The hollyhock is very easy to propagate. Like other self-germinators, it actually does this work all by itself. All you as the garden owner then have to do is transplant the young plants to the desired location.
How to propagate hollyhocks?
Hollyhocks can be easily propagated by seeds, either collected from existing plants or purchased from specialist retailers. Direct sowing outdoors or growing indoors are both possible methods for propagation.
Where can I get hollyhock seeds?
You can collect the hollyhock seeds from dead plants and sow them specifically. Then you don't know what color flower your sowing will have, because the seeds are not pure in color. Even the double flower is not necessarily passed on.
If, on the other hand, you buy hollyhock seeds from specialist retailers or nurseries, you can choose between different varieties, double and unfilled flowers and different flower colors or mixtures. The variants range from white to yellow, pink and bright pink to red and almost black.
Sowing the hollyhock
You can easily sow the hollyhock directly outdoors. You have two options for this. Either you sow in a bed in which you only prefer young plants so that you can plant them in their final location in the fall. In this case, sow in rows about 20cm apart. Keep the seeds well moist.
You can also sow the hollyhocks right away where you want them to bloom next year. This saves you the hassle of repotting, but you won't have any flower decorations there in the year of sowing. Here the distance between the individual seed holes should be around 40 cm. The adult plants need this distance to stay he althy.
Should I prefer the hollyhock indoors?
Of course you can also grow the hollyhock indoors or in the greenhouse. In February or March, scatter the seeds into a sowing container, cover them with some soil and keep the seeds evenly moist. In May, slowly accustom the young plants to the fresh air before planting them outdoors at the end of May.
These hollyhocks have a good chance of blooming the year they are sown, but they are not very robust and strong. Most of the time they do not survive the winter outdoors. Overwintering in the cellar or greenhouse is hardly worth it, unless you cut back the hollyhock before the seeds reach maturity. In this way you may be able to extend their lifespan.
The best propagation tips:
- easiest propagation: self-sowing
- Propagation in principle only by seeds
- Advance possible when warm
- convenient: sowing outdoors
Tip
If you want to have a whole specific hollyhock, then you should buy the seeds. If you love surprises, then feel free to use seeds that have been collected once.