Is there a "guideline" for this? Or...to all plants benefit from pinching back? No, not all plants benefit from pinching back. This is especially true for any and all vegetables. As grandma44 said, tomato seedlings definitely do NOT benefit in any way and in fact, are harmed. Pruning/suckering a fully established tomato plant is one thing - a highly debated thing - but done by some depending on how the plant is supported. But doing any "pinching" of seedlings, regardless of type (determinate or indeterminate) is guaranteed to damage the plant and reduce your production. As to flowers: single stem plants - those where additional branches develop from the stem itself) - isn't recommended because you end up with a top heavy plant that the main stem cannot support, either physically or nutritionally. Plants that develop their other branches from the base of the plant (cluster growing plants such as herbs and low growing flowers) can be pinched but isn't required. There are many helpful posts here on "pinching plants" that a search will pull up for your review if you wish. Dave

I have about 30 trees planted in the ground and I choose to keep them compact. I prune them down to six feet in the fall and try not to let them get much over eight feet at harvest time. I pinch them quite a bit in the spring to control the growth and shape of my trees. does it give you better and faster ripening fruit? maybe but if for no other reason than controlling the shape and size of my trees it does work. the size of this years growth will get thicker and more buds will send out shoots to make the top of your tree bushy. that is what I want in my trees so I can reach every fig without using a latter. I chose to pinch my trees really hard this year and I'm glad I did.

We don't pinch our maters. Spose it is a good thing to do. We just let everything go and harvest all the maters at first frost. Bag them in paper sacks and store in a cool dark place. Pull a few out and set in a sunny warm location. Throughout the winter, green maters ripen into beautiful red sweet fruits. We have had fresh maters in March using this technique. We have saved probably 150 green maters in early Oct in a bag and used this method. Good luck from Omak Wa. Dave

Encyclopedia here! ROFL! Not so sure about being an encyclopedia, tho! An encyclopedia knows a little about a lot of things--I know a lot about a few things! But! What Digit said!!! You didn't get snaps from me at the swap, Kat! Don't know who might have brought them! All the snaps I have here are ones that come up "naturally" from seed that's dropped from the ones the year before! There were a couple by my front walk when I moved here--and now they're all over in both the front and back yards! If they come up somewhere where I want them I leave them there, if not I pull them out! I don't pinch anything, but if I were going to I'd do it early like Digit said. If you wait till they're more than a few inches high you'll just delay the blooming too much, IMO. If you cut the "near done" main flower stem all the way out, they should develop side shoots with more flowers--see Digit! [See Digit run! Look, Digit! Look and see!] But I'd add one caveat to that! If you want them to reseed like mine do, be sure you leave the seed develop and drop from at least a few plants. That means they may not bloom anymore, or very little, but if you cut the dead flowers off of ALL of them there won't be any seeds to keep them coming back. Digit grows "real" snaps, starting from seed indoors every year (you still selling them at market, Digit?), but if you want them "freestyle" like I do, just let seed drop and wait to see what you get next year! About your "problem," GG, I suspect it has nothing to do with "nutrition!" Look at your plants closely, "handle" the leaves that are curling up. Do your fingers get "rusty" looking??? Mine develop rust BADLY every year--mostly the ones in the front yard, but some in back too. I don't know if rust is your problem, but I'm guessing it's something like that, possibly mildew or something--insects/aphids/mites? I NEVER feed mine anything--rarely feed anything once it's planted out in the ground, and most "problems" are going to be caused by watering, disease, or insects. You could try feeding them (if they're in pots you probably should!), but (if they're in the ground) you'd probably be "helping" YOU more than the plants--making you feel like you were "fixing" them. When the rust gets really bad on mine, or when they're done/almost done blooming, whichever comes first, I just pull them out and they go directly in the trash--and I immediately wash the "rust" off of my hands--and arms--and legs!!! There are always a hundred more coming up all over. And whether I want them to or not, there are always some of them that go to seed--even when I'm pulling them out fast and furious! And there's always "old" seed still in the soil that will germinate somewhere down the road, even if none of the current ones did actually go to seed! But if this is the first year you have them you will need to let at least a few of the stems go to seed if you want them reseeding! When you look close, all touchy-feely, can you see anything that could be the problem? I LOVE the scent of snaps! When I was a kid my uncle, next door, grew "floral" snaps in his greenhouses, and I LOVED to go over there and sniff them! (The carnations too!!!) Snaps are easy! Don't over-think them! Just relax and enjoy them! Skybird