pinching out and dead-heading annuals

berarde

Is it better to pinch out the tips of most annuals? I sowed some blue convolvulus which have grown rather leggy. I also find calendula get too long and flop around as did some Californian poppies. 
Also when dead heading the plant doesn't seem to break out new growth down below, so the just get longer stemmed with some flowers at the  end, which starts to look messy.

should I be pinching out and should i cut some plants back in the hope that they will give bushy growth from the bottom? 

Ceres

It's a good idea to pinch out plants in the early stages of growth so that they bush out nicely though not all plants will co-operate and insist on going for the tall and thin look. Dead heading won't make a plant produce growth from the base though it will make it produce more flowers.....it needs to make seed so if the flowers are removed it will produce more in order to fulfil its destiny.

Annuals are coming to the end of their lifespan so they are unlikey to do anything spectacular between now and the rapidly approaching autumnal mists but next year you can start all over again and make the things grow the way you want them to.