It would help to know what type of St John's wort you have - there's many different species and hybrids - but now is not a good time to prune any of the shrubby forms.....unless you don't mind losing any more flowers for this season :-) There really isn't a step-by-step involved. Prune the entire plant back to a few inches from the ground each year in late winter or early spring. The groundcover form can be pruned back at any time and often is done multiple times a season to keep its aggressiveness in check and to remove rust damaged foliage, which is a huge problem in many areas.

I think early spring would be best, but after flowering would be second choice. We got a bunch of them donated for the GNPS sale and I had to whack them back hard. They responded well to that (Feb/Mar). The bark is very nice; this plant needs more exposure in the public. Maybe if I give bobbygil a small one he will upgrade my sandwich to a combo.

Ginseng: Seeds need to be stratified. After collecting the fruit in autumn, dig a hole in a well-drained, shady area about 30cm deep and 1 metre wide. Line the sides and bottom with rocks or bricks. Line the bottom with 2cm sand, then 2cm of seeds, then another layer of sand. Repeat layers as required, ending with sand, and cover the whole with a sheet of plywood. Leave for up to 18 months, but at least 90 days, keeping them cold and moist. Plant seeds or roots in autumn or winter. Plant them about 5-10mm deep, and cover with leaf mulch about 2cm thick. Do not allow the seeds to dry out. Germination may take a year or more. Plant produces seed when the plant has grown 2 prongs (or leaves), at about 3-4 years. The plant will add a third prong when 5-9 years old. Grows best in cool, shaded hardwood forests. The plant lies dormant for some years and does not grow new tops every year. One-year-old plants have 3 leaflets, resembling a strawberry plant. In the second year it usually has 5 leaflets, and in the following years it begins to branch out with 2, 3 or 4 prongs with 3-5 leaflets in each prong. Prefers a soil with pH 5.0-6.5. St. John's Wort: Propagate by seed sown in spring in a sandy medium, runners in autumn, softwood cuttings in late spring or early summer, or division in spring. Ideal temperature for seeds is 20C, and germination is slow. Seeds should be just barely covered. They are slow and irregular to germination and may take from 30-90 days. Water seeds once or twice a day until they germinate, then transplant to the garden. Will grow in most well-drained soils and full sun or dappled shade. Succeeds in dry soils. It is a short-lived plant, although it can grow rapidly, and should be replaced every 5-6 years. Rarely needs pruning, but deadwood should be removed in spring if necessary. NB. St. John's Wort is a declared noxious weeds in many areas. Check with your local authorities to see if you aren't breaking any laws by growing it.

That sounds wonderful! I would appreciate it so much! I have tried to go online and find it also. Purchased some seeds, but they did not grow. :( Please let me know and I can send you something in return! Thank you in advance!