The hollyhock is very easy to propagate. Like other self-germinators, it actually does this work all by itself. As a garden owner, you only have to transplant the young plants to the desired location.
A bed full of hollyhocks is a beautiful eye-catcher in the garden
Where can I get hollyhock seeds?
You can collect the seeds of the hollyhock from faded plants and sow them in a targeted manner. But then you don't know what flower color your sowing will get, because the seeds are not pure in colour. Even the double flower is not necessarily inherited.
If, on the other hand, you buy hollyhock seeds from a specialist shop or nursery, you can choose between different varieties, filled and unfilled flowers and different flower colors or mixtures. The variants range from white to yellow, pink and bright pink to red and almost black.
Sow the hollyhock
You can easily sow the hollyhock directly outdoors. You have two options for this. Either you sow in a bed in which you only prefer young plants to plant them in their final location in autumn. In this case, sow in rows about 20 cm apart. Keep the seed well moist.
You can also sow the hollyhocks right where you want them to bloom next year. This saves you having to replant, but you won't have any flowers there in the year of sowing. The distance between the individual seed holes should be about 40 cm. The adult plants need this distance to stay healthy.
Should I prefer the hollyhock indoors?
Of course you can also prefer the hollyhock in the apartment or in the greenhouse. In February or March, scatter the seeds in a sowing container, cover with some soil and keep the seeds evenly moist. In May, slowly get the young plants used to the fresh air before planting them outdoors at the end of May.
These hollyhocks have a good chance of blooming in the year of sowing, but they are not very hardy and vigorous. Most of the time they do not survive the winter outdoors. Overwintering in the basement or greenhouse is also hardly worthwhile, unless you cut back the hollyhock before the seeds are ripe. In this way, you may be able to extend their lifespan.
The best propagation tips:
- easiest propagation: self-sowing
- Propagation in principle only by seeds
- Possibility to bring it forward when warm
- convenient: sowing outdoors
tips
If you want to have a whole specific hollyhock, then you should buy the seeds. If you love surprises, then feel free to use seeds you have collected.