How to Grow Old-Fashioned Hollyhocks

Old-fashioned hollyhocks (Alcea rosea) have been a flower staple for cottage gardens and fence lines for centuries. The plants tower to a height of 6 to 9 feet. Flowers appear in shades of pink, white, red and burgundy. A biennial and rarely a short-lived perennial, the hollyhock produces flowers during its second year of growth. The flower-spikes bloom from June to August. The plant readily self-seeds and will persist in the garden for years as it forms colonies of seedlings.

Compost or aged manure
Garden trowel
General-purpose fertilizer

Instructions

- 1
  Choose a planting location in full sun with well-draining soil. Work compost or aged manure into the soil at a ratio of 50 percent aged manure or compost to 50 percent garden soil. The soil should feel rich and crumbly to the touch.
- 2
  Plant the old-fashioned hollyhock seeds in spring, approximately one week before the last expected frost. Hollyhock seeds can also be planted in August or September.
- 3
  Lay the seed on the soil's surface and cover it lightly with soil. Pat the soil to firm it. Lightly mist the soil with water. Keep the soil evenly moist to encourage germination. The hollyhock seed will germinate in 10 to 14 days.
- 4
  Space the hollyhock plants 18 to 36 inches apart to offer them ample growing room. Keep the plants moist throughout the growing season.
- 5
  Fertilize the hollyhock plants twice during the summer months. Use a general-purpose fertilizer. Follow the fertilizer's label for application instructions.
- 6
  Cut the hollyhock plant to the ground after it ceases flowering and seed production. Discard the stalks.

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