The hollyhock is more or less hardy depending on the variety. You can easily leave more robust varieties outside in the bed, others are grateful for winter protection or even a frost-free winter quarters. In technical jargon this is called “conditionally hardy”.
Are hollyhocks hardy?
Hollyhocks are conditionally hardy depending on the variety. Robust varieties overwinter outdoors without any problems, while sensitive varieties require winter protection made of brushwood or leaves or should even be overwintered in frost-free rooms.
Some old varieties of hollyhock even live for several years without ever receiving frost protection. However, cultivated forms and hybrids often have different properties. Ask when you buy the plant or check the hardiness on the seed packet, then you will know exactly how to treat your hollyhocks for the winter.
How do I care for my hollyhocks in winter?
If you live in a harsh area, protect your hollyhocks from frost and cold wind with a layer of brushwood or leaves. You can also move sensitive varieties to frost-free winter quarters. Your hollyhock will overwinter here without the risk of freezing to death. However, you should water the plants occasionally, otherwise they will die of thirst.
The hollyhock in spring
Plant the hollyhock outdoors again around May. Then add some horn shavings (€52.00 on Amazon) or compost into the planting hole. However, you should avoid a radical change in temperature. As soon as the plants sprout again and it is frost-free outside, put them outside for a few hours every day. Only after the Ice Saints do you put the hollyhocks back in their usual place.
Winter-hardy varieties outdoors can be freed from their winter protection in April, as soon as longer periods of frost are no longer expected. It is best to cut off the first green leaves to prevent them from being attacked by mallow rust. The fungal spores often overwinter in the soil and then return to the plants in spring.
Tip
It is better to overwinter delicate varieties of hollyhocks in a frost-free greenhouse or similar premises, as they tolerate little or no frost.
