How to prune garland chrysanthemum 'shungiku'

Begin pinching shoot tips 4–5 weeks after sowing; harvest before flowers open for best flavor. Pinch or snip the top 5–8 cm of each stem with clean scissors just above a leaf node. New side shoots emerge within days and can be harvested repeatedly. Avoid leaving long bare stems.

Every 7–10 days during the productive growing period. Shungiku is harvested as a tender shoot-tip green, not pruned in a gardening sense. Regularly pinching the top 5–8 cm of each shoot delays bolting, promotes bushy growth, and keeps leaves mild and palatable. Once yellow flowers fully open and leaves turn bitter, the plant is spent — pull and compost it.

Pinch or snip the top 5–8 cm of each stem with clean scissors just above a leaf node. New side shoots emerge within days and can be harvested repeatedly. Avoid leaving long bare stems.