How long does it take for a bachler button to bloom
When seeds are sowed in the spring, you should began seeing flowers around 6 weeks later; bloom time can be effected by soil, weather and general plant care.
Bachelor Buttons bloom throughout the summer.
If you are referring to annual bachelor buttons, aka cornflowers, save the seed for next spring. They require long daylight hours and lots of sun to bloom. Here is an article from Texas A&M. https://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/newsletters/hortupdate/hortupdate_archives/2004/oct04/Cornflwrs.html
The buds although flowering seem to struggle as they have to come through a cobwebby furry substance as they emerge, I don’t remember it looking like this last year, but maybe I just didn’t notice, so please could you tell me is it meant to look like this and if not should I dig up the infected plant and hope that the many seedlings around it are ok?
There may be a caterpillar feeding inside the webbing. Pull back the webbing and see if there is anything inside.
I would cut the buds off below the webbing and that should remove the pests.