Can you prune your chrysanthemums

Garden chrysanthemums-late or otherwise come back year after year. The key to keeping them looking good is cutting them back. If you're too softhearted to prune, your chrysanthemums will bloom twice-in spring and autumn. However, they'll have long, floppy stems with pitiful little flowers. In late winter, cut dead stems to the ground. New leaves will sprout from underground roots. In mid spring, when chrysanthemums fill out with leaves and flower buds, shear plants down to 8 inches tall. Around the Fourth of July, prune and shape them by pinching off soft green stem tips. Test to make sure you're tipping only soft tissue by pinching the stems with your fingernails, and take off only that pliable part of the stem. Then, let the mums grow. They'll develop flower buds for brilliant bloom when you want it, in late autumn.