Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Pinchingout,tippruning
Tools
A forefinger and thumb is all that
is required.
(a)
Technique
Pinching out the tip of a stem immediately
reallocates the plants internal resources
such as hormones and the flow of the
cambium layer (see page 1). Any plant or
part of a plant that you want to make
bushier benefits from this technique.
By pinching out the tip, or apical bud, the
buds below are stimulated so that you
promote two or three smaller stems rather
than one long stem, hence the plant is
bushier (see Figure 3.7).
(b)
Again, spring is the obvious time to look
over your plants and encourage bushy
growth at will. Pinching back new growth
on espalier trees is done in early summer
(see page 131) and some seedlings can be
pinched out as they grow to make a strong
framework. Annual and biennial f flower and
vegetable seedlings also benefit so that they
develop more side branches from which to
carry f flowers (see Tables 3.1 and 3.2).
(c)
Generally, leaf buds are thin and pointy
while f flower buds are round and fat.
Pinching out f flower buds in the early
stages of growth can be beneficial as
growth will be directed to the development
of roots and shoots. Once the plant has
become established, pinching out leaf
buds only will
create more branches
from which f flowers will be carried
(see Table 3.3).
Figure 3.7
Using your thumb and forefinger pinch out the
top bud (a). The top bud has been pinched out leaving
two side buds (b). The tiny side buds can develop and
branch (c).
