Is it pinching or clipping? (growing, grass, cilantro, trees)

[mitopcat]

I have a few indoor herb plants. They're almost a few months old but they are pretty weak and are starting to brown a little. Today, I started to remove the brown, dead leaves and branches, but also started clipping from other longer greener branches. I know some plants to promote growth, you pinch the ends and others you clip.

I have cilantro and sage. Both are doing pretty well but I'd like them to be a little more fuller, healthy.

I also want to get some lavender to surprise my sister when she has her house warming party. The area around her house is pretty baron and most of the plants there will need to be removed. Once we do, she'll have two decent trees and grass. Is it the same for lavender as other herbs; as far as clipping or pinching?

[TinaMcG]

Originally Posted by mitopcat

I have a few indoor herb plants. They're almost a few months old but they are pretty weak and are starting to brown a little. Today, I started to remove the brown, dead leaves and branches, but also started clipping from other longer greener branches. I know some plants to promote growth, you pinch the ends and others you clip.

I have cilantro and sage. Both are doing pretty well but I'd like them to be a little more fuller, healthy.

I also want to get some lavender to surprise my sister when she has her house warming party. The area around her house is pretty baron and most of the plants there will need to be removed. Once we do, she'll have two decent trees and grass. Is it the same for lavender as other herbs; as far as clipping or pinching?

Harvest your herbs and use them. That should do it. Use a scissors, it's easy.

[no kudzu]

You say tomato, I say tomato- doesn't matter what you call it. taking out the growing end of any plant will encourage growth around that removal place and will make the plant bushy.

[oregonwoodsmoke]

Leggy indoor herbs. They need more light.

[J&Em]

I must have missed this when I was away but I'm wondering if the OP actually did not understand that "pinching" does not mean the same as when kids "pinch" each other to inflict pain! Just in case, if that was the case.....

The full term is "pinch off" but most gardeners have gotten lazy with the term and just say "pinch." It comes from the fact that most often one uses a thumb and forefinger to grab the tip of a plant and then uses their fingernails to sever that top most growth. It does not mean squeeze until it is mushy between your two fingers. Can you tell I've had that question before? LOL

OP the acts of clipping, pinching, sheering are all similar but can have different meaning depending on a plant.

I "pinch back" or "pinch off" new growth at the tips of a plant to promote new growth from below that point. I will do this with some herbs and with Chrysanthemums to make them bushier and prevent early budding/blooming.

I "clip" the new growth on my basil to prevent it from bolting and going to flower. Usually this mean longer pieces are cut off with some implement from a set of sheers to a pruner.

I "sheer back" my dianthus when they are almost done blooming. This means I take a pair of sheers and cut all the bloom stems off close to the green leaves, or maybe even cut a few of the taller green leaves so that the plant will bloom again. This is often done to get a plant to look neat and to re-bloom.