"Pinching out" - what exactly does that mean?

[wilbur]

I am currently growing some flower and veg seedlings and I'm pretty sure I'm supposed to pinch some of the them out, the sweet peas particularly. I don't really know what that means - do I just remove the top two leave of the plant so the side shoots will prosper, ie, cut the stem of the plant just below the leaves? Or is it just pulling the leaves off the stem? Please help, I'm so proud of having grown stuff from seed, but I want them to thrive too! As well as sweet peas I am growing nasturtiums, tomatoes, courgettes, mini pumpkins, sunflowers and salad leaves. Do any of these need pinching out as well? Help!

[EricPicklesFatNeck]

yes you just remove the top leaves so the plan will shoot from the bottom and you have more flowers. i only do it to sweet peas

[WynkenBlynkenandNod]

With the tomatoes depending on what type you have you might have to take the side shoots off. You do it for cordons but not bush varities. It's the little bit that starts to grow where a side branch meets the main stem. You can whack them into compost and they root easily giving you a plant that is the same age as the parent plant. It should tell you on the back of the packet the type you have.

[taffetacat]

Yes, its flowers mainly that you do it with so they grow bushy rather than just on one central stem. You can actually pinch out a few times, maybe again in a few weeks. Makes a big difference to sweet peas - I planted mine out a month ago and noticed today they all have second growth shoots at the base of the plant.

Wynken - I had no idea you could propagate from sideshoots on tomatoes!Cool.

[wilbur]

Thank you! I will pinch out my sweet peas today - I assume you mean I break the stem entirely below the first set of leaves and not just remove the leaves. My toms haven't got to the side shoots stage yet but I have some cordons and 2 bush plants so will be careful to trim the right ones! Taffetacat, you are clearly way ahead of me on the planting front - did you start your sweet peas off in the autumn? I mean to do this every year, but always fail.

[taffetacat]

Wilbur - yes break the stem entirely - seems harsh eh?

I sowed my sweet peas in early Feb - I can never be bothered to look after things all winter. I expect you will have flowers later in the season than me. I always mean to do some early Feb and then another sowing late March, so I have a longer season and I always forget!