Easy Tips For Planting and Growing Hollyhocks

With spring just around the corner and with my green thumb beginning to itch, I thought this would be the perfect time to to extol the virtues of the Hollyhock.

Hollyhocks were a common plant that could be found growing in most any Victorian era garden. Whether you're planning a formal garden reminiscent of the Victorian age, an old fashioned cottage garden, or something completely different I suggest you consider planting some Hollyhocks.

With their 6ft. spikes clad in bright showy blooms, Hollyhocks add a beautiful splash of color and vertical dimension to any border. The Hollyhock is also a perfect background planting to disguise unsightly fences or walls.

 

 

 

 

Growing Hollyhocks 

 

Image Courtesy Of: Kurt Stüber GFDL or CC-BY-SA-3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Hollyhocks are a biennial plant, meaning that their lifespan is about 2 years. They will grow foliage in the first year and bloom in the second year. Hollyhocks will readily reseed themselves, so once you get your planting established they require minimal upkeep.
Hollyhocks have many positive attributes including:

• Spectacular showy blooms
• Hollyhocks ability to readily reseed themselves allow them to preform like a perennial
• They are able to to tolerate heat well. If you have a hot sunny spot other plants can't tolerate, try planting some Hollyhocks.
• Hollyhocks are a favorite of the Hummingbird
• The Hollyhocks height makes it a great screen for fences and other unsightly garden features

 When Planting Hollyhocks
Choose your location carefully, Hollyhocks have a taproot which can make them very difficult to transplant.

The Best Location To Plant Your Hollyhocks

There are two things to consider when choosing a location to plant your Hollyhocks:

1. For the most spectacular blooms you plant your Hollyhocks in full sun. They will tolerate a slight amount of shade, Hollyhocks growing in dappled sunlight may not grow as tall, however the blooms often last a little longer.
2. Hollyhocks will not thrive in heavy compacted soil. They grow their best in soil which is rich and well drained.

Image Courtesy Of: Dinkum, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

Old Fashioned Hollyhock Seeds

Alcea ficifolia is also known as Antwerp Hollyhock or Fig Leaf Hollyhock. This particularly hardy variety can grow up to 6ft. in height and produces 3 to 5 in. blooms, in a wide array of colors including cream, yellow, copper, pink, and maroon. Alcea ficifolia will make a stunning focal point in any border planting.

Flower Hollyhock Single Mix 50 Heirloom Seeds by David's Garden Seeds
Very easy to grow Hardy in zones 3 to 10 Height 4 to 6 ft. Resistant to rust Beautiful large blooms
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When To Plant Hollyhocks 

When Planting Hollyhocks From Seed

The most common recommendation is to plant your Hollyhock seeds in the fall, this allows the root system to get established over the winter months. Hollyhocks planted in the fall have a chance of blooming following summer.

If you are unable to get your seeds sown in the fall have no fear Hollyhock seeds can be planted spring too. In the spring plant your seeds as soon as you can work up the soil. When planted in the spring Hollyhocks will produce foliage, but will not bloom until the following summer.

When Planting Hollyhock Seedlings

Hollyhock seedlings should be planted in the spring after the last frost. If you start your own seedlings they should be gradually acclimated to their new surroundings over the course of 10 to 15 days.

Hollocks Can Grow To Be Huge
According to the Guiness Book of World Records, the tallest ever confirmed grew to reach the staggering height of 19 feet, 7 inches. This monumental Hollyhock was grown by George Palmer, of the United Kingdom in 1978.

How To Plant Hollyhock Seeds

Plant Hollyhock Seed Spring or Fall As Follows:

1. Prepare the bed for planting, by working it up thoroughly.
2. Add a healthy amount of compost, because Hollyhocks love their soil rich.
3. Spread the seeds over the surface of the planting bed.
4. Cover lightly with soil, no more than 1/4 of an inch. (If Hollyhock seeds are planted too deeply they will not germinate.)
5. Water thoroughly.

Planting Hollyhocks In The Spring
Once the seeds have germinated and the plants begin to sprout you may need to thin them out a bit. Simply pluck out any tightly clustered sprouts, leaving approximately 18" between the remaining plants. Keeping ample space between your plants, allows for ample air flow and helps to reduce their susceptibility to rust.

Planting Hollyhocks In The Fall
Trim back any foliage at first frost. Mulch well, especially if you live in an area with severe winters. Remove the mulch in the spring and thin as described above.

Image Courtesy Of: Fanghong, CC-BY-SA-3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Hollyhock Care And Maintainence

• In the spring you can top dress your Hollyhock bed with composted manure or any other rich compost. This will promote rigorous growth.
• Hollyhocks need plenty of water to bloom well, but not too much. I water mine twice a week during the summer months. Always water at the base of the plant. Keeping your plants well watered and watering at the base helps to prevent rust.
• If your Hollyhocks are located in a windy area, or you find that they are leaning due to their size, use stakes to help support them.
• Deadheading your Hollyhocks will prolong blooming. Deadheading is simply removing faded flowers before they have a chance to form seed pods.
• To promote self reseeding allow some of the flowers to form seed pods towards the end of the season. As the seed pods dry out they will burst open, scattering the seed that will give rise to the next generation of Hollyhocks. This is also the time to collect seed if you are planning to start another planting.
• In the late fall cut back all of that seasons foliage. Apply some bone meal to give the root system a boost over the winter and mulch well  

Hollyhock Rust is caused by a fungus called Puccinia malvacearum. The symptoms of Hollyhock Rust first present as rusty orange spot on the underside of the leaves. As the fungus progresses you will begin to see brighter orange spots on the tops of the leaves. Eventually the spot will grow and turn a dark brown color. Left untreated Rust may cause the loss of foliage.

Image Courtesy Of: Gerhard Koller at Mushroom Observer, a source for mycological images.
CC-BY-SA-3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Preventing And Treating Hollyhock Rust

Here Are 5 Easy Tips To Prevent And Treat Hollyhock Rust:

• Frequently checking your plants during the growing season, will allow you to quickly remove any infected foliage at the first sign a rust infection. This should help slow any further spread of the fungus.
• Keeping water off the foliage when watering and good air flow around the plants also helps to prevent rust.
• Keep your beds weeded to eliminate other common hosts of rust like Round Leaved Mallow.
• You can use fungicide to prevent rust. Rust pops up in the spring and persists through the rainy season. To completely control rust fungicide will need to be applied at 10 to 14 day intervals throughout the rainy season. Apply fungicide only to the foliage and the stems, always according to the manufacturers recommendation.
• At the end of the growing season always remove and dispose of any infected plants and plant materials. This will help limit the number of rust spores that survive the winter. Do Not put infected plants into your compost pile. Infected material should be burned, or sealed in a plastic bag and taken to the landfill.

Hummingbirds Love Hollyhocks
Planting Hollyhocks is a great way to attract Hummingbirds into your garden.

When And How To Divide Hostas For Transplanting

With the coming of spring my thoughts always turn to the garden and what I need to do. Dividing my Hostas is just one of the items on my to-do list and while it's fresh in my mind I thought I would post a brief explanation of the division process.

Dividing your Hostas will help to eliminate overcrowding, which over time can result in die back, and less robust foliage. Dividing and transplanting overcrowded Hosta plants, also provides new starts to fill out your beds without another expensive visit to the garden center. 

 If you've never divided your hostas before don't worry, it's a fairly simple task, preformed with nothing more than a spade and some elbow grease. Dividing those Hostas will keep your shade garden looking it's best, so get out and give it a try.

Is It Time To Transplant

The first question most folks have is "How do you tell if it is time to transplant?" Any of the following conditions may indicate that it is time to divide and transplant.

1. Your Hostas simply out grows there current location.
2. You need more plants to fill out your bed.
3. You start to notice that the plants are starting to die out in the center and the foliage is generally not as robust as normal.

As a general rule of thumb, plan on having to divide and transplant your Hostas every 2 to 3 years.

Image Courtesy Of: Terren Peterson, CC-BY-SA-3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The Ultimate Reference Guide To Growing Hostas

This beautifully illustrated book has quickly become my go to reference for all things Hosta. Inside you will find a wide range of information that will help successfully grow and care for Hostas. If you are interested in learning more about using these versatile plants in your garden you absolutely must add this volume to your library.

The New Encyclopedia of Hostas
Were I to recommend one book for people interested in growing Hostas this would be it.
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How To Divide and Transplant Hostas

Dividing and transplanting Hostas is not rocket science, the best way to learn how to do it is to get in there and give it a try. The Hosta is a hardy robust plant and your not likely to do any lasting damage by attempting to divide them. If you're still worried, here are 6 easy tips to help get you started.

1. Cut around the entire clump of Hostas you intend to divide with a spade.
2. If the clump is of manageable size use your shovel or spade as a lever to lift it out of the ground
3. Wash the clump thoroughly, so you can see the crowns and to help separate the roots. It may be possible to gently break apart the crowns by hand, otherwise an old butcher knife will work to cut the crowns, but try to keep the cutting to a minimum. Make a cut through the crown 1 or 2 inches deep, then try pulling the clump apart. Make the cut progressively deeper as necessary.
4. For larger plants too difficult to get out of the ground I simply divide them right where they are. To do this dig around the clump, then with the point of a spade cut the clump in 1/2 or 1/3. Use your spade to lift each division individually. (This is not the recommended method and somone may yell at me, but I have done this many times with no ill effect.)
5. Move your divisions to their new location immediately and replant them to the depth at which the were previously growing.
6. Water the the plants into there new location and continue to water frequently for the next month or so. A little controlled release fertilizer, will help to promote rapid root growth. I use 13-13-13 .

Image Courtesy Of: Terren Peterson, CC-BY-SA-3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

A Good Spade Makes Transplanting a Breeze

A good spade will makes dividing and transplanting any plant much easier. A good sharp spade allows you to cut around the plant with out disturbing the root system and gives the leverage needed to lift the clumps out of the ground.

Fiskars 9654 Transplanting Spade
A good spade is one of the very few tools required to care for your Hostas. This spade is very comfortable and easy to use, the perfect tool for dividing and transplanting.
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When Is The Best Time To Divide Your Hostas For Transplanting

Hostas can be divided for transplanting in the spring or in the late summer. Dividing plants in the springtime is easiest for the gardener, transplanting them in the late summer is easiest on the plants.

Dividing and Transplanting in the Spring:

• Only divide fast growing Hosta varieties in the spring. Slower growing varieties like sieboldianas, or the tokudamas should be divided in the summer.
• Do not over divide the clumps
• Water in new divisions well and continue to water regularly until they are well established. Hostas do not begin growing new roots, until they set their foliage in the spring. The compromised root system of newly divided plants, may not be able to draw enough water and nutrients to support this new growth.

If you've kept your plants watered, but you still notice some the leaves on your transplants turning yellow, or or even brown don't panic. The damage is not likely to be permanent, but will slow this seasons growth.

Dividing and Transplanting in the Summer:

• Allow at least 1 month between transplanting and the first frost
• As always keep newly divided plants well watered.
• Cutting back some of the larger leaves on divisions will help to reduce stress caused by water loss.

Image Courtesy Of: KENPEI , CC-BY-SA-3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Buy Your Plants Today

Adrian's Glory is one of my favorite varieties. The blue green variegated leaves are absolutely stunning. This beautiful plant would make an excellent addition to any shade garden.

Hosta 'Adrian's Glory'
Adrian's Glory does best in full shade, is hardy to zone 4, and is slug resistant. What's not to love? Shipped Bare Root
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