Hollyhocks are eye-catchers and very easy to care for. New plants can easily be grown from existing plants.
Hollyhocks (Alcea rosea) are typical plants for a cottage garden. But even if you don't have one, you don't have to do without these magnificent mallow plants. They are very easy to care for and robust and are therefore particularly suitable for beginners. Seeds for sowing are available in any well-stocked garden store.
They can also be obtained from the inflorescences of existing hollyhocks. We would like to show you exactly how this works in detail and what needs to be considered when sowing.
➔ Win Hollyhock Seeds
If you already have hollyhocks in your garden, the plants will provide you with the necessary seeds in large quantities free of charge. Wait until the inflorescences dry up and fall off after flowering, or cut off the dried parts of the plant immediately. The seeds are in capsules that are easy to spot with the naked eye.
» Tip: If you leave the fallen flowers where they are, the seeds will sprout right next to the mother plant. Next year, leave the strongest and most vigorous specimens and remove the puny plants.
➔ Sowing Hollyhocks
Now sow the seeds by placing them on the ground where you want them and covering them with a thin layer of moist soil. Keep a distance of 40 to 60 centimeters. Larger distances are of course also possible. There is a very high probability that the plants that will grow back will survive the winter unscathed. Add some brushwood for extra protection.
It is also possible to wait with sowing. From February you can grow the hollyhocks indoors in small plant pots and then put them outdoors at the end of May.
➔ Sowing hollyhocks in the tub
Hollyhocks feel most at home in a bed. However, the natural conditions can be simulated in the bucket. It is important to choose vessels that are as tall as possible. Hollyhocks do not have very wide roots, but they do have quite deep roots. When the tub complete formation of these taprootsIf you don't allow it, the hollyhock won't die, but it probably won't unfold in all its glory either. For this reason, hollyhocks are rather unsuitable for borders on the balcony.
Why aren't my hollyhocks blooming?
Hollyhocks only flower in the first year if they are sown in spring and even then flowering is not guaranteed. So don't worry. In the second year you will be rewarded with the bright colors that make hollyhocks one of the most popular garden plants.