'Chelsea Chop'

I don't really understand what this is .

So my Rudbeckia Goldsturm - if I want later, more, smaller flowers then I chop it back by half? Is this what the Chelsea Chop is?

 

Yeah, that's the plan.
Dont ask me what plants it works with though.

I would think there must be some that dont respond well to it,
and it is getting a bit late now.

 

Normally done mid May the idea being to encourage flowering at the back end of the summer. I have done it in the past with a few things including the large Sedums, now called Hylotelephium).
Yes it worked as they can get quite leggy and are also brittle so making them a bit shorter did help.
Problem I have is I think about it get busy with other stuff and don't remember in time.

 

I am not sure what else benefits from the chop, I left my Sedums and now are very tall. It is supposed to be done Chelsea Flower Show time, ie near the end of May. Might be too late to cut mine back now, may try next year, if I remember!!