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What tells the bone marrow to make platelets?

Like red blood cell production, platelet production is stimulated by a hormone.

The hormone is called Thrombopoeitin, and it is made by the liver and the kidneys and released into the blood. In the blood, it can be carried to the bone marrow -- or it can attach to the surface of platelets. So if there are already lots of platelets, they will 'trap' the thrombopoietin and it will not reach the bone marrow.

If there are few platelets, however, the thrombopoietin will not be trapped; it will reach the bone marrow and cause the production of more platelets. (Pavithran, 1994-2004).

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