I sowed hollyhock seeds in spring and two of them have come up. They are about 4" tall and in the pots that I sowed them in. I am wondering if I need to put them in the garden where I really want them to be or leave them in the pots? Considering they are perennials, and I am not expecting them to bloom this year, is it better I leave them in the pots? TIA!
I would plant them where you want them to bloom next year Tina. Hollyhocks are biennials which means they need 2 years to complete their life cycle. The first year they grow leaves and the second year they flower. Then they are gone.
Personally, I would plant them out in the garden. Having said that, if you want to "play it safe", you can leave them in a pot...but I would put them in a Clematis pot if you do that. That way, their roots can grow better and deeper over the winter.
Hollyhocks can grow up to 8 to 10 foot tall. I would plant them in the ground where you want them to grow. I have a ton of hollyhocks and I let the seeds fall where they land and they come up when they are ready. It was really dry last year so I didn't think I would have any this year but once it started to rain they started growing and growing and growing. I'll have to try to get some pictures. Unfortunately the weeds started growing, too. dooley
