Pinching
/PINCH-ing/🧑🌾 Cultivation● Basic
Also known as: pinching back, pinching out, tipping
The practice of removing the apical bud (growing tip) of a stem by snapping it off between thumb and forefinger. Pinching removes apical dominance, stimulating lateral buds below the pinch point to grow, resulting in a bushier, more compact plant with more flowering stems. It is commonly practiced on chrysanthemums, basil, coleus, and many bedding plants to prevent legginess.
Etymology
Old North French pinchier (to pinch, squeeze)
Example
“Pinching basil stems just above a leaf node encourages the plant to branch and produce more harvestable leaves.”