1st year.......don't take..........any flowers, cut the flower down to the bottom.........also any times they come....they take away from the root............2nd year take a few............3rd year harvest 8 to 10 weeks.......................for now when the sun goes down and the plants cool off.......mix up 2 tablespoons dawn & 1 qt of water and spray.............spray again after a rain, spray the ground around it...........ants don't like it they will move on...............if you live where it goes below 32.............cover it with hay for the winter.......