I have a few questions about desired max and min heights before the time comes to create new graphs for the season...

Our plants have consistently been about 3" short the last few years. I read that every 4-5 days you delay the pinch date adds another node, and that each internode adds about 1.0-1.5 inches to the final height. So I want to increase the number of nodes left at pinching to 7- up from 5 we have left in the past. Does this sound correct?

I would also like to change the desired heights to the follwing- 10" pots 23-26", 8" pots 18-21", and 6" 14-16". Is this in line with what everyone else is doing? We're measuring up from soil line, not the bottom of the container.

In the past, we have entered anywhere from Sept 15 to Sept 20 as the initiation date. Is this ok, or should we be counting back the response time in weeks from the natural flower date for each individual variety?

Hi Shannon - the number of nodes you are leaving at pinch is likely not the reason you are not achieving your desired finished height. The phase between pinch and flower initiation is what's called the vegetative growth phase. Most of the potential height is added during this time, after flower initiation the number of nodes is basically set. If you are pinching too close to flower initiation there isn't enough time for the plants to size before the plants initiate. To get more size you need to evaluate schedules and likely pinch earlier. This might also mean planting earlier so the plants are established well at pinch. While it seems like leaving more nodes and a higher pinch would result in more height, really it will only result in more branches and on most container sizes the number of branches produced from 7 nodes is more than the plant can support and stem breakage can often be an issue.

For more information on scheduling go to:

Crop Scheduling

Regarding ranges for final finished height, obviously it will vary depending on the market you are servicing but a general rule to begin with is that the final finished height should be 2 ½ times the diameter of the pots, including the height of the pot.
So for 6” – 15-17 (including the height of the pot)
8” – 20-22”
10” – 25”

Most cultivars have either a traditional initiation date which is approximately September 25th. These cultivars will be your mid and late season varieties. Your early season varieties typically initiate approximately September 15th. For initiation dates for all our cultivars go to:

Crop Information.

Hope this helps!

Very helpful, thanks!