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Pinching out still?

IlikeplantsIlikeplants Posts: 894
in Plants
What tips are you still pinching out? I’m doing fuchsias, cosmos seedlings, hoping to do snapdragons if only they get bigger.
What about monarda and verbena? They’re about 12cm high now, should I pinch back to get them to branch more? And do these two plants do well together?
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Posts

  • AnniDAnniD Posts: 12,585
    Can't say l've ever pinched out Monarda or Verbena (the Bonairensis type). Bumping this up to see what others think  :)
  • GardenerSuzeGardenerSuze Posts: 5,692
    I think you can Chelsea chop Monarda but it might depend on which one. I have never pinched out Verbenas.
    I have worked as a Gardener for 24 years. My latest garden is a new build garden on heavy clay.
  • GardenerSuzeGardenerSuze Posts: 5,692
     You could pinch out seedlings of V Bonairiensis but I have never bothered.
    I have worked as a Gardener for 24 years. My latest garden is a new build garden on heavy clay.
  • EmptyheadtimeEmptyheadtime Posts: 366
    I only pinch out once at the start. I feel pinching out again later would delay flowering.
  • IlikeplantsIlikeplants Posts: 894
    I might pinch out verbena B once soon then and see if it encourages a bushier plant as it’s just a small plant at the moment anyway. I’ll leave the monarda as I think it’s a flower to deadhead instead whereas the verbena isn’t? Will see how the experiment holds.
  • IlikeplantsIlikeplants Posts: 894
    I have no idea how tall either of these will be so I hope they don’t flop
  • AnniDAnniD Posts: 12,585
    edited June 2022
    The Verbena bonairensis can get up to 2m tall, l wouldn't say it flops but you may get the odd stem going off at an angle. 
    Depending on the Monarda variety, l 've never staked mine as they are nowhere near as tall as the Verbena, to be honest l find powdery mildew can be more of a problem with them than anything else.
  • GardenerSuzeGardenerSuze Posts: 5,692
    @AnnieD A friend grows Monarda Garden View Scarlett, she maintains it doesn't get mildew. Please don't go and buy it and then post to say it has mildew, I will feel bad.
    I have worked as a Gardener for 24 years. My latest garden is a new build garden on heavy clay.
  • AnniDAnniD Posts: 12,585
    I will try not to @GardenerSuze :)
  • gondorgondor Posts: 135
    I have monarda didyma 'red shades' or something like that. I've never pinched it out, but the stems kind of droop down to the ground before shooting upwards again. Not a plant that I am particularly happy with in general. Maybe pinching out would improve that.
    I have 2 types of verbena, not the bonariensis ones, and again never pinched those out, fab flowers, not floppy.

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