Amano has long tried to advocate trimming skills, as have most in Japanese gardening, bonsai etc. I think many aquatics are rather timid with their aquatic plants while the hedge outside they break out the serious trimmers!

But the reality is that we can trim these plants the same way.

Before:



After:



It does take a few weeks, maybe 2-4 to grow in nicely, but it's much like shaping and trimming hedges which can take months before they no longer look ratty.

Still, plants grow back in really fast if you keep good CO2/nutrients.

Here's some HC trimmed to the bone:



And after 4-5 weeks:


You do not have to uproot etc, just trim with scissors well. Take the time to do it slowly and do a good job.

This will help your scaping and reduce some labor.
As you learn to predict the growth patterns and rates, you can scape very effectively.

Regards,
Tom Barr