Commercial Floriculture

Pinching

• Pinching is one of most important operations in chrysanthemum culture.
• The operation of removal of terminal growing portion of stem pinching reduces plant height and promotes axillary branches.
• Time and severity of pinching depend on the type of chrysanthemum and the desired objectives.
• After planting, the growth is mostly upward with very little branching.

  To arrest such tall growth, a simple procedure called ‘pinching’ is used. It is also called ‘stopping’. Only soft vegetative shoot tips 1.5 to 3 cm long are removed. Pinching is most essential for small flowered chrysanthemum. First pinching is done when the plants reach a height of 15-20 cm with 3-4 pairs of leaves. A second pinching may be necessary if the plants make straggly and lean growth. Pinching increases the number of flowering stems in each plant; it can indirectly control flowering date and bloom quality; and the number of stems to a plant can easily be controlled.

• Two types of pinching are performed:

  (a) Soft pinching: By this pinching the top soft tips of the shoot along with 2-3 open leaves are removed;
  (b) Hard pinching: It means removing a longer portion upto hard shoot.
• Single pinching is done, if two flowers are desired, whereas double pinching is done for four flowers.
• In spray chrysanthemum numerous small to medium sized flowers are produced, therefore, two pinchings are required to encourage lateral growth.
• As a general rule rooted cuttings are pinched two weeks after planting or approximately 100 days before full bloom.

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