Pinching is the single most effective technique for increasing your cut flower harvest. By removing the growing tip of a young plant, you force it to branch, producing many more flowering stems instead of one.
When you remove the main growing point, the plant redirects energy into the dormant side buds below the pinch point. Each side bud grows into a new stem, and each of those stems produces a flower. One plant can go from producing 1 stem to 6–10 stems with a single well-timed pinch.
Pinch when the plant is 8–12 inches tall and has at least 3–4 sets of leaves. Use clean snips or your thumb and forefinger to remove the top growing point just above a set of leaves. You will sacrifice the first bloom but gain many more.
Dahlias, zinnias, cosmos, snapdragons, celosia (plumed types), marigolds, rudbeckia, ageratum, scabiosa, strawflowers, and basil.
Single-stem crops like single-stem sunflowers and crested celosia. Bulbs and corms (tulips, daffodils, ranunculus) do not benefit from pinching. Lisianthus branches naturally and does not need pinching.