A Gardeners Forum Forums General Discussion The Plants and Flowers Forum Help me make cleome branch out

First off, My name is Scott. I'm a new gardener who just doesn't understand all the mumbo jumbo *LOL* of branching out. I just don't get it. I've read to pinch back when plants are young for best results. Some say not to pinch back cleome and others say do. I wish I knew what i was doing.

I DO NOT want this beautiful cleome to have one or two long stalks. I want more than that. Where do I cut? Am I supposed to cut off my only bloom I have now? I read that doing that is hard for gardeners because it's so pretty, but that it will be bushier in the long run. Both plants are about a foot tall with two main stalks on each. One has a bloom. Please just tell me where to make the cut.

Please help, as I am not afraid to cut it, just don't know where to cut to encourage new branches.

Here are the pictures (Cell phone pics so quality not good) Questions below pics.



On the pic above (showing the lavender blooms) If I just left this as is, wouldn't I have just two stalks with blooms? If so, I don't want that. I want more stalks. Say I left it alone, when would more stalks eventually come?




The pics are two different plants. Upon examining both have two main stalks as I call them. The third pic you just cant see it, as it is shorter than the other.

My wife and I are both new to gardening and just don't get it. Please, I have read and read and read and still confused. We know we want more branches. I definitely do not want just one/two stalks with blooms on top. Is it best to do this now so I can start out early at getting the effect we want?

Welcome Scott and Wife. Just top each main stem for further branching, below the top leaf cluster just above the next set of leaves down. Good luck.

You should never pinch more than a third of the plant, so I usually just pinch off the top portion down to the next set of leaves.