Expert: C.L. Fornari - 4/6/2009

Question
Would like to know how to fill out nasturium seedlings They have 2 leaves. Advice on pinching?

Answer
Camille,
If those are the first two leaves it's far too early to pinch back - when plants grow from seed the first leaves that appear aren't really leaves at all - you'll see on most plants that the second pair to emerge often are different shapes from the first. And if you pinch those off, the plant will die because the branches come from the places where the leaves attach to the stem.

Most Nasturiums don't need pinching at all - some grow naturally small and bushy, and some are vining types that grow long and bushy, but I've never had to pinch any of them.  Pinching the short, mounding types will make them a bit shorter and bushier I suppose, but the vining types will remain vining.  Should you want to, however, wait until they have four sets of leaves including that first pair of cotyledons, then pinch off the very top set of leaves.

all the best,
C.L.
www.wholelifegardening.com