Learn how and why to pinch houseplants, which means to prune them. See how to pinch back pink polka dot plant and African violets. Pinching plants makes them bushier, so they look better and healthier. Pinching also makes plants grow even more. You can avoid plants getting leggy and lanky by pinching them. You can pinch plants with your finger and thumb, or you can use pruners to pinch plants. You want to pinch plants just above a set of leaves. Avoid leaving any empty stem when you pinch back. The stem will die off, and the plant will grow more slowly. Pinch as soon as you see the plants getting leggy, so that they grow nice and bushy.
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Oh, welcome to HealthyHouseplants.com, where we teach you all about gardening in the great indoors. Today’s video is sponsored by our Amazon affiliate, which you can find in the link below in the description. I’m going to talk today about pinching back plants. This is one of the forms of pruning. It’s generally a form of pruning that you would use on plants that are easy to pinch with your fingers and thumb.
One of the plants that really needs pinching back is the pink polka dot plant (Hypoestes). This is actually a little indoor fairy garden that we planted a couple of weeks ago now, and it’s in one of our prior videos. You can see the pink polka dot plant, which when I planted it was lower, is starting to sprout up. Now, if we let the pink polka dot plant continue to do this, it will get quite rangy and not look very good.
We want it to be mounded, shorter, and well-formed. So, what you want to do when you’re pinching back is to pinch back to two leaves. I’ve got another plant here that wasn’t planted to show you a little closer. You see those two leaves sticking up? You can go down to a set of two leaves, and it will continue to branch out from there, but it will also be more well-rounded and lower. It won’t have that rangy appearance.
So, I’m going to demonstrate on this plant here in the fairy garden to show you how much better it’s going to look when I’m done. For a lot of tender plants like this, you can pinch with your fingers. If you prefer, you can use pruners. The concept is the same—go down to those two leaves and prune just above that. You don’t want to cut into the leaves, and you don’t want to leave a stick-like stem sticking out because that will die back. If the plant can’t grow well from that spot, the stick will just stay there until it finally falls off, which slows down the plant’s growth.
Here’s another example, and another one, and another one. Don’t be afraid to pinch back, but avoid pinching more than one-third of the plant at any one time. If you do that, you could harm the plant, and it may not recover, or it could take a while to recover. There you go! You can see it now has a nice, mounded look, much nicer than before.
Of course, if you like the taller look, you can let it keep growing, but it will tend to get tall and rangy. Another plant that does really well with pinching back is the African violet. The African violet grows in a circle, so what you want to do is prune out the outer leaves. To do that, go into the base of the plant and pinch out a leaf. You want to do this all the way around the plant until you have a really nice form.
Keep doing this until you feel like you have a nice, rounded shape. Like I said, don’t overdo the pruning. The plants need their leaves to photosynthesize, and photosynthesis is what gives them energy to live. So, you don’t want to overdo it. There, I’ve removed about six leaves, and it looks pretty good. I’m not really happy with this one leaf, but I don’t want to take it out just yet until I get some more growth around here. Otherwise, the plant will look lopsided.
One more leaf I think I’ll take out. Now, this leaf is somewhat younger, and it will make a really good leaf for rooting. I have another video—one of my prior videos—where I show a really easy way to root African violets so you can grow little baby African violets, which will eventually mature into plants with lots of beautiful flowers.
Well, that’s it for today. Please enjoy gardening in the Great Indoors, and remember to leave any comments at the end of this video. Also, please like, share, subscribe, and comment. Thank you!
FAQ – Pinching Back Plants
What is pinching back plants?
Pinching back is a form of pruning that involves using your fingers or thumb to pinch off certain parts of the plant. This technique is especially useful for tender plants that don’t require heavy pruning.
Why should I pinch back my pink polka dot plant?
The pink polka dot plant, or Hypoestes, tends to get tall and rangy if left unpruned. Pinching it back helps to keep the plant mounded, shorter, and well-formed.
How do I pinch back a plant properly?
When pinching back, go down to a set of two leaves. Pinching just above this will encourage the plant to branch out from that point, giving it a more compact and well-rounded shape. Avoid leaving a stick-like stem, as it will die back and slow plant growth.
Can I use pruners instead of my fingers to pinch back plants?
Yes, if you prefer, you can use pruners for pinching back. The technique remains the same—cut above the two leaves to ensure optimal plant growth.
How much of the plant should I pinch back at once?
You should avoid pinching more than one-third of the plant at any one time. Removing too much can harm the plant and slow down its recovery.
Which other plants respond well to pinching back?
African violets are another plant that responds well to pinching. When pruning, remove outer leaves to maintain a nice form while keeping the plant healthy.
How do I prune an African violet?
To prune an African violet, pinch out the outer leaves at the base of the plant. Continue this process all around the plant until you achieve a well-rounded form.
Why shouldn’t I over-prune my plants?
Over-pruning reduces the number of leaves available for photosynthesis, which is the process that gives plants the energy to grow and thrive. Be cautious not to remove too many leaves at once.
Can I propagate African violets using pinched leaves?
Yes! Younger leaves that you pinch off can be rooted to create new baby African violets. These will eventually grow into mature plants with beautiful flowers.
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