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.
Cornflowers often bloom as early as June
The heyday
In good time, i.e. already grown in March and planted out after the ice saints, the cornflower usually starts flowering as early as June. If you sow the cornflower directly outdoors, it will take a little more time and will not bloom until July. Their flowering time usually extends well into October until the first night frosts finally kill the blue flower.
Remove faded
So that the cornflower starts as many buds as possible and blooms for a long time, it is important to clean the plant regularly. Cut out any dead blooms at least once a week. This encourages multiple blooms, so you can enjoy the attractive blooms well into autumn.
Avoid over-fertilization
Cornflowers react very sensitively to too much nutrients and then produce fewer flowers and more green. If necessary, you should apply a little complete fertilizer before flowering.
stabilize flowers
If the cornflowers grow quite tall, the blossoms must be stabilized with plant stakes so that they do not accidentally snap over.
tips
The cornflower is a valuable medicinal plant whose dried flowers are used for a wide variety of ailments. The freshly opened flowers are harvested, which are then immediately and gently dried in a dark place.