We don’t pinch ALL the dahlias we grow! ???? For us, pinching is a quick way to create more flowers in our field. We pinch our dahlias when plants are about 8”-12” tall, redirecting their energy from one big, thick central stem to multiple side-shoots. These new stems will be a more manageable size for bouquets, and in the end our plants will make more blooms than if we wait to harvest that center stem when it blooms. ???? Is the idea of pinching dahlias new to you? Here is more information about how to pinch a dahlia.

How do we decide what to pinch and what not to pinch?

We pinch:

• Ball forms we will use for grocery bunches
• Super vigorous or tall varieties that we want to “contain”
• Any varieties we want to use for cuts but tend to have shorter stems. (Pinching helps give us more usable stems!)

We don’t pinch:

• – Dinnerplate dahlias that already have a nice habit
• – Collarette forms that we won’t use for market bunches
• – New-to-us varieties that we want to assess in year 1
• – 1st year seedlings (we want to see those blooms as fast as possible!!!)

Hopefully you’ll find these guidelines helpful and you think through whether or not you need to pinch your dahlias. And don’t worry if you’ve already pinched a seedling or a collarette form! It’s not wrong to pinch these. We’ve just chosen not to at out farm. Happy gardening, flower friends!