Question
i moved in 2005 but loved a rose of sharon bush i had at my old house so i collected some seeds before i left. i planted them last year and three have grown to about 8 inches but are very spindly looking. looks fragile. can i pinch part of the top off so that it will get bushier instead of taller right now?? thanks for any help you can give me.

Answer
Hi Jackie,
Thanx for your question.  If you are growing the seedlings indoors, take them outside and place them in the shade for about 10 days.  After that, plant them in the desired location and let them soak up as much of the natural sun as possible.  In the meantime, water them with a gallon of water each week.  You can pinch off the growing end to encourage bushing out but I would let them get 2 or 3 feet tall before I'd start doing that.  I hope this helps.
Tom