Summarize the following:
Sterilizing your pruning equipment is particularly important if you have dealt with some diseased plant parts recently. This will prevent any lingering bacteria or germs from unintentionally being spread throughout the garden. Prune sunflowers with sharp bypass hand pruners or hedge shears. Trim any sick, weak, damaged, crossing, or dead branches off of your plant before starting into any sort of heavy pruning operation. Diseased parts should be kept out of the compost bin to prevent the ailment in question from being transmitted to any other plants. These bits of debris will instead need to be burned or bagged up and left for the local waste crews to collect. Once you have cut away all of the unhealthy branches, you can choose to prune your perennial sunflowers for shape. Some people prefer to only prune away damaged parts of the plant so that their sunflowers can take on a more wild look. Water the sunflowers regularly after pruning to help them recover from the stress of being trimmed back. Give them enough water to thoroughly soak the soil every time the top inch of the soil becomes dry.
Sterilize all pruning equipment prior to use. Trim away unhealthy parts of the plant first. Prune your perennials so that they take on the desired shape. Water your plants after you prune them.