Sowing hollyhock seeds is an easy activity that requires no special skill to succeed. When they do not reseed here and there at the foot of country house facades or along the bucolic paths of Île de Ré, hollyhocks can be sown easily in pots or broadcast directly, provided they are sown at the right time — that is, now!
When to sow hollyhocks ?
Hollyhock seeds need plenty of heat and light to germinate, which is why it is important to sow them in summer to ensure rapid, even germination. Sow from late spring through mid-summer when the soil is warm enough and daytime temperatures exceed 20°C.
How to sow?
If you only have a few seeds of a selected variety, it is better to sow in pots or seed trays to give plants the best chance:
- Choose a seed tray or a large, deep pot (hollyhocks have long roots and therefore need plenty of depth).
- Add a seed compost or prepare a mix of one third fine potting compost, one third vermiculite (or perlite) and one third fine sand.
- Fill the tray, firm the surface and place the seeds on top.
- Cover the seeds with a thin layer of compost then water thoroughly.
- Place the tray in partial shade and keep the compost moist until germination.
Pot on seedlings 3–4 weeks after germination, when plants have four true leaves.
If, however, you have a large quantity of seeds collected from the garden, you can sow them directly in the ground.
- Choose a sunny, open spot, for example a path border.
- Broadcast the seeds over deep, stony or slightly sandy soil.
Germination will be less even, but the seedlings, whose roots can descend deeply, will produce flowering stems much taller than those sown in pots and then transplanted.
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