How to grow Cornflowers in the UK
Bright blue flowers that bees adore. Sow them straight in the ground - easy!
- DifficultyEasy peasy
- WhereBeds or Pots
- Sunfull sun
- Grows to70cm
- Spacing25cm
- Time to first pickabout 12 weeks
- Typeannual
When to sow, plant and harvest cornflowers
| Sow outdoors | mid March to late May or early September to late September |
|---|---|
| In flower | early June to late August |
Dates are for central England. Sow about two weeks later in the north and Scotland, and up to two weeks earlier in the south and south west. Get the dates for your postcode.
Sowing it outdoors
- Pull out any weeds and rake the top of your bed until it's crumbly, like cake crumbs
- Make a little line in the soil (1cm deep) with your finger or a stick
- Drop the seeds in, about 25cm apart each way
- Gently cover them with soil and pat it down
- Water with a watering can that has a sprinkler head
- Push in a label so you remember what's there
Top tips for growing cornflowers
- Autumn-sown ones flower earlier and grow bigger.
Soil and feeding
Poor soil - really!. Nasturtiums flower best in poor soil. Feed them and you get all leaves and no flowers.
Harvesting and eating cornflowers
Pick them for a vase - and the petals are edible.
Companion planting
Grows well with
- Broad beans: brings hoverflies and ladybirds that eat blackfly
- Peas: brings helpful insects
Saving your own cornflowers seed
Late summer and autumn, as the flowers fade.
- Stop deadheading a few flowers - let them fade on the plant
- When the seed heads are dry and brown (and the seeds rattle), snip them off on a dry day
- Shake the seeds into a paper bag
- Spread on a plate to dry for a week
Where to buy cornflowers seeds
Thompson & Morgan · Suttons · Amazon
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Cornflowers questions
When should I sow cornflowers in the UK?
In the UK, sow cornflowers outdoors from mid March to late May or early September to late September. These dates suit central England; sow about two weeks later in the north and Scotland and up to two weeks earlier in the mild south and south west.
When can I enjoy cornflowers?
Cornflowers is ready from early June to late August. Pick them for a vase - and the petals are edible.
How long do cornflowers take to grow?
Roughly 12 weeks from sowing or planting until the first harvest.
Are cornflowers easy to grow?
Cornflowers are rated 'easy peasy' for beginners, and can be grown in the ground or a raised bed or in pots and containers.
Plan your own garden: it tells you what to do and when, for your postcode.
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