Well, one thing is certain. They definitely won't grow if you don't sow them. And if you wait until next Autumn they will be even older. So imo you have nothing to lose by sowing now. I'd do it in modules just to be able to keep an eye on them better. Put them outside, protect from animals and birds and cross your fingers. I wouldn't bother to soak them. Just water them when you sow and let the weather do the rest.

Thanks for the post floral. I will give it a go sooner rather than later.

It will depend a bit on how the seed was stored. If it's been around since 2019, where has it been around? If in a good dry and temp stable place like an office drawer, good. If they got really hot or something like forgotten in the shed, not so good.

If you have enough seed you could try indoor and outdoor sowing. Start some inside 6-8 weeks or so before your last frost date. You can also wintersow a container of them- they tend to be able to self-sow on their own and is often noted on wintersowing lists.

WOW floral!! I am green with envy! That is exactly what I am/was trying to achieve!

Last year I used seeds collected from the previous summer , but I also mixed them in with 5+ year old seeds. (Smart huh? 🤯) . Now I don’t know if they were all from new seed or old seed…

I have tried many times to get them to germinate, with no success. However, last year I tried 2 new methods- the winter sow method, and my method. I did not stratify some of the seeds .

I live in Ontario, zone 4b. April can be fairly warm 18C but it can also still snow. It is generally cool (10-13C ?) . There is a lot of snow cover where I live (Muskoka area).

I soaked the seeds, lightly pressed into potting mix and put them in their ”winter sow containers“ outside in late Feb/early March. I’m calling these ones stratified. By mid May I only had two (out of 22 seeds) germinate.

On May 15 I tried again with my method. I soaked more seeds (50) in warm water (113F/45C) for 12 hours. I then sowed the (unstratified) seeds on top of seed starting mix in one of those take-away (plastic) chicken containers with a plastic dome. I filled the bottom part almost full with seed starting mix. After I planted the seeds I very lightly sifted seed starting mix over the seeds on top of the soil . I had already drilled some holes in the bottom for drainage. The chicken dome had holes in it already. I cut a piece of old screen to fit the bottom of the chicken container, so the soil didn’t fall out and the bugs didn’t get in. I put the container, with dome on, in the most brightly lit, warm(ish) area I had - which was an unheated porch with glass windows, Sun until 3 pm. Once they germinated I took the dome off. No heat mat.

Out of the 50 seeds I sowed: the mixed colours germinated the fastest (7 germinated after a week); the pinks took 3 1/2 weeks (8 germinated). I would definitely do it this way again. I don’t know why the Winter sowing didn’t work. Maybe I should have used seed starting mix, maybe I should have moved the container into the sun, but I was afraid of toasting it. so kept it in the shade.

I was happy with my results though. I guess the chicken container should have worked just as well outside…I don’t know anymore

Give it a whirl!!!

About two weeks ago I was starting HH seed in a try and planned to put them in the refrig to stratify them. I ended up forgetting to pop them in the refrig. and instead put them under the grow lights with all my other seeds. I have had about 50% germination rate so far.

Be aware that the colours can be all sorts, never mind the colour of the parent.

Yup. I do know it will be hit and miss with the "offspring". I want them to succeed for sentimental reasons as the seeds are from a dear, across the country relative.

Gorgeous picture @floral_uk z.8/9 SW UK.

If in a good dry and temp stable place like an office drawer, good.

Thanks@beesneeds. I think they were good in terms of storage i.e. in a kitchen cupboard. They seem good and dry.

Great description @Gargamel...thank you.

I winter sowed some that were probably at least 5 years old and they sprouted fine as I recall. I'm guessing that fewer of them were viable, but it's been a while and I'm not sure. I also don't know what month I put them out, but I think you have a pretty good chance at some success if you try now.

Wow floral, gorgeous! Every year I look at hollyhocks in the catalogs and every year I put them on my list and every year I cross them off because of budget limitations and not wanting to wait two years lol. I keep telling my self, well, if you sow them now you'll have them next year (and the year after, etc.). If you never sow them, you'll never have them! But they always end up on the cutting room floor, so to speak. I should just pick some up off a local sale rack later this season and just do it!

Good luck rouge!

:)

Dee