Question: My chrysanthemums are way too tall. I need to stake them, but they already are laying down on the ground. What can I do next year to avoid this problem?

Answer: It sounds like you have mums that were planted out of pots from the flower shop. Those are different varieties than you would buy at a nursery for landscape use. They were selected by the hybridizers for completely different reasons. No doubt they also bloom much later than garden mums. Best way to deal with the problem: pinch their growing tips back two or three times in spring and summer. That will keep them much more compact and will encourage low branching and shorter, sturdier stems.