Expert: Long Island Gardener - 7/22/2010

Question
just bought a hanging petunia.It has some dead stems/branches. Can i cut/or pinch them off without causing stress.I've read your info on pinching flowers,but really didn't feel i got enough info to go ahead and start pinching and cutting.It was a b-day gift and want to keep it going.What to do in the cold months,will it survive indoors?

Answer
Cutting the dead stems and branches off anything is a great idea, for several reasons.

One, as they wither and shrivel, they emit ethylene gas, which speeds up the cycle of everything around it.  When ethylene gas is around flowers, the flowers die more quickly.  When it's around leaves, the leaves don't work as well and may even turn brown and die.

'Pinching' is a great way to keep Annual plants like Petunias healthy and full of flowers.  One reason is because you keep all that ethylene gas away from the rest of the plant. Another is because you stop the flowers from going to a lot of trouble to make seeds.  It's like handing $100 to your son at the beginning of the summer and saying, Here's your allowance, here's the car keys, go buy yourself something.  But then, just before he gets in the car, you take the keys away, and you say, 'Walk to the mall.'  Figure that your car is going to be in pristine condition all summer long.  And he'll spend that money at the mall more carefully because he will have to hand carry everything back home.  So you win win win.

When you pinch the spent flowers off the Petunias, or any plant for that matter, you are getting your car keys back, and telling your plant, Walk.  Your Petunia will make more flowers right away.  It will be healthy and $100 richer.  Won't that be nice?

Now, Pete, even in July, a basket of Petunias is really beautiful.  I mean, these plants are popular for a reason.  The petals on these flowers don't fade in the bright sun.  Instead, they practically glow, like their own little beams of light, in living color.  There are few plants as dazzling as these.

Unfortunately, all good things must pass.  Even Petunias do not last forever.  They are Annuals.  They can be squeezed and pushed to survive -- people actually try to do this in the southern climates, where there is no cold freeze to shut them down completely.  But they do not have the kinds of plant hormones that can keep them going, and going, and going.  No matter what you do, or how much you spend, or what they tell you at the garden center, these plants will not survive another year.  Not happening.

But oh are they worth it while they last.

It's mid-summer, still half a season left for prime time Petunias.  Get out there and pinch.  If you're still not sure, write back and I'll be happy to go into more detail.  Thank you for writing,

THE LONG ISLAND GARDENER