Cut back pikake plants to control their growth during their non-blooming period in winter, from November to January. Using a hedge trimmer or pruning shears, cut branches back along all edges of the bush to a desired size. Pikake can be cut back severely and still recover. This may be necessary if you are growing a large crop and need to ensure spacing between plants.
Apply fertilizer at the time of winter pruning to encourage new growth, using a balanced fertilizer or one with 10 parts Nitrogen, 30 parts Phosphorus and 10 parts Potassium, to encourage flower production.
Prune plants to encourage lateral branching in spring and summer. This helps increase flowering since buds appear at the terminals of branches. Pruning is not essential for significant flower production. Other methods help as well. Removing some leaves also improves flower production.
Rejuvenate aging plants by cutting back them back to 2 feet, ideally in winter. Pikaka plants are very resilient and can recover after being cut back severely.