The cornflower was once considered a field weed, which was fought so hard for many decades that the attractive plant is now almost extinct. With its attractive, bright blue flowers, the cornflower fits perfectly into natural gardens and perennial beds and is now enjoying increasing popularity as a pretty ornamental plant. The long flowering period may also be partly responsible for this.
When is the flowering time of the cornflower?
The cornflower blooms from June to October if it is brought forward in March and planted after the Ice Saints. If you sow directly outdoors, the flowering period begins in July. Long blooming is supported by regularly removing dead flowers.
The heyday
In time, i.e. planted early in March and after the Ice Saints, the cornflower usually produces its first flowers in June. If you sow the cornflower directly outdoors, it will take a little more time and will not bloom until July. Their flowering period usually extends well into October until the first night frosts finally kill the blue flower.
Remove dead flowers
So that the cornflower sets as many buds as possible and blooms for a long time, it is important to clean the plant regularly. Cut out anything that has died at least once a week. This promotes multiple flowering, so you can enjoy the attractive flowers well into autumn.
Avoid over-fertilization
Cornflowers react very sensitively to too much nutrients and then produce fewer flowers and more greenery. If necessary, you should apply a small amount of complete fertilizer before the flowers form.
Stabilize flowers
If the cornflowers grow quite tall, the flowers must be stabilized using plant stakes (€16.00 on Amazon) to avoid accidentally bending over.
Tip
The cornflower is a valuable medicinal plant whose dried flowers are used for a wide variety of ailments. The freshly opened flowers are harvested and then immediately gently dried in a dark place.
