How to Care for a Cornflower

Cornflowers have been grown in American gardens since colonial times.

The cornflower (Centaurea ), or bachelor's button as it is sometimes known, is an old-fashioned flowering annual, beloved for its small, blue flowers. Cornflowers are attractive in both fresh and dried cut flower arrangements and add a color not often found in the garden. Cornflowers bloom in spring and summer and are relatively care free.

Things You'll Need

• Fertilizer
• Pruning shears

Instructions

1. Grow the cornflower in a full-sun location in the garden, unless you are in a particularly hot area of U.S. Department of Agriculture Hardiness zones 8 through 10. In that case, provide the cornflower with afternoon shade.

2. Water the cornflower to a depth of 6 inches and then allow the soil to dry before watering again.

3. Fertilize the cornflower with 10-10-10 fertilizer, at the rate suggested on the label, once a month while it is flowering. Apply the fertilizer to the soil around the plant and water it in to a depth of 6 inches.

4. Deadhead the cornflower periodically throughout the growing season. To do this, snap off the flower head with your fingers or pruning shears.

References

• Texas Cooperative Extension: Cornflowers
• "The Gardener's A-Z Guide to Growing Flowers from Seed to Bloom"; Eileen Powell; 2004