By Kpalmer
United Kingdom 
Hello, I'm growing cornflowers for my wedding in three weeks time. The flowers started blooming earlier than I thought and I've spent the last fortnight cutting blooms to encourage new growth. I'm not sure though when to stop cutting them and let them go to get maximum flowering for my wedding. Should I leave them for a fortnight or will that result in seeded flowers?
14 Jul, 2017
Answers
Which variety of cornflowers are they? Hopefully Centaurea cyanus of some variety, the annual type, with button like flowers. The raison d'etre for annuals is simply to flower, set seed, and die, so if it is those, they flower from June through to September - it's okay to let them flower, but its very important that you do not allow any of them to set seed, so deadhead as soon as they've finished. You could actually deadhead as soon as they flower, its the deadheading and the inability to set seed that keeps them producing new flowering stems. Its safer to let them flower and remove them immediately or a couple of days later, but obviously, don't deadhead in this way a week before your wedding, other than removing spent flower heads to stop seed production. There's nothing else you can do to ensure a good supply of flowers for the day except keep them well watered during dry spells.
Good luck and congratulations!
14 Jul, 2017
How can you tell the first answer is from a man?
14 Jul, 2017
;-))
14 Jul, 2017
Thankyou Bamboo that's really helpful (-: They are The cynanus variety and really lovely. I choose them as I hoped they'd be long flowering but I still can't believe how much they've already produced- I cut 13 posies last weekend! Your comment has reassured me that so far in doing the right thing to keep encouraging new growth. Awesome!
I've added a picture from the other week now!
@Bathgate. Financially buying flowers isn't an option so yes that was a little insensitive as a suggestion. And this is an awesome thing to worry about as I currently have a flower kingdom which me and partner grew together (-:
14 Jul, 2017
LOL that would have been helpful at the start. I hope you have lots of flowers. Regards to you and the king.
14 Jul, 2017
That one in the foreground with white and blue is a cracker, not seen one like that before...
14 Jul, 2017
I don't want to sound offensive or insensitive to your situation. Honestly, don't you have enough to worry about aside from these silly cornflowers? Nobody knows what they are going to do in three weeks time. Don't put yourself in a precarious situation of maybe not having flowers for your wedding. You don't have much time, so I suggest you contact your local florist and go with something that is in season that's a sure deal.
14 Jul, 2017