How to Pinch Cleome

Cleome is a South American native.

Some plants have a tendency to grow up, not out. To coax these plants to fatten up, gardeners pinch the tips of branches. This encourages the plant to produce new branches and not put as much energy into top growth. Cleome is one of the plants that benefits from pinching. A genus of flowering plants, Cleome is related to nasturtium and cabbage. It is also known as "spider flower," for its wispy, spidery blooms. Begin pinching the tips of the cleome while it is young.

Things You'll Need

• Bag

Instructions

1. Use your index finger and thumb to pinch 1 inch off the tips of the stems. You can also use pruning shears or sharp scissors. Pinch the stem immediately above a leaf.

2. Pinch off dead and dying flowers during the growing season. Pinch these back the same as you do branch tips: to just above a leaf.

3. Place the pinched portions of the plants in a bag and dispose of them. If left lying on the soil they provide shelter and breeding areas for insects.

4. Water the cleome as you normally do, after pinching.

References

• Missouriplants.com: Cleome Spinosa L.
• North Carolina State University: Cleome Hasselrana
• Alabama Cooperative Extension: Pinching

Resources

• University of Illinois Extension: Pinching and Pruning