Pinching out

Are you talking veg or flowers ?

it's different for different things, I'm afraid no one size fits all 

Quote from: Aunt Sally on March 19, 2011, 19:59

Are you talking veg or flowers ?

Maybe the same theory applies to both, but I'm more interested in veg. For example, I know it's a good idea to pinch out the tips of sweet pea plants, so does that mean that pea plants would also benefit from it? And how about tomatoes, beans, etc.? I'd really like to know if there is a rule of thumb or it's just different for every plant variety.

You've asked a bit of a broad question, as MoS has suggested already different things have different requirements.

Many pea varieties are quite low height anyway, so pinching tops out is not the norm. Regular cropping generates more flowers = more crop.

Tomatoes very according to variety and whether they are grown in geenhouse or outdoors, most packets should tell you whats required for the particular variety you're growing.

French and runner beans should be pinched out at the top when they reach the height of the cane or whatever support they are on to stop them becoming entangled and top heavy. Again regular cropping encourages more flowers = more crop.

Cropping cougettes encourages more flowers = more crop

its done some times so the plant stops putting energy into growing and it goes into making nice veg/fruit