Bachelor's Button Planting Guide

June

June is for bachelor's button

Whether you're sowing, transplanting, or harvesting, bachelor's button needs the right timing. Check your zone below for exact dates.

Sun full sun

Water low

Days to harvest 60–90

Plant depth 0.3″

Spacing 12″

How to water bachelor's button
Mulch heavily around bachelor's button to hold soil moisture without watering more often.
Where to put bachelor's button
bachelor's button wants at least 6 hours of direct sun. Less than that and you'll get leggy plants with weak yields.
Check your local forecast before planting
Your zone determines the exact week to plant bachelor's button. Pick your county below and we'll line everything up against your frost dates.

Show me bachelor's button timing for my zone →

Bachelor's Button (Centaurea cyanus), also called cornflower, is a carefree cool-season annual best known for its vivid cobalt-blue flowers — one of the truest blues in the annual garden. It tolerates light frosts, self-seeds prolifically, and thrives in poor to average soils. A traditional cut flower and pollinator magnet, it has been cultivated in gardens for centuries.

Centaurea cyanus · Flower · Asteraceae family · 60–90 days to maturity

Annual Blooms in Spring Pollinator-friendly Deer-resistant Good for cutting

Why it matters: If you're just starting a flower garden in your area, Bachelor's Button is a forgiving first pick. It tolerates imperfect soil, mild drought, and the occasional missed watering. The reward: weeks (sometimes months) of continuous color.

Get Your Personalized Bachelor's Button Planting Dates

Enter your ZIP code to see exact planting dates, soil compatibility, and growing tips specific to your county.

Where Can You Grow Bachelor's Button?

Zone Compatibility for Bachelor's Button Zones 2a – 11b

1a 1b 2a 2b 3a 3b 4a 4b 5a 5b 6a 6b 7a 7b 8a 8b 9a 9b 10a 10b 11a 11b 12a 12b 13a 13b

Ideal (data available) Suitable Marginal Not recommended

Planting Dates by Zone

Zone	Start Indoors	Direct Sow	Transplant	Bloom
Zone 2a	Apr 4	May 30	May 30	Aug 1 – Sep 19
Zone 2b	Mar 27	May 22	May 22	Jul 24 – Sep 11
Zone 3a	Mar 20	May 8	May 15	Jul 17 – Sep 11
Zone 3b	Mar 15	May 3	May 10	Jul 12 – Sep 6
Zone 4a	Mar 18	Apr 22	May 6	Jul 8 – Sep 9
Zone 4b	Mar 13	Apr 17	May 1	Jul 3 – Sep 4
Zone 5a	Mar 14	Apr 4	Apr 25	Jun 27 – Sep 5
Zone 5b	Mar 7	Mar 28	Apr 18	Jun 20 – Sep 5
Zone 6a	Feb 27	Mar 13	Apr 10	Jun 12 – Aug 28
Zone 6b	Feb 20	Mar 6	Apr 3	Jun 5 – Aug 28
Zone 7a	Feb 11	Feb 18	Mar 25	May 27 – Aug 26
Zone 7b	Feb 4	Feb 11	Mar 18	May 20 – Aug 26
Zone 8a	—	Jan 25	Feb 22	Apr 26 – Aug 9
Zone 8b	—	Jan 7	Feb 4	Apr 8 – Aug 5
Zone 9a	—	Dec 16	Jan 13	Mar 10 – Jun 30
Zone 9b	—	Nov 23	Dec 21	Feb 15 – Jun 7
Zone 10a	—	Oct 23	Nov 20	Jan 15 – Apr 23
Zone 10b	—	Oct 16	Nov 13	Jan 8 – Apr 16
Zone 11a	—	Oct 9	Nov 6	Dec 25 – Mar 26
Zone 11b	—	Oct 2	Oct 30	Dec 18 – Mar 19

How to Plant Bachelor's Button

0.3"

Planting Depth

12"

Between Plants

12"

Between Rows

🍂 Fall planting: Sow 6 weeks before your first frost date for a fall harvest.

Growing Conditions

☀️ Sun

Full Sun (6-8+ hours)

💧 Water

Low — drought tolerant

Drought tolerant — water only when soil is dry 2" deep.

🧪 Soil pH

6 – 7.5

Prefers neutral to slightly acidic soil — ideal for most garden beds.

🗺️ Hardiness Zones

Zone 2a – 11b

📅 Days to Maturity

60–90 days

Quick-growing crop. Multiple plantings per season are possible.

👪 Plant Family

Asteraceae

Rotate with other families yearly to prevent soil-borne diseases. Don't plant in the same spot where Asteraceae family crops grew last year.

Succession Planting Bachelor's Button

Bachelor's Button matures in just 60–90 days, making it ideal for succession planting. In a typical 180-day growing season, you can get up to 3 successive plantings by sowing every 6.9 weeks.

Your actual succession count depends on your local frost dates. Enter your ZIP code to get personalized succession planting dates for your area.

Companion Planting for Bachelor's Button

✅ Good Companions

Wheat Grains Tomatoes Vegetables Sweet Alyssum

Check more combinations with our Companion Planting Checker →

Growing Tips for Bachelor's Button

Direct-sow in early spring as soon as soil can be worked; seeds need a brief cold period for best germination (refrigerate for a few days before planting if spring arrives quickly). In zones 6+, fall-sow for the earliest spring bloom. Thin to 12 inches; do not over-fertilize — too much nitrogen produces foliage at the expense of flowers. Deadhead to prolong blooming or allow self-seeding for a naturalized colony.

Saving Bachelor's Button Seeds

Recommended for Your Garden

🌱

Seed Starting Trays $8-20

Start seeds indoors with reusable cell trays and humidity domes.

🧪

Soil Test Kit $12-25

Test your soil pH, nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium levels before planting.

🏷️

Garden Plant Markers $6-12

Keep your garden organized with durable, weather-resistant plant labels.

Reader favourite

Seed Saving & Storage Guide

$27 $157 value

Most saved seeds go bad before next season. This shows exactly when to pick, how to dry, and where to store seeds from 200 plants so yours don't.

200 plants, step-by-step: life cycle, pollination type, isolation
Exact temperature + humidity ranges that keep seeds viable
Bonus: searchable Google Sheets tracker + custom GPT assistant

Save a lifetime of seed money →

Bachelor's Button by State

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does it take to grow Bachelor's Button?

Bachelor's Button (Centaurea cyanus) takes 60 to 90 days from planting to harvest. Exact timing depends on your variety, growing conditions, and USDA zone.

What zones can Bachelor's Button grow in?

Bachelor's Button can be grown in USDA zones 2a through 11b. Use the planting calendar above to find the exact dates for your zone.

How much sun does Bachelor's Button need?

Growing Bachelor's Button requires Full Sun (6-8+ hours), Low — drought tolerant, and soil pH of 6 to 7.5.