How to Pinch Back Petunias
- 1). Pinch petunia flower stems using two fingers to gently snap the stem off. Make the first pinch at planting time to remove spent blooms. Pinch the stem off if no blooms or buds are present. This pinching will stimulate new bud growth and prevent the plants from becoming bushy.
- 2). Place mulch around newly planted petunias to assist with moisture retention, which will initiate new bud growth.
- 3). Pinch petunia flower stems to 4 inches above the ground after the first bloom. New blooms will appear in one to two weeks.
- 4). Keep blossoms dry when watering the plants to prevent disease. Fertilize the plants in early summer with a product designed for blooming plants. This type of fertilizer is high in phosphorus, rather than nitrogen, and will stimulate new bud growth.
- 5). Pinch off blooms through out the growing season if the plants begin to look leggy--growing long stems with few flowers--instead of remaining compact.
- 6). Stop pinching flowers late in the season if you want seeds to grow. The flowers will produce seeds as they die off.