Don't let the name mislead you: Alcea rosea does not actually belong to the rose family. Nevertheless, the common hollyhock has long since won the hearts of hobby gardeners. The fast-growing perennial has now become an integral part of the cottage garden. But they also look good on the balcony or terrace. We explain how you can prefer, care for and propagate hollyhocks in pots.
Hollyhocks in a bucket: You should keep this in mind when sowing
This is the first step to blooming in the garden or on the balconySowing the hollyhocks. There is no set time, you can sow the flowers from early September to early March. There are a few things you should keep in mind:
Choose the right bucket
You can either plant the seeds in the container intended for this purpose. In this case you will receive theEffort to transplantsaved in spring. Or you can plant the seeds in small plastic pots with a diameter of 10 cm and then repot only the pre-germinated flowers.
Make your own sowing soil
You can find special sowing soil in the garden center that is perfect for growing. For example, the substrate with coconut fibers is ideal. Optionally, you can also make the growing soil yourself. For this purpose, mixOrganic compost with potting soil and sandwith a grain size between 4 and 6 mm in a ratio of 2 to 1 to 0.5. Then line a baking tray with baking paper and sprinkle the mixture on it. Bake the earth at 140° Celsius for one hour. Then you can use the disinfected sowing soil for early cultivation. If you use coconut fiber substrate, disinfecting is not necessary.
Sow the flowers
3. Dig two 2 cm deep holes at least 4 cm apart. Place the seeds in the holes, fill the holes with soil and water the substrate thoroughly. Then cover the pot with transparent packaging film and secure the ends with scotch tape. Use a pot plug to mark the date of sowing and the variety (if you are planting several varieties at the same time).
4. Place the pots on a sunny windowsill and let them pre-germinate for about three weeks. The room temperature should not fall below 20° Celsius during this period.
This is how you properly prefer the blooming flowers
5. Proper care also plays a crucial role. You should remove the packaging film and aerate the soil once a day. Check regularly whether the potting soil is moist. Never let them dry. The plants require fresh to moderately moist soil for germination. Water them only when necessary to avoid waterlogging. It is best suiteddecalcified tap water. The flowers do not need any fertilizer in the first few weeks. Only after they have formed at least two leaves can you provide them with liquid fertilizer.
The hollyhocks in the pot: repot in mid-May
6. Mid-May is the right time to repot the flowers. Make sure the bucket has holes so excess water can drain out. If necessary, you can create a layer of gravel or clay as drainage. In this phase, the young plants need humus-rich soil. Place the young plant about 5 cm deep in the middle of the pot so that it has enough space for root formation. Water thoroughly after repotting.
Place the hollyhocks in the pot outside
If the hollyhocks are grown in the greenhouse, in the winter garden or on the windowsill, they are particularly sensitive to frost and are only allowed outside after the Ice Saints. It will take them a few days to get used to the new location. First, leave the windows open for several hours. Then you can put them on the balcony. You need wind and rain protection for the first few days.
Plant hollyhocks in the bed
If you want to plant the early hollyhocks in the bed, you should first choose the right location. This is in full sun and offers enough space to leave a minimum distance of 30 to 40 cm between the flowers. In the first year after planting, the hollyhocks develop their roots and foliage. Flowers will not form until next summer. From the third year onwards, the flowers produce significantly fewer flowers - which is why in this country they are grown as two- to three-year-old perennials.
Luckily, the hollyhocks self-sow, which means that once they're in the bed, you shouldn't have to worry about them coming forward. However, it is necessary to pull ahead in the bucket. Alternatively, you can buy young plants from the garden center and save yourself the trouble of propagating them.
