With their trumpet-shaped blooms in shades of pink, purple, white and more, petunias are a beloved warm weather annual. To keep them looking their best all season, learning how and when to pinch them is important.
Pinching is a simple technique that encourages bushy, compact growth and abundant flowers. Follow these tips to successfully pinch back your petunias.
Why Pinch Petunias
Pinching petunias serves multiple purposes
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Encourages branching and a bushy form. Petunias tend to grow tall and leggy without pinching.
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Promotes more blooms by stimulating axillary bud growth
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Controls height, keeping plants full and compact.
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Removes spent blooms to prolong flowering.
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Maintains a tidy, attractive look.
When to Pinch
Time pinching properly for best results:
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Pinch back tips of young seedlings when transplanting to encourage bushiness from the start.
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Pinch established plants every 7-10 days during peak growing season.
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Remove spent blooms anytime to encourage new buds.
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Cut back leggy stems halfway to force new growth.
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Stop pinching 6 weeks before expected first frost so plants can prepare.
How to Pinch Petunias
Pinching petunias is simple:
Use Your Fingers
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Locate the top 2 sets of leaves on a stem.
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Grasp the stem just above the 2nd set of leaves.
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Use your thumb and forefinger to pinch and remove the tender tip.
Use Hand Clippers
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Position blades 1/4 inch above a leaf node.
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Snip off the tender tip.
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Take care not to damage leaves below the cut.
Remove Spent Blooms
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Old, faded flowers should be pinched off promptly.
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Pinch blooms at their base, where they meet the stem.
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Avoid leaving bare, unsightly stems.
Pinching Tips
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Pinch stems on actively growing plants only. Avoid pinching when plants are stressed.
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Always pinch above leaf nodes to avoid dieback.
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Discard pinched tips – don’t leave them around plants.
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Spread pinching out over weeks for a natural look.
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Pruning shears can be used to pinch back thick, woody stems.
Pinching Leggy Stems
Letting stems get too long and lanky ruins the shapely, mounded form of petunias. Here’s how to correct legginess:
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Use hand shears to cut each leggy stem back by half its length.
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Make cuts just above a set of leaves to preserve some foliage.
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This severe pinching triggers new growth and flowering.
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Bushy, compact new stems will emerge and conceal the cut stubs.
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Resume regular pinching of tips once new growth appears.
Pinching Potted Petunias
Container-grown petunias often need more frequent pinching to control size and shape in their confined space.
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Check pots every 5-7 days for pinching needs.
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Cut back wayward stems straying outside the pot silhouette.
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Pinch crowded inward-facing stems to open up center space.
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Remove spent blooms promptly before they form seeds.
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Reduce water and fertilizer after pinching to avoid overly lush regrowth.
When to Stop Pinching
Discontinue pinching in late summer so plants can harden off for winter:
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Stop pinching 6-8 weeks before your average first fall frost date.
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Allow time for tender new growth to mature and prepare for dormancy.
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Pruning too late may remove cold-protective foliage or delay bud set.
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Let plants naturally decline as daylight hours decrease in autumn.
Pinching for Shapely Petunias
Learning proper pinching technique is easy and pays off in fuller, neater petunia plants blanketed with colorful blooms. Just a little routine pinching encourages the bushy habit and floral display you want from these classic bedding annuals.
Reader Success Stories
- Susie D. “The hanging petunia plant I just bought has grown very long legs.” Thanks for the pruning instructions. I hope they bring back some fullness. Many of the dead flowers weren’t pinched off, and it took me half an hour to clean up. I didnt want to shock! Well see!”. ” more .
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Co-authored by:
Pruning your petunias helps their flowers stay healthy and bloom for longer. Once a week, remove any browned, withered, or dead flowers with your fingers or garden shears. If you see any flowers that have fallen to the soil, remove these too. You should also trim any limp stems to about half their length. If you find any damaged stems, cut these to about 2 inches from their base. Cutting off about a third of your petunias every other week will help them grow new ones if you have a big crop. For more tips from our Gardening co-author, including how often to fertilize and water your petunias, read on!.
Trimming Petunias // Garden Answer
How do you Deadhead petunias?
There are several ways to deadhead petunias, including hand pinching and shearing. Pruning them every few weeks, or at mid-summer, will help them to fill out and bloom longer. Check what type of petunias you are growing. Find the seeds or the plant markers.
How do you pinch a Petunia plant?
Follow these tips on how to pinch petunias to inspire a fuller plant. Choose a stem on the plant to pinch back. Gently hold the stem between your thumb and finger. Use your dominant hand to pinch the growth tip off the plant. Pinch off only the top 1/3 inch or so, right above the leaf node.
How do you cut back a Petunia?
Cut above a leaf node at about half the length of the stem. For large plants & hanging baskets: Pinch back petunias as many as 8 to 10 stems at a time. Likewise, trim petunias in half on these stems, right above a leaf node. Hold stems between your finger and thumb to stabilize them.
Where should I pinch back a Petunia?
Where you want to pinch back or cut with shears is right above the first set of leaves. The reason pinching back is so effective lies in how petunias grow. By removing the top of the plant, you’re encouraging it to grow more sideways than upwards, which leads to a bushier, fuller plant. More stems mean more flowers, and who doesn’t want that?