I cant grow Hollyhocks past first year.

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jenzuk manchester, United Kingdom Jun 25, 2011

I love hollyhocks and as a new gardener, i sowed some last year and the leaves grew nice until midsummer when they started to flop and wilted to death. So this year, i planted many diff seeds but no hollyhs. Now i want to try again but was thinking whether its too late or not seeing as i know they dont produce flowers unti 2nd year. If i sow some now, will they flower next year or the year after that? Thats if they survive long enough. Can anyone help me with any advice on the best way to look after them from seeds to seedlings to growing leaves to bloom with flowers- also what about winter, do i leave out or bring indoors? My garden is containers and planters only as its a shared yard. Some1 said that in autumn they should get cut down to soil level but surely thats after they flower on 2nd year or do i stil but them down in the 1st year?

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ecrane3 Dublin, CA(Zone 9a) Jun 25, 2011

If you sow them now they might grow enough this year that they'd be ready to bloom next year. Except for their tendency toward diseases like rust they're generally pretty carefree in the garden--they don't need a ton of water, fertilizer, etc. Since yours are in pots, it makes me suspect either the pots get too small as they grow, or you're maybe watering them too much/too little. Wilting can be a symptom of overwatering or underwatering. Flopping can be due to a number of things-not enough sun, too much fertilizer, a bit too much water. You shouldn't need to bring them in over the winter, although if your winters are really rainy you may want to put them under an overhang or something to keep them from drowning in their pots. As far as cutting them back in the fall--I don't think it'll matter. I have one on the side of my house that never gets cut back and it blooms fine every year, but there's one in my back garden that self-seeded in a place I don't really want it, so this year I cut it down in the spring but it's grown back to about a foot tall now and has some flower buds. Cutting in the fall should give it plenty of time to grow.

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