Like all perennials that sow themselves, the decorative hollyhock is easy to grow in your own garden. This plant only blooms in its second year, so you should plan sowing well in advance.
How do I grow hollyhocks myself?
Hollyhocks can easily be grown yourself by either sowing them directly outdoors or growing them in the warm. As dark germinators, the seeds must be covered with soil and kept moist during the germination period of 2-3 weeks. More resilient plants are created when direct sowing outdoors.
Sowing the hollyhock – pot or outdoors
You can grow the hollyhock indoors or sow it directly outdoors. Hollyhocks grown in warm weather may bloom the year they are sown, but the plants are not as hardy as those grown outdoors. They are more likely to suffer from diseases and are not as hardy.
As dark germinators, hollyhock seeds should always be covered with some soil or substrate for germination. Water the seeds well and keep them evenly moist during the germination period, which lasts about two to three weeks. You can easily sow hollyhocks outdoors from April to mid-summer.
Transplanting the hollyhock
If you have not sown the hollyhocks in their final location, you will have to transplant them at some point. The ideal time depends on where and when you grew the plants.
Hollyhocks sown indoors in winter must be transplanted in late spring because then they are too big for the nursery pots. But slowly get the hollyhocks used to the sun and the cold. At the end of May they can then be planted completely outside. Hollyhocks sown outdoors or those that have grown on their own are usually transplanted in autumn.
The most important things in brief:
- is easy to grow from seeds
- Direct sowing outdoors is optimal
- Advance possible when warm
- Dark Germ
- Water the seeds well
- Keep the growing bed or pot evenly moist
Tip
If you want to grow resistant hollyhocks, then it is better to sow them outdoors. Hollyhocks grown in warm conditions are much more sensitive and susceptible to disease.
