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Gardening is more than just a hobby for many, it's a way of life, especially for those who are passionate about maintaining a sustainable environment. One of the gardening skills that you might have heard about is ‘pinching dahlias.' So, what does it mean, and why is it so important? Let's delve into this eco-friendly gardening practice to help create healthier plants.
Pinching dahlias involves removing the growing tip of the plant to encourage bushier growth and more blooms. It's a simple but significant gardening activity that promotes healthier plants and a more sustainable environment.
If you prefer to watch rather than read, here is a video I recorded on the subject.
Why dahlias are great for a cutting garden
Dahlias are the stars of the late summer and autumn cutting garden. With their vibrant colours, diverse shapes, and extended flowering season, they provide a steady supply of beautiful blooms from midsummer right through to the first frosts. They are ideal for filling vases with homegrown flowers, and the more you cut, the more they bloom!
In previous posts I have discussed how to pot your dahlia tubers up, how to propagate dahlias, including taking cuttings and how to prepare your garden beds for dahlias.
So, if you have been following along with those posts, you should have some dahlia tubers nicely romping away with lots of new shoots.
Why do you pinch out your dahlias?
Pinching dahlias is a simple but significant gardening activity. It involves removing the growing tips of each of the new stems of the plant to encourage bushier growth and more blooms. It’s a key part of dahlia care that can significantly impact the health and productivity of your plant.
Dahlias have a tendency to grow upwards, creating long, thick stems. However if you take out the young growing tip, “pinching out”, you force the plant to grow side shoots from the stem you pinched out. Each of these side shots will grow as tall as the original stem, but the stems will be thinner, making them much more useable in flower arrangements.
As a result, pinching dahlias early in the growing year encourages bushier growth and more blooms. From one thick stem, you will get double the number of flowering stems, that are more usable as a cut flower. This practice is crucial for maximising your dahlias' potential and contributes to a sustainable garden.
The same technique can be used for many other multi stemmed flowering plants, such as snapdragons, zinnias, cosmos, strawflowers and many more.
How to choose which dahlias to pinch out
When deciding which dahlias stems to pinch out, consider the plant's overall health, the number of stems it has, and its size.
Generally, you should pinch out dahlia stems that are about 25cm (10 inches) tall and have at least four sets of leaves. Ideally, the stems should be showing signs of growing new side shoots as shown in the image below.
This ensures that the plant has enough energy to regrow after pinching.
Step-by-step guide: How to pinch dahlias
Step 1: Wait until your dahlia stem is about 25cm long with a few sets of leaves. This is usually around six weeks after planting.
Step 2: Identify the topmost part of the stem, which is the growing tip.
Step 3: Using your fingers or a sharp pair of snips or secateurs, from Amazon pinch or cut off the growing tip right above the bottom set of leaves.
Step 4: Repeat this process for each dahlia stem on a plant, and then for each plant in your garden.
This process will encourage the plant to produce lateral branches, leading to a bushier plant with more flowers. It does seem a bit harsh when you take out all of the top growth, but honestly, you will get more flowers.
Don’t be tempted to use the pinched out tips as cuttings for new plants, as the resultant hollow stems is not conducive to growing roots.
Remember, patience and care are essential in ‘pinching dahlias.' Don't rush the process; let nature take its course.
Tips for growing your dahlias
- Divide your dahlias: To produce good sized productive dahlia plants, it is a good idea to divide the tuber every few years. If the tuber is too large, then you get increasing amount of foliage and poorer quality blooms.
- Starting your dahlias: From March onwards you can start your dahlias tubers growing in pots in a protected growing space. The space doesn’t need to be heated, but it does need to have light and be protected from frost.
- Propagate your dahlias: Once your potted up dahlias start producing more than 5 new shoots you can take cuttings of any of the extra cuttings, to create new plants that will flower and create a tuber within this growing season.
- Pinch out shoots: Once you have stems that have a few sets of leaves, then pinch out the growing tip. This will encourage the plant to produce more lateral growth and flowering stems.
- Planting: When planting your dahlias, plant out the plants deep enough to cover the tuber. Place the tubers about 15cm (6 inches) deep. Space the tubers/plants about 40cm – 70cm apart. Only plant out once the risk of frost has passed. In the UK this is generally mid May.
- Watering: After planting, water them in well. After the initial watering, I prefer to water all my plants (if I need to water) with a long deep drink, rather than a light consistent watering. I think this encourages the plants to go in search of their own water, making them more drought tolerant.
- Provide support: Dahlias, especially tall varieties, will need staking or other support to prevent them from toppling over under the weight of their blooms. It is best to get this in place before you need it, rather than waiting until it is too late.
- Protect from pests: Avoid chemical pesticides in your dahlia bed. Instead, encourage beneficial insects, try companion planting, use physical barriers, or try homemade, eco-friendly sprays.
- Protect from frost: In the autumn, after the first frost, either cut back your dahlias and mulch heavily to protect the tubers over the winter. Or lift them and store them somewhere cool and dry overwinter.
The environmental benefits of pinching dahlias
Pinching dahlias goes beyond boosting your garden's aesthetics. It contributes to a sustainable environment by promoting local biodiversity and reducing the need for chemical fertilisers and pesticides. Healthier plants are more resistant to pests and diseases, reducing the need for chemical interventions.
Embracing sustainable gardening practices like pinching dahlias can contribute to a healthier environment while letting you enjoy a thriving garden. So, let's continue our gardening journey with a conscious effort towards sustainability, one pinch at a time.
