How to prune sweet annie

Pinch out tips in late spring for bushy growth; harvest in late summer just before full flower. Pinch growing tips when plants reach 30–40 cm to encourage side branching. Harvest by cutting stems at the base or just above a leaf node with sharp shears just as buds open. Bundle and hang upside down in a dry, airy spot to dry.

One pinch in spring; harvest once in late summer (annual — no ongoing pruning cycle). Sweet Annie is a fast-growing annual reaching up to 2 m, and pinching back early encourages a branched, bushier plant rather than a single tall spike. Harvest stems just as flower buds begin to show colour in late summer for peak fragrance and, if used medicinally, for highest artemisinin content. Once harvested or after hard frost, the plant is spent — it does not regrow.

Pinch growing tips when plants reach 30–40 cm to encourage side branching. Harvest by cutting stems at the base or just above a leaf node with sharp shears just as buds open. Bundle and hang upside down in a dry, airy spot to dry.