Pinching, Pruning & Everything In-Between

We’re about to undermine every teacher who told you it was polite to keep your hands to yourself but, the truth is, pinching is important. Well, at least it is when it comes to gardening.

Growing hydroponically is all about achieving the biggest yield possible by removing the things that you can’t control (soil) and replacing them with ones you can (media + nutrient).

Pinching and pruning your plants is an extension of this because it’s a technique that trains your plants to grow how YOU want them to, not how they are biologically programmed to.

Pinching or pruning your plants is a fairly simple process that involves removing straggly limbs, vines, flowers and foliage. In some cases, pruning is more intensive and removes entire tree branches.

Both soil and hydroponic gardeners are encouraged to practice this method because it not only re-directs growth patterns and foliage density, but it also improves the overall health and quality of fruits and vegetables.

Perhaps one of the most attractive benefits to pinching and pruning plants is that it allows growers to utilise all the available space they have. Regardless of whether you’re growing on multiple acres or 200sqm, pruning and pinching means gardening is accessible to you.

The tried and proven logic behind plant pinching and pruning makes sense. Your plants can’t prioritise where their energy goes so they direct it to EVERYTHING.

When you remove underperforming flowers and foliage, you remove their burden on your plants. This means your grow can direct all of its attention to developing crops that excel when it comes time to harvest.

When we advise gardeners to undertake this practice, they generally report fewer individual fruits/flowers, but the yields they do have far exceed expectations both in flavour and size.

Now, the exact process for pinching and pruning varies from plant to plant. We’ll cover a few common examples but if you’d like more information on a variety we have not covered, feel free to reach out to our friendly team on 1800 640 222.