Need help with Hollyhocks

[pixiedouglas]

I've always wanted to grow these and now I finally have a spot in the yard to do it in!

Full sun, next to a tall fence for support, I did add some compost/potting soil to the existing dirt. Planted on top of soil, tried to keep them wet, we had some rain and hot days.

I can't get them to germinate.

I've tried twice now and nothing sprouts. What am I doing wrong? Is my local seed store just carrying old dud seeds or is it me?

DH is going to let me try to start them in his little green house where he starts his veggie seeds in the little seed pots that you can put right in the ground. Will that help?

 

[AmyRey]

My hollyhock seeds started wonderfully indoors. I think you'll have some luck with them.

Have you tried testing the seeds for viability between two paper towels?

 

[SweetMissDaisy]

I tried getting some seeds started direct sow, but none of them came up.
So I tried doing it indoors, and they all came up!
Then I went out of town for 5 days, came home, and all the seedlings were dried up dead.
I guess I forgot to mention before I left that they needed to be watered. HA!

 

[journey11]

Try testing them for germination as AmyRey suggested. Hollyhock are very good at reseeding themselves. I've got them coming up everywhere from last year's seed. One year I saved seed and it was a dud when I opened the baggie later. There were tons of boll weevils in there. The following year, I put the seed directly into the freezer after collecting it and it killed the weevils off before they could destroy the seed.

I love hollyhocks in mass plantings. Here's a pic of mine I took a couple years ago.

 

[SweetMissDaisy]

ohhhh my goodness, your flowers were lovely!!
you wouldn't want to put any seeds on the seed exchange list, would you?

 

[desertwillow]

I live in the high desert and have dificulty starting seed sown directly into the soil as I can't keep the soil damp enough for the seed to germinate. I plant seed indoors in peat pots and then put the pots into plastic bags. This gives them the humidity they need for the seed to germinate. Good Luck! I love those hollyhocks. I grow them here and they do very well except they don't ressed due to dry conditions.

 

[thistlebloom]

Love your hollyhock picture Journey! I'm going to plant some of mine around my "picket" garden.

 

[journey11]

Love your hollyhock picture Journey! I'm going to plant some of mine around my "picket" garden.

You'll have to come back next year and show us a pic! I bet that will be very cute in front of the picket fence. I've been getting a very wide variety of colors in the reseeds, but the black has yet to come back. It must need to be pure and uncrossed. Something about them really punctuates the lighter colors, I think.

 

[desertwillow]

I saw some lovely bright red hollyhocks outside of a restaraunt and would love some. I can't find seed for just red ones. May have to get online. Mine are pale pink and pale lavender that are blooming now. I may go back to the place I saw the red ones and see if I can beg seeds.

 

[journey11]

Surely they'll let you have some. Hollyhocks make TONS of seeds! I don't think I've seen a pure red one before either...they must be rare.