Hello, does anyone have any "short" shasta daisy seeds. All I can find are the tall ones and I do not want to stake them. Thanks Betty

My crazy daisies, had a tiny ziplock bag of seeds, don't remember where I bought them, yielded all different kinds but they are all crazy, some prettier than others. I didn't mark them to save any seed, darn it. Since I WS'ed those and planted HOS, I don't know which ones clump or not; they are a large clump that will get larger. They are all winners in their own way, don't get disfigured, a few toppled in the heavy rain, maybe those didn't, but I deadheaded them all, and they have put out some more nice blooms, not as many as the first ones. So that is a plus. In the front bed, I sowed from unknowns that didn't clump and the blooms got splotchy and ratty, but the plants were vigorous, didn't topple or get over 4'; the following year, they took over the bed, so I dug them all out. I direct sowed those, and they didn't bloom until the second year. Those did come true to seed, all of them. Then I replaced with three Becky, purchased plants. They clump which I thought was good at first but they get too big too fast and took over again. One Becky got crown root rot, dug it out, letting the soil lie fallow for the winter. But I'd rather have some that don't clump that I can interplant with poppies and maybe perennial lupines, couple others. I thought Alaska might be it. Does it clump? Are there any other July flowering ones that are nice but grow as singles? The only ones I know that grow single for sure are oxe eye or Marguerites, but those are invasive and only bloom in spring. I have some better spring bloomers now, but I want some for summer. Maybe I should divide my crazy ones in the spring into three smaller groups and start with those or pull off all the outer stems. I notice if I pull a stem (some toppled), I get some roots with it. The two remaining Becky are very healthy, but I want them out or much smaller. Can I do that? I don't know where to put the left over ones from dividing. Sigh.

Most of the "better" nurseries in SW Ont have a selection of the newer as well as older varieties of Shasta daisies. I am in Guelph but shop in Terra nursery (Waterdown) as well as Kitchener, Breslau, Guelph, etc.

Wait until the entire flower head has dried on the plant...including the area of stem just below (should be dead looking). Then cut the head off and allow to continue to dry for a few days indoors. Then carefully remove the surface of the head...the seeds will be just below (near the core of the flower). Here is a link that might be useful: Shasta seeds