Do not pinch the cushion mums. The standards or exhibition varieties should be grown to not more than 3 stems by removing all side shoots after the first pinch. Since the latter type will grow tall, it is suggested they be supported. Staking is desirable for all except the cushions. Of course, full sun in the daytime, but shade for an artificially long night.
Chrysanthemums normally bloom in the fall.
By control of flowering conditions, the grower can duplicate early days of fall to hasten blooming by shading in order to have blooms by an early show date. Hormones are present in low concentrations in early autumn. When nights become long, a hormone which initiates bud formation builds in the growing tips. We shade to speed up the bud formation to have blooms early in the fall. Yes, the leaves of some varieties are used for tea and can typically be found in oriental food shops.