Dianthus cuttings - to pinch or not?

Johnny Crosby

Hi. A few months back I took cuttings from different varieties of Pinks by pushing the cuttings straight into the surrounding soil. Some of them like those pictured have really grown upwards but with no side growths. Is it worth pinching them out at this stage of the year or should I leave them to face the winter without any trauma? Thank you.

Fairygirl

They need to produce root systems, so I would make sure they have that first. Difficult when they're in the ground though, as it takes longer. 
However, I wouldn't bother pinching out anything apart from any flowering stalks they produce, as you don't want them putting energy into that when they're tiny. They're naturally bushy plants though, so don't need much attention 
They do need well drained soil though, so it might be better to lift and pot them for winter. That also makes it easier for them to get their roots well developed, and helps avoid any fine roots getting waterlogged.