That's true Ken, about whether it comes true from seed, but I don't have any other dianthus for it to interact with, and do I care if it comes true from seed? Actually - now that I think of it, I started these from seeds someone gave me from GW years ago. So that might be an indicator that they do. Thanks!

You could just do it with shears. You might lose a few buds but it would be fast and would encourage side shoots hence thickening up clumps. Helps prevent splaying too.

Yes, the shears make quick work. I have some plants that I deadhead a couple times a season like that. First I'll pinch them off, then as more and more go to seed I take the shears to them.

That sounds like a good alternative. Thanks for that suggestion.

None of my shears work on dianthus for some reason, but I grab hunks and lop tops off with my fellow pruners. Very fast.

I was going to say, I just tried to use my shears on something else and they seem to be so dull they wouldn't cut, so yes, the pruners would be faster than picking them off individually.

I sharpened all my shears thinking thst was the problem but it’s more the softness of the stems?? It sparked a discussion here of how one needs shears, snips, pruners specific to each hedge and plant!

Thanks for letting me know that, kitasei2. I would have spun my wheels trying to get them sharpened. Sure, I guess they would work fine on my boxwood. I'll try that. But grass is what I tried cutting with them. I guess that would have to be scissors then. [g]

I paid to have my shears sharpened. As soon as I brought them home they were fantastic for cutting anything resembling soft butter. Anything harder than that was a no-go.

|:-[

It seems it’s not just the sharpness of the blades but the distance between them - which may be adjusted by that screw? Professional sharpening sometimes removes too much.

Hedge shears, not pruning shears (which I would call secateurs). They work fine on soft foliage even when wet. I use them on all low mounding plants: dianthus, herbs, grass, anything.