hollyhock bulbs - plant horizontal or vertical?

I'm planting new bulbs and have no idea if the hollyhocks are supposed to be laid out, or if you have to try to put them in like carrots grow? I've never had hollyhock bulbs this size before. They look like the pathetic carrots your child brought home, so proud, from a science class on photosynthesis. Don't get me wrong, the bulbs are large for bulbs, just wimpy looking if they were indeed carrots. I just need someone to tell me which way these are supposed to go back into the ground
Sherry

I didn't even know hollyhocks came as bulbs (roots) - I always planted them from seed and they're so easy just from seed.

Hollyhocks don't have bulbs.
Let's see... with carrot-like roots, are you thinking of maybe dahlias or fox-tail lilies?

Hollyhocks have a tap root that looks like a whitish-yellow carrot. Plant it vertical like any other root. It is not a bulb. You have purchased a young plant.

Hollyhocks aren't bulbs, but assuming you have hollyhocks, ordered them from someplace as hollyhocks, you hopefully have hollyhocks. Their roots kind of do look like carrots.

Plant them with the roots down. The roots should be on the skinniest end of the carrot, LOL. Maybe even up the sides.

If they have any leaves coming out, put the area where the leaves attach to the rest of the plant right at ground level. That would be the crown of the plant. If you don't see any leaves, put the opposite end that doesn't have roots at the top.

They sound like they might be pretty dried out if they look like bulbs, so I would soak them for about an hour. Stick the whole thing right in water.

Cathy and I cross posted. Didn;t want you to think I was correcting or repeating anything you said, Cathy:)

Thank you ladies. I had originally planted them hoizontally. Then read your advice and went out and replanted them vertically, skinniest end down most. Their roots were amazingly plump just being in the ground for 24 hours. I finally got into Lowe's bulb page and they said to plant them vertically with a quarter to half inch of root exposed, skinniest end down most. I was going to go out and move them up a half inch but my sweetie said leave them, they'd be fine. I decided this was decent advice as the tops were right at ground level and they were probably as tired of moving as I was of moving them.

FYI, if I'm not mistaken, hollyhocks are biennials. It's been a while since I put in plants, but I don't think they bloomed the first year. They bloomed for me the second year and have continued to reseed themselves after that.