Why You Should Pinch Your Dahlias (And Why It Feels So Wrong the First Time)
If you’re growing dahlias for the very first time, there’s a good chance you’ll eventually hear someone say:
“You need to pinch your dahlias.”
And if you’re anything like most gardeners, your immediate response will probably be:
“Wait… you want me to cut off the top of my healthy plant?”
Yes. Exactly that.
And while it may feel completely backwards the first time you do it, pinching your dahlias is one of the simplest ways to grow fuller plants with dramatically more blooms throughout the season.
At EarthSpoke Farms, we’re pinching dahlias this week as our plants reach about 8–12 inches tall. Most of our plants now have 3–4 healthy leaf sets, which is the perfect stage for pinching.
What Does It Mean to Pinch a Dahlia?
Pinching simply means removing the very top growing tip of the plant.
You can do this with your fingers or a clean pair of snips. Locate the top center growth point and remove it just above a set of leaves.
That’s it.
It’s a tiny cut, but it completely changes the structure of the plant.
Instead of growing one tall central stalk with a bloom on top, the dahlia redirects its energy into side branching. Those side branches become additional stems… and additional flowers.
What Happens If You Don’t Pinch Dahlias?
If you skip pinching, your plant will usually grow taller with fewer branches and fewer blooms.
You may get one strong central stem with a beautiful flower on top, but you’ll sacrifice the lush, productive branching that makes dahlias such incredible cut flowers.
Pinching encourages the plant to become bushier, sturdier, and far more floriferous over the course of the season.
Why Dahlias Make Such Good Cut Flowers
One of the most fascinating things about dahlias is that they truly are “cut and come again” flowers.
The more you cut them, the more they bloom.
In fact, pinching is really just the first step in teaching your plant to branch and rebloom all season long.
Once your dahlias begin flowering, regular harvesting will continue encouraging new blooms. It’s one of the reasons dahlias are such a dream flower for backyard cutting gardens.
If you love the idea of walking outside with your morning coffee and snipping flowers for your kitchen table, dahlias are one of the best plants you can grow.
A Fun Dahlia Fact: Dahlias Are Related to Sunflowers
Many people are surprised to learn that dahlias belong to the same plant family as sunflowers: the Asteraceae family.
You can actually see the resemblance in their stems. Dahlias have strong, hollow stems, and historically the Aztecs even used dried dahlia stems as water pipes because of their natural hollow structure.
If you never pinch your dahlias, you’ll end up with one very tall, strong hollow stalk.
Which is probably not what most people are growing dahlias for.
When Should You Pinch Dahlias?
The ideal time to pinch dahlias is when plants are:
- About 8–12 inches tall
- Have 3–4 sets of leaves
- Healthy and actively growing
After pinching, many growers also begin thinking about support systems like netting or stakes since branching plants become fuller and heavier with blooms later in the season.
Don’t Be Afraid to Sacrifice the First Bloom
The hardest part of pinching is psychological.
You’re removing what feels like potential flowers.
But that tiny sacrifice is what creates abundance later.
That first bud may turn into three new stems. Those stems create more branching, which creates even more flowers over time.
A single cut early in the season can completely transform the productivity of your dahlia plant.
And once you see the difference for yourself, you’ll never want to skip pinching again.
Visit the Dahlia Fields This Summer
If you’d like to experience dahlias in full bloom by the ocean, our EarthSpoke Farms U-Pick tickets are available now with early bird pricing.
Our farm is located near the historic Point Cabrillo Light Station on the Northern California coast, where thousands of dahlias bloom just a stone’s throw from the Pacific Ocean.
We’d love to welcome you to the farm this season.