Growing Dahlias: How and Why to Pinch Your Plants
To pinch or not to pinch? If that is your question, we say pinch! Though dahlias will grow just fine on their own, one little pinch will give you a stronger, bushier plant with more flowers. This holds true whether you are growing border dahlias, dinnerplates or decoratives.
When to Do It. The best time to pinch a dahlia is when it’s between 12″ and 16″ tall and has at least 4 sets of leaves on the center stalk. At this point the plant is growing rapidly and will quickly recover from being pinched.
How to Do It. Locate the upper-most sprout on the main stem and remove it with your fingers or a pair of scissors. Take care not to damage the stem or nearby leaves. In the photo above, you would pinch out the narrow, upright bud that’s located between the top two leaves.
One week after being pinched.
Why to Do It. Removing the plant’s terminal bud will stimulate lateral buds (lower on the stem) to develop into new stems. Where the sprout was removed, the plant will generate two shoots rather than one.
Above: 3 weeks after being pinched.
Pinching temporarily redirects the plant’s energy toward producing stems and leaves rather than buds. It will take an extra week or two to get flowers, but it’s definitely worth the wait. Your plants will be stronger, fuller and easier to manage. Plus, all those additional growth points will give you many more flowers. A benefit you’ll still be enjoying in October.
During the summer and early fall, when your plants are in full bloom, cutting flowers for bouquets has the same beneficial effect as pinching. It keeps the plants bushy and stimulates more bud production. Removing spent flowers — or deadheading — does the same thing and also helps the plants look their best.
To learn more about growing dahlias, you may want to read: How to Pinch and Stake Dahlias or All About Dahlias.
This is great information! I just purchased 9 dahlias (still sitting in the box on my table), and I have never grown them before, so I’m learning a lot! Please also send instructions for what to do in the fall – Do I need to dig them up before winter? And if so, when? I’m in zone 5/6 (Cleveland, OH).
Hi DJ — You have a fun adventure ahead! We have an article on our website about how to dig and overwinter dahlia tubers. You can find it HERE.
Have gardened over 30 years, however new this year to Dahlias. This is the very best information. Any information for novices is so appreciated, and I’m certain there are many of us.
Hi Paula, Glad you are giving dahlias a try! I also came to them late in my gardening life and that may be why I find them so remarkable. They give a lot for very little effort. Enjoy!
Hey there! Living in Cleveland, I remove the dahlia plant & tuber about October/November. This year was the first year I actually had a dahlia plant/tuber survive the winter & rebloom this season. (Apparently I didn’t remove the whole tuber.) I’m guessing it’s because we had such a mild winter. Dahlias are GREAT!!!
Hi Lauren — Dahlias do often come back in zone 7 if the winter is mild, the tubers are deep and the soil is well drained. I would intentionally give it a try this winter — but dig up your favorites just in case it doesn’t work! Nothing predictable about weather… or gardening. Keeps it interesting!
My leaves turn a light green in August and wondering if I am watering too much?
Hi Susan — Some of my dahlias are doing the same thing. Where I live (New England) it has been a very wet year — especially during June when the plants were developing their root systems. Dahlias definitely do not like to be overly wet and yellowed leaves can be a sign of overwatering. Cutting back on watering is a good strategy. There’s more than a month of dahlia season to come, so hopefully they will grow past the issue!
The yellowing that I see appears here and there, pretty randomly. I am attributing it to a couple things: Wetness (wet weather compounded by heavy soil) and am also thinking some of my tubers may have been planted too deeply (which would make the wetness problem worse).
I started my dahlias in the house. They are very tall and thin. This week I planted them outdoors. Can I cut them down to give them more volume. I had to attach them to a stick? I have several types. Previous years I planted them directly outdoors. They bloomed late so I was hoping for an earlier bloom.
Hi – Yes! Pinch off the tops of the stems, leaving at least 3 or 4 leaf nodes below (see the photo in the blog post). This will stimulate extra leaves to be pushed out at each of the remaining nodes.
Hi there,
Do I pinch just the center stalk or the surrounding stalks as well?
Thanks!
Hi Jill, Pinching the main stem is usually all that’s necessary. If there are a couple vigorous side stems, sometimes I pinch those, too. The more stems you pinch, the bushier the plant will be. Each type of dahlia has a slightly different growth habit. Some are naturally more upright and some are naturally more bushy. It’s sort of a judgement call. Also remember that once the plant begins to bloom and you start cutting stems, you’ll also be doing plenty of “pruning”. If your plants are healthy and happy, it’s hard to go wrong with dahlias!
Thank you! We’ve only recently begun pinching our plants and I guess got a little over excited. We did pinch the side stalks on every plant so we’ll see what happens. Looking forward to seeing our beauties soon!
Mine are blooming under the foliage…can I just trim foliage back?
Hi Ellen – The dahlias that we offer are grown from tubers. If this is the type you are growing (as opposed to a seed-grown dahlia which will naturally have a bushier form), I recommend cutting the stems of those early flowers right back to the main stalk. This will encourage the plant to make longer stems.
[…] Once your dahlias are about 10 inches tall, you can apply a balanced fertilizer every two to three weeks throughout the growing season. When Dahlias reach a foot in height and have at least four sets of mature leaves on the center stem, pinch the center stem back to the newest leaves for a bushier plant. […]
Hi how often do I have to water my dahlia plants?
Hi – Keep the soil on the dry side until the tubers have sprouted. Then water as needed, depending on the weather. Dahlias do not like soggy soil, so avoid overwatering. If you do water, water deeply and focus the moisture at the soil level so the foliage stays dry. Generally, you can treat dahlias as you do other flowering annuals and perennials.
[…] to make bushier plants, that in turn produce more branches and more blooms. Here’s a great resource on how exactly to go about doing […]
My daliars in the green house have developed very big leaves
Can l take them off and let the rest develope
I may have stopped them to soon
Hi Arthur – Lots of people are having the same problem this year due to the weather. You can keep the plants from getting too tall by pinching out the centers of the stems as shown in the article. It will give you bushier plants. Most full size dahlias benefit from being staked, so if the plants are tall, you can stake them as soon as you transplant.
It’s a cinch to pinch.
With four sets of leaves.
Just grab the small center.
When they grow near your knees.
The plant will recover
With gusto and strength
More flowers will come
With a much preferred length.
Hi Kent – love this. Thank you for sharing. Hope your dahlias bloom beautifully this summer.
My 36″ dahlia plants are 36 inches tall and never been pinched. What to I do now?
Hi Clara – once your plant starts blooming, you can cut some nice long stems and shorten it that way!
Several of my flowers don’t have petals in the very center, it’s like they open up too early and expose the pollen right away, it really detracts from the appearance, it’s not the variety causing this as I have two or three plants of the same variety and the others have nice full blossoms.
Hi Kristine – I occasionally see this in my own dahlias. It can be a sign of stress due to temperature or moisture and may indicate that this plant has a damaged or inferior root system. I would cut it back hard, fertilize and see if it produces some normal flowers. Deformed flowers may also indicate the plant has a dahlia virus. Dahlias are susceptible to a number of different types of viruses. The only way to get a definitive diagnosis of dahlia virus is in a lab, but indications include yellow-mottling in the leaves, deformed leaves, buds and flowers, and stunted growth. Washington State University in southeastern Washington is a leader in research on dahlia virus. You can learn more about it (and see photos) HERE. Virus infects the entire plant, including the tubers. If virus is suspected, the recommendation is to pull and destroy the plant.
Hi if I planted the tip that is pinched off would I get that to root for a further plant any help would be appreciated
Thanks
Hi Ian, I know many people grow dahlias from cuttings, but I don’t have any personal experience with it. Usually the cutting are sprouts that are taken from a mother plant. We have an article about how that’s done on our website HERE. The American Dahlia Society has an article about growing dahlias from cuttings, HERE. And this article from England looks especially helpful: The Growing World of Dahlias. Good luck!
I started my plants inside but only planted them 2 inches deep. Now they are tall and spindly. Can I plant them deeper if I move them to a new pot? Will it cause the plant to die? OR CAN I PINCH THEM BACK TO MAKE THEM BUSH OUT MORE?
Hi Sue – The crown of a dahlia (where tubers meet the stem) should not be deeper than 2″. You CAN pinch those plants back and it’s actually a good strategy for encouraging a bushier growth habit. Just pinch off the leggiest part of the stem, leaving three leaf nodes behind.
This is such a helpful site! Thank you for sharing. I’m also new to growing Dahlias & I started several indoors. One of my tubers has 4 sprouts about 5 inches tall. Can I leave all 4, or should I choose 1 or 2 and remove the others? Thanks, Lou
Hi Lou – I know some dahlia growers recommend allowing each plant to have only one or two main stalks. But I never do that. Mostly because I am the world’s most reluctant pruner. So my only experience is with letting all the sprouts grow. I’m guessing I may get longer stems if I were to limit the stalks, but I may never know… If you experiment, please leave a comment here and let us know what you learn.
One of my dahlias has lots of stems like maybe 15 or 20 should I remove some of just leave it. Its probably 10 inches tall now. I did take about 10 off already for cuttings so the 20ish are what’s left. It has no buds at the moment.
Hi Karen – Wow! That is a lot of growth from one clump of roots. Most people just let their plants go and don’t cut off any of the primary stems. But as with most things gardening, there are different schools of thought about how many stems to allow. Factors to consider include the size of the plant/clump, the variety, the growing conditions and your goals. So unfortunately I don’t think you will find any hard and fast rules. If you do some experimenting, please come back and let us know what you find out.
Thank you for the very helpful information! I’m new to dahlias and i planted a Figaro mix a little too early so it has been slow to gain height. However it is branching out and has lateral leaves and buds already at only about 6 inches tall. This morning I saw that the main bud was browning before it bloomed and without thinking because I was deadheading the other plants I pinched it off. Oops! Do you think this will further stunt the growth of the plant?
Hi Abby – probably a good thing to have pinched it off. It will keep the plant focused on filling out. There’s lots of growing season left and in most places, dahlias don’t really hit their stride until late June.
Thank you so much Kath! I really appreciate your input!
I am growing my Dahlia in containers starting from tubers and I have noticed 2-3 shoots in each container. Shall I leave only 1 shoot in each container or shall I keep all growing shoots?
Thank you!
Hi – Like most things in gardening, there are different schools of thought about this. Personally, I let all the shoots develop. I would think that in a container, a full, bushy plant with multiple stems is better than a very tall plant with a single stem. Hope this helps.
Very useful suggestions.
I bought a Dhalia plant in a pot which is bushy, lot of stems and lot of buds on it. In the four days that I bought, several flowers have bloomed, nice bright red color but change color very quickly in 2 days to light shade and look as if they will fall soon.
How many days can we expect the flowers to stay on the plant before they shrivel and can we do anything to keep them longer on the plant and can I leave the plant in the same pot? Plant is about 24 inches height and pit is about 14 inches height.
Many thanks.
Hi – Depending on the variety and the weather, once a dahlia flower opens it typically lasts 3 to 5 days. Many varieties change color over time, with the blossoms starting out more intense and getting lighter as they mature. When the flowers wilt, cut off the flower and part of the stem to encourage more blooms and keep the plant looking neat. If you are growing a full size dahlia that will get to be 3 to 4 feet tall, your pot should be 18-24″ across and 14-18″ deep. Bigger is always better — for the plant and for the gardener. The bigger the pot, the less often you’ll need to water. But daily watering will probably be necessary anyway. Your dahlia may need to be staked as well — depending on how much wind you get. Enjoy!
Thank you so much for getting back. Much appreciated.
Thanks for the info! I was wondering how delayed the blooming would be after pinching. If it’s only 2 weeks I guess its worth it. I pinched one and not the other just to study and see. I have 2 stems with few leaves on them now. I’m really looking forward to the blooms that’s why I was afraid to pinch one.
Hi Clayton – Pinching is hard in the short run, but good in the long run. Your dahlias should bloom right through September, so keep the long view! It’s difficult to wait for that first flower. Exactly when it appears will depend on the weather, the plant’s vigor and the variety. Enjoy!
Thank you for this great info! I pinched all of my Dahlias after the 4th set of leaves. I left one unpinched to compare. Now the unpinched stem looks strong and healthy and is about to bloom. The pinched ones are shorter and are not showing any signs of blooming soon. Pls help. Is there anything I should do now? I water daily and fertilized last week. Or is it just me being inpatient. Thank you!!
Hi – Pinching sets the plants back about 2 weeks. Once they catch up they should produce more flowers overall. Great that you are experimenting! Let us know how it works out.
Awesome! Thank you so much for the quick reply!! Much appreciated!
Thanks for the great article! I have transplanted dahlia seedlings but they are quite tall and leggy as a result of indoor growing. Should I pinch them or let them settle after being planted? They are a taller variety and wondering if they will come right on their own perhaps? They are only about 4 or 5 inches tall. Alternatively can one bury some of the stem below the ground?
Hi Michael, It’s good to pinch your dahlias when they are about 8″ tall (the plants should have 2 or 3 pairs of true leaves). This will encourage branching, which will make the plants sturdier and encourage more stems. Don’t plant the stem below the soil. Tomatoes can grow roots on their stems, but this doesn’t work for dahlias. I usually position the crown of the plant (just above the tubers and below the stems) about an inch below soil level. Once the plant is growing strongly, you can hill up 2-3 inches of soil around the base to help provide some extra support.
I am brand new to growing dahlias. I planted last year and the center stalk kept growing with only leaves. The center stalk is now about 4.5 feet tall! I got one flower this year. What do I do about the center stalk? Can/should I cut it down. It looks kind of funny. The center stalk is super tall and only the last 2 feet or so has leaves.
Hi – Dahlias benefit from being pinched, as it says in this article. If you don’t pinch the plant early, it can develop one tall, hollow stalks with few side branches. You don’t say where you are located or what growing zone you are in. If you cut off the stalk now, there may not be enough time for the plant to recover and bloom. Cutting the main stalk back to 8″ tall will encourage it to bush out and produce more branches and more flowers.
I just got my first large dalia and I’m not sure if it needs sun,shade or partial, I got it from a grower and I have never seen a Dalia that big and gorgeous I don’t want to harm my plant so I’m not planting it until I hear from you
Hi – Dahlias need lots of sun to flower their best. But they don’t like hot weather. So in a climate like yours, the plant will probably prefer some afternoon shade. You may find it struggles and stops blooming in the hottest part of the summer, but it should revive and bloom again as fall approaches and the weather starts to cool down.
I forgot to tell you I live in Kemp Texas zone 8
Hi, I’m in England and it’s my first attempt at growing from tubers. Of the 9 planted there are 7 that have lots of healthy green shoots and I will follow your advice to pinch these out. Do you have any idea why the other 2 simply haven’t worked? Is that normal or have I done something wrong?! It’s a real learning curve and your advice on here is absolutely brilliant!
Hi Mandy – Dahlia clumps form “eyes” or growth points toward the end of the summer. It’s difficult to see these eyes until they sprout the following spring. It’s possible those two tubers were lacking eyes — in which case they would be unable to produce a sprout. Sometimes dahlia tubers are very slow to sprout, so don’t give up too soon. If the soil is too moist and cool, the tubers can also rot before they are able to sprout. In my experience, it’s not unusual to have a few clumps that don’t grow — for one reason or another. You are right that growing dahlias is an adventure!
I tried pinching my dahlias back and I got very little flowers 🙁 I just let them do their thing and get a whole lot of blooms.
Hi – Dahlias are the most unpredictable plants I’ve ever grown. How they perform depends on many factors, so it’s dangerous to make sweeping recommendations, but in most cases, pinching is a good thing. Do what works best for you. You can learn more about what makes dahlias so idiosyncratic in this article: Can Dahlias Change Color?
I have a dozen dinner plate dahlias that I bought from a nursery. They are growing well, about 16 inches tall and ready for me to pinch them off. My question is this: the lowest leaves are absolutely massive. They are laughably large, and as a result, there they are flapping on the ground or close to it. Should I cut these lowest leaves off? I would be concerned about them picking up any form of rot, or even bugs from their contact with the ground. Should I, perhaps, cut those leaves off at the same time I pinch off the center stem? Or do each at different times? Thank you.
Hi – After many years of growing dahlias, I’m convinced there are few definitive answers when it comes to growing them. There are just too many variables. But here’s what I think. While the plant is young, those outsized leaves are exactly what the plant needs to fuel rapid growth. Early in the growing season, the tubers are developing the root system they will need to sustain a 3 to 4 foot plant that’s pumping out dozens of blooms. So I would go ahead and pinch, but leave the big leaves attached for awhile. After another month or so, when the plant has plenty of other foliage, you could remove some of those lower leaves. I don’t do that myself, but then I don’t prune my tomatoes either. Removing those lower leaves would increase air circulation and that’s almost always a good thing.
can you pinch the plant too early, I had only 2 sets of leaves and i pinched the center out?
Hi – not sure as I have not done that myself. But dhlias have a strong will to grow, so I’m guessing the plant will be fine. Once the roots get established, it will probably send up additional shoots from the base of the plant.
I didn’t know about pinching when I planted my tubers. I had my first big bloom open last week. The bloom came from the center stalk. I cut the bloom stem at its base and have two branches on each side, plus other stems branching off the main stalk.
I can tell the five buds on it now will be producing smaller blooms from now on.
From the dirt to the top bloom is 4 ft. Tall. The center stalk is 25” tall from the dirt to where my first cut was. I live in Birmingham, AL and it’s in the low 90’s. I don’t know if it is too late to pinch and I’m not sure where I would need to. Several of the lower leaves got crispy brown while I was out of town. I have removed them.
Do I leave it alone of make a deep cut? And if so, where exactly?
Hi Cindy – Don’t worry too much about the pinching. Many people don’t pinch their dahlias at all! Each variety has a different growth habit and there are usually variations even within each variety. Sometimes tubers will send up one thick stalk. Sometimes they will send up 3 or 4 smaller stalks. It all seems to work out. Just let the plant bloom, cut lots of stems for bouquets, keep the plant deadheaded and watered. Here’s an article that may be helpful: Tips for Growing Dahlias in Hot Climates.
I pinched mine at the correct time. About a month and a half later I have tons of new growth but no blooms. Or buds. How come?
Hi Gina – dahlias can be very fickle. When the growing conditions are not to their liking (too hot, too color, too wet or too dry) they can refuse to bloom. I have had some years with very few flowers and others with tons. As the weather begins to cool down you may find they become more enthusiastic about flowering.
Very helpful–I have over 30 dahlias growing in several gardens and I will be pinching them all!