On 6/2/2009 4:45 PM, Connecticut wrote:
When removing blossoms to aid plant growth, is it O.K. to cut them off
or should they be plicked off by hand?

In general, just cut them off. For low-growing plants with many flowers
(e.g., cottage pinks, candytuft), you can even use grass shears.

I know of only one plant in my garden -- Alstroemeria -- for which the
recommendation is not to cut but to pull. When a shoot is through
blooming, I give it a steady pull (not a sudden tug) and pull the entire
shoot out of the ground. Sunset recommends this as something that will
promote the growth of new flowering shoots. I experimented with cutting
the top off the shoot. The shoot did not grow any side shoots and
eventually yellowed and withered. I did indeed get more flowers when I
pulled out the old shoots.

--
David E. Ross
Climate: California Mediterranean
Sunset Zone: 21 -- interior Santa Monica Mountains with some ocean
influence (USDA 10a, very close to Sunset Zone 19)
Gardening diary at http://www.rossde.com/garden/diary