Sowing
Sow shallow indoors in April. Don't cover with soil — the seeds need light to germinate. Plant out in June after hardening off.
Care
Cut off spent flowers and it keeps blooming longer.
From the log
Grows well with
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Join the Vegocracy newsletterStep-by-step notes for every stage — sowing depth, spacing, care and what to watch for.
What to think about when picking a variety for your own garden, not just which ones earned their place in mine.
Do's and don'ts — what worked, what I'd skip next time, and the mistakes worth avoiding.
Full sow, transplant and harvest calendar for cornflower.
The background knowledge behind the how-to — why it behaves the way it does, and what it actually needs.
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A friendly reminder: every garden plays by its own rules. Zones, soil, weather and a hundred small things decide what works — so this is how I did it and what worked for me, not a promise. Try, learn, adjust, try again.. that's half the fun anyway.
Also grows well in these combinations
Cornflower grows best with friends
This crop is part of one of my field-tested bed recipes — complete layouts with timing for every plant in the bed.
See all bed recipes