Mine self-sow late summer or early fall and sprout in spring. Here they are pretty much biennial though occasionally I get a third year from them. So I sow seeds two years consecutively and then let a few go to seed each year. I think the first seed I got came from a winter seed trade and I planted them the following spring. So I think that you can plant spring or fall but they will sprout in spring. Maybe do half each way as Ken often suggests? Mine form a rosette of basal leaves their first season and bloom the next. The few times I have had rust I cleaned up all above ground plant parts in the fall and it hasn’t returned the following season

I don't see any pictures. Anyways, you can give them a head start by starting them indoors, or you can plant them outside a few weeks before your last frost date. But just know these plants are biennial, which means they will USUALLY take 2 years to complete their life cycle and flower, and then they die. Sometimes the plants will last more than 2 years or reseed themselves, but don't count on it. Always save a few seeds after they flower if you want more.

Just thought I'd throw this in here instead of starting a new thread.

DW found a regular envelope, in our desk. last winter.

On the outside was written 'Hollyhock Seed'.

She couldn't remember where or when she got them but asked me if I would try to grow some this spring. A Google search told me 2-3 weeks for germination time.

Last Thursday I soaked the seeds overnight and on Friday, threw a hundred seeds on two small trays with an inch of coir mix in them, sprinkled a little coir on top, watered and put them in the window for light and fairly cool temperatures (66-70f).

Sunday morning, some sprouts were already coming up along with numerous 'bulges' in the media. So much for the 2-3 week idea.

She looked in her journals and discovered those seed were from at least 11 years old from when she visited a friend in upstate Minn. Made me feel like I had a green thumb!

:-)

I had never grown them before and was kind of under the weather in 2021. planted them in spring and got nothing in 2021, was disappointed. lo and behold in 2022! they are 7 feet tall! really beautiful and a statement plant.

Very nice indeed!

Yes, the first year from seed, the plant goes through a 'rosette' stage, with numerous leaves low to the ground and no flowers. It's the second year they flower.

This was mine last year. Disregard the onions, I had to get something out of the deal first year. :-)

I wintersowed some and they did great. Thought I could cheat mother nature and get a bloom. Nope. But I have great foliage and will direct sow more this fall.

I started my seeds inside the house, in plastic cups, about the first week of April 2021. By the first week of May they were getting quite large and out growing their pots. Our last frost date is usually end of May. But I planted them outside anyways, around the 5th of May. iirc, they took a couple of light frosts without any damage. The rabbits didn't seem to bother them either. This year they came so thick they stifled out the weeds so didn't have to weed. :-)

I can remember mom tying hers to a trellis, so they didn't fall over.

They self sow on my allotment. I imagine winter sowing would suit them well.

Very beautiful gardens floral.

When I think about it, these must've seen some pretty cold mornings, near freezing if not freezing, this spring but it didn't seem to bother them.

I can see I planted mine plenty thick. I'll know better next time. Been so many years since I've even seen hollyhocks. :-)

I started dwarf ones from seed late January indoors. Some of them are already blooming in 8" pots!

Looks all like shades of pink!

DW wants to know, will they bloom all the way to the top of spray?

Yes, they will flower to the top. One never knows what colour self sown hollyhocks will be. Sowing seed of a pink hollyhock doesn’t guarantee pink offspring. Mine produce a selection of different colours every year. These are in flower today.