How to prune skirret

Cut back dead top-growth in late winter or early spring before new shoots emerge; remove flower heads in summer if not saving seed. Cut dead or frost-killed stems to the ground with clean shears in late winter. In summer, snip flower stalks at the base as they emerge to keep energy in root development rather than seed set.

Once annually for winter cutback; as needed for flower stalk removal in summer. Skirret is a perennial root vegetable grown for its clusters of sweet, starchy roots. Above-ground pruning is minimal — cut back dead or frost-damaged foliage in late winter. Flowering stems can be removed to direct energy to root production if seed saving is not the goal. No complex pruning regimen required.

Cut dead or frost-killed stems to the ground with clean shears in late winter. In summer, snip flower stalks at the base as they emerge to keep energy in root development rather than seed set.