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Hollyhocks are easily started from seed indoors or out. Seeds can be sown directly outdoors about a week before last frost. Sow at just ¼ inch deep and about 2 feet apart. Hollyhocks have long taproots, so if seeds are started indoors, use tall, individual pots and transplant early to avoid damage.
Can you just scatter hollyhock seeds?
The hollyhock seed should not be planted deeply. We find hollyhocks germinate very well if you just scatter the seeds on the surface of the ground where you wish them to germinate.
Should I soak hollyhock seeds before planting?
Try soaking the seeds overnight before you plant them. This loosens the outer layer of the seed and allows for better germination. When you plant the seed do not cover it with soil. It needs light to germinate so it is better to put the seed on the ground or growing medium and then press it lightly into the soil.
What month do you plant hollyhock seeds?
You can plant hollyhocks from seed now, in the late summer, and you may get blooms next summer. Or wait until late winter or early spring and start transplants indoors. Or, you can plant them outside from seed later next spring. If you wait to plant until next year, you’ll most likely have to wait a year for blooms.
How do you plant hollyhock seeds?
When they’ve dried to a medium brown on the stalk, it’s time to harvest them. To harvest hollyhock seeds, simply snap the hollyhock seed pods off the stalks with your fingers, dropping them into a brown paper bag. (If you want to sow them instead of saving them, autumn is also the ideal time for that.
How do you get hollyhocks to bloom in the first year?
To force biennial hollyhocks to flower the first year, treat them with gibberellic acid, a flower inducer that takes the place of a cold period. Planting them in fall may also induce hollyhocks to bloom the first year.
Where is the best place to plant hollyhocks?
Hollyhocks do best in a south- or west-facing position in moist but well-drained soil. Chalky, sandy or loamy soils are ideal. Plant them at the back of a border as they can reach heights of 2m or more. Hollyhocks aren’t suitable for growing in pots.
Are hollyhocks easy to grow from seed?
Hollyhocks are best, and easiest, grown from seed and they will readily self-seed if flower stalks are left in place.
How long do hollyhocks take to grow from seed?
Sow hollyhock seeds in a cold frame or protected seedbed in the early summer. In rows 6 inches apart, just press seeds into the soil. Keep moist and protect from the sun. Seedlings emerge in 12-21 days.
Do hollyhocks spread?
Growing Hollyhock Flowers For best performance, irrigate from below and provide good air circulation. Once you get Hollyhocks established you will have them forever. You will have to be sure and dead head them to prevent getting too many, they spread easily but that is all part of gardening.
Do hollyhocks bloom the first year from seed?
Hollyhocks are easy to grow, although many varieties are biennial and take two years from seed to flower. Some bloom the first year if planted early enough, and other varieties are considered to be short-lived perennials. Hollyhocks often self-sow, producing a legion of volunteers the following year.
When can I plant hollyhocks outside?
when to plant hollyhocks The best time to sow hollyhock seeds undercover is April and May. You can sow the seeds directly outdoors in May and June. If you have bought hollyhocks as plants in pots or raised them from seed, they can be planted out May to July. They flower the following year after planting.
Can hollyhocks be grown in pots?
Hollyhocks require a large container, such as whisky barrel to allow room for their roots to grow. Although dwarf varieties have smaller roots, the more room you give them the happier they will be.
Do hollyhocks reseed themselves?
Hollyhocks (Alcea rosea) are ornamental flowering plants that may be either biennial or short-lived perennial with flowers in shades of pink, white, yellow, and red. Not only are hollyhocks easy to grow from seed, but they’ll even reseed themselves each year after your initial planting.
Are hollyhocks hard to grow?
A good background companion for shorter plants. Hollyhock is very easy to grow, preferring a warm, sunny location sheltered from the wind. Will tolerate moist conditions. Bloom midsummer-early fall.
Do hollyhocks come up every year?
Hollyhock plants readily reseed themselves, so once you have a nice batch, you have a lifetime supply. Hollyhocks begin as a low rosette of floppy, slightly fuzzy leaves. The growth is just vegetative in the first year but by the second year the stem begins to form and flowers appear near the beginning of summer.
Do hollyhocks grow in shade?
Hollyhocks will grow in any garden soil, but prefer fertile, well-drained soil, in full sun, to produce the tallest flower spikes. Choose a position that is sheltered from strong winds, else they tend to blow over.
What can I plant with hollyhocks?
Hollyhocks are beautiful cottage garden plants, so they pair well with many perennials and shrubs in those types of gardens. Roses, rose mallow, tall garden phlox, delphiniums, peonies, ornamental grasses and foxgloves are just some of the plants that can be grouped with hollyhocks in the garden.
