Your side laterals will develop after you take your pinch.

By the way, if you like the plant, and the flowers that will follow, you can take that pinch, take off most of the leaves leaving only 3 at the top of the cutting, and you can grow it on. At the end of the season you should have another tuber which will give you a plant next year. I suggest you use a sterile medium to start the pinched cutting in so that you wil have a better chance of it taking hold. If you need further information write to me and I will send you instructions. Good Luck !

Well Corgi (I used to have one ), I want to thank you first but I have been taking the extra shoots that two eyes have caused and just put them in the garden and they are growing with no roots or tubers! We have had two days of sun this month!! I am worried.

FWIW, I am not pinching this year. I'm curious to see the difference it makes. So far Sayonara, Mary Jo and China Doll have all had at least one bloom. Mary Jo has ~15 on one plant, so clearly not pinching doesn't prevent them from blooming a lot.

What is interesting is that many of my large varieties (both tall and AA) have blooms starting, which I feel is soon all things considered.

Cheers,
Russ