennyJ Posts: 10,576
    Mine are plenty bushy without pinching, but one of them gets pretty tall so I might try it with that one this year.
    Doncaster, South Yorkshire. Soil type: sandy, well-drained
  • Dirty HarryDirty Harry Posts: 1,048
    I've made a point of pinching out all mine this year once they have 4 sets of leaves.
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