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How to Grow and Care for Bachelor's Button plants

Centaurea cyanus

This is an annual plant or it is commonly grown as an annualThis plant grows best with full sun for most of the dayOnce established this plant requires little or no supplemental wateringThis plant will tolerate some drought, but benefits from periodic wateringButterfly FlowerWhite flowering plantRed flowering plantPink flowering plantblue flowering plantPurple flowering plantA photograph of Centaurea cyanus is availableHow to Use the Plant Care Icons at The Garden Helper
Bachelor's Button is an annual version of the Mountain Cornflower plant.
It is an easy to grow plant that will quickly form a nice clump of lance shaped, silvery-green foliage.
Bachelor's Buttons begin producing their brightly colored, ruffled,
1½" flowers in late spring and may continue blooming well into fall.
This 1-3 ft. tall plant is excellent as dried flowers or potpourri
They are well suited plants for growing in containers.

Growing Requirements for Bachelor's Button Plants

Bachelor's Buttons are also known as Cornflowers or Blue Bottle.
They prefer to grow in full sun, but will tolerate some light shade in the afternoon.
Plant Cornflower bedding plants 6"-12" apart in the garden any time after all danger of frost has passed.
Cornflowers can be planted in any average to rich garden soil, provided that it is well draining.
Water moderately during extended dry periods.
Otherwise, once established, Bachelor's Buttons are fairly drought tolerant plants.
 Wild Willy the Garden Gnome
Feed monthly with ½ strength, all purpose 10-10-10 fertilizer
Be sure to remove spent blooms regularly to induce continued flowering.

Growing Bachelor's Buttons from Seed

Centaurea seeds need complete darkness to germinate, so be sure to cover them well.
For spring blooms, sow Bachelor's Button seeds directly in the garden as soon as possible after the last frost date in your area.
Succesive plantings will prolong your blooming period.
Sow Bachelor's Button seeds indoors 4-6 weeks before planting them in the garden.
Maintain a temperature within the growing medium of 60°-70° F.
Germination takes 7-14 days.
Bachelor's Button
Centaurea cyanus
The Flower of a Bachelor's Button Plant, Centaurea cyanus


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