Hollyhocks are perennials or biennials depending on your climate. In USDA zones 9 and 10 they are biennials. In zones 3 to 8 they may live over the following winter and bloom again if you cut the faded flower stalks off at the base.
Hollyhocks are often infected with a disease called 'RUST'. Planting hollyhocks in full sun in an area with good air circulation helps prevent this. A little RUST is normal and will generally only spread to other hollyhocks. Most people plant hollyhocks where diseased foliage will be hidden by shorter plants. Sow the seeds directly where they are to bloom at a time when the soil is above 10 degrees celsius (50F). The best time is in spring or summer. Seeds sown this year will bloom next year.
Growing and Fertilizing Hollyhocks
For their first year, hollyhocks will bear leaves only. Dress the soil around them with compost, rotted or mushroom manure or seaweed. Once the leaves have died back for winter, give your plants rock phosphate or bonemeal for the roots of the plants. Some use fireplace ashes to help with flowers.
Once established in a garden, hollyhocks often self-sow, forming a colony of plants themselves. The seedlings transplant well - do so on a cool day to avoid heat-wilting. For more flower stalks, pinch out the growing tips once or twice early in the growing season. This gives shorter plants with more branches. In zones 6 and below, mulch your plants during the winter. Dormant terminal buds are sometimes injured by freezing so a protective mulch of straw, hay or leaves will help keep them warm.
In wet winter areas, the dormant terminal buds are sometimes injured by rotting. A well-drained place is the key to this problem. Double flowered types may need staking after a rain because the flowers fill with water and fall. If you live in a rainy or windy area, stake your hollyhocks well.
Hollyhock Varieties
'Chater's Double' - The double, ball-shaped flowers are red, pink, white or yellow.
'Indian Spring' - A mix of white, pink, red and yellow single flowers.
'Majorette Mixed' - A dwarf form about 30 inches tall. Large, semi-double flowers in pastel colours.
'Nigra' - Dark maroon flowers are almost black in the center.
'Powderpuffs Mixed' - The double flowers are an inch larger than other double hollyhocks. The flowers are yellow, white, pink, scarlet and salmon.
Hollyhocks are often infected with a disease called 'RUST'. Planting hollyhocks in full sun in an area with good air circulation helps prevent this. A little RUST is normal and will generally only spread to other hollyhocks. Most people plant hollyhocks where diseased foliage will be hidden by shorter plants. Sow the seeds directly where they are to bloom at a time when the soil is above 10 degrees celsius (50F). The best time is in spring or summer. Seeds sown this year will bloom next year.
Growing and Fertilizing Hollyhocks
For their first year, hollyhocks will bear leaves only. Dress the soil around them with compost, rotted or mushroom manure or seaweed. Once the leaves have died back for winter, give your plants rock phosphate or bonemeal for the roots of the plants. Some use fireplace ashes to help with flowers.
Once established in a garden, hollyhocks often self-sow, forming a colony of plants themselves. The seedlings transplant well - do so on a cool day to avoid heat-wilting. For more flower stalks, pinch out the growing tips once or twice early in the growing season. This gives shorter plants with more branches. In zones 6 and below, mulch your plants during the winter. Dormant terminal buds are sometimes injured by freezing so a protective mulch of straw, hay or leaves will help keep them warm.
In wet winter areas, the dormant terminal buds are sometimes injured by rotting. A well-drained place is the key to this problem. Double flowered types may need staking after a rain because the flowers fill with water and fall. If you live in a rainy or windy area, stake your hollyhocks well.
Hollyhock Varieties
'Chater's Double' - The double, ball-shaped flowers are red, pink, white or yellow.
'Indian Spring' - A mix of white, pink, red and yellow single flowers.
'Majorette Mixed' - A dwarf form about 30 inches tall. Large, semi-double flowers in pastel colours.
'Nigra' - Dark maroon flowers are almost black in the center.
'Powderpuffs Mixed' - The double flowers are an inch larger than other double hollyhocks. The flowers are yellow, white, pink, scarlet and salmon.
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