dirtdorphins said:
Chelle, I do pinch the the ones that I notice having long internodal growth spurts, (same with the tall asters) usually about three times by about mid-July and then I let them go. No schedule or anything--just when I'm out and about and I notice and it occurs to me to do it.
Thanks DD. Your explanation is wonderful.
For many years I'd read to "pinch them back", but putting that advice into practice wasn't so easy. When I had it in mind to do so the plants weren't yet having growth spurts -when next I noticed them, they'd already shot past the point where I felt it would help them. By that point, I thought it would be too late and that I'd not have blooms later if I did it then. I noticed this year that the ones potted up in the nursery were still nearly flat rosettes in July, so it seems that it's not too late to reduce (or to reduce again) even if there's still only 8 or so weeks left till bloom time.
