You can prune/pinch it back until about mid-late July without delaying or flowering. Every time you pinch it, it will branch, resulting in more, but somewhat smaller, flower heads. Also, you can put the cuttings into moist but well-drained soil, keep watered, and they will easily root. You can make vast quantities of Sedum quickly by this method if you wish to. Hylotelphium, the perennial formerly known as Sedum? Is that anything like "The Artist formerly known as Prince?" So, the botanists are at work again. Didn't they go through some cycle a few years back when they renamed the common garden Chrysanthemum several times and finally went back to Chrysanthemum?

Chueh, I have the same problem with both of these plants. The coreopsis have about ten million dead heads once they finish blooming, as you probably know. If you sit there and patiently remove each one, it will bloom again. BUT, if you just grab handfulls of foliage and cut them back about a third, the plant looks better, but the chance of rebloom is slim to none. This is why I have completely removed all coreopsis from my garden except Zagreb in recent years, and the only reason that one stays is its good looking foliage. Rudbeckias, on the other hand are easier to deal with. When they come back next year, they are "new". When they get some good growth on them, how much depends on the variety, cut them back by half. This will cause them to bush out more, stay shorter (thus reducing the need to stake), and will increase the number of blooms. It also delays bloomtime, but that's not always a bad thing. On some, if you cut them back by about a third immmediately after they bloom, they will bloom a second time.

I find this one gets leggy, and refuses to stay put in a nice mound like Sedum 'Angelina' does. I have bits of this coming up all through my succulent bed. I don't think it is from seed, though, just broken bits. But I could be wrong! Also this one seems to be an aphid magnet, keep finding black aphids on the flower stems. Nothing a good spray of water won't solve, though.

I do have some C&S on hand, yes! 3 different kinds, in fact. This new hobby became an addiction quick, haha. They are all pretty much the same -- one's peat moss based and the other 2 are coco. 2 claim to have fertilizer beads that feed up to 3/6 months, but otherwise no major difference. That's so interesting.. I had no idea succulents could grow in straight inorganic matter. No wonder the nutrients really didn't matter, lol! I bought the Miracle Gro succulent food liquid pump for fertilizer that I will use when the season is right. Do plants actually know what season it is if they're always indoors under grow lights though? I don't get great light here unfortunately. I'm on a first floor apartment, north facing, with a building behind me blocking any "direct" sun it could get. They will always be inside. There is a humidifier nearby, but once spring/summer rolls around I'll have windows open more so it'll be natural humidity then. But yes - 2 is low. The meter is from 1 to 10. I'm starting to think the mix staying moist for too long, in addition to it not being gritty enough, was maybe due to the pot too... it definitely did stay moist longer than others I have in the same mix (terra cotta vs. ceramic, though)... it has a drainage hole, but it may need another. I might drill an extra in it to be on the safe side when I do re-pot with fresh soil. I worried about loving it to death, I've read so much about how many succulents will thrive on neglect. But you're right, the environment and so many other factors play a huge part. I can take care of fussy, drama queen calatheas but succulents are giving me a run for my money so far lol there will be much trial and error, I am sure. I'm so glad I joined this site though -- so, so informative. You've truly been such a great help! I'll have to post an update when it's time :)