Hollyhock Single Mix Wildflower Seeds – Alcea rosea – 278

Hollyhock Super Single Mix seeds. Guaranteed show stopper This single flowered biennial will burst with 8 colors varying from deep dark red, pink, yellow and white blooms through most of the summer season! Hollyhocks have been grown in gardens for centuries, their tall spikes of satiny, crepe-textured flowers making a fine display in mid-summer. Best at the back of a sunny border, with something in front to hide their bare lower stems. This strain features fluffy flowers, in a wide range of pastel shades. Plants usually act as short-lived perennials, but will re-seed themselves for many years. Attractive to both butterflies and hummingbirds. Sowing and growing instructions 1. Fill a tray with compost and water it well to ensure that it is consistently moist. If you water after sowing, you can wash the seeds about and bunch them together – not what you want. 2. Sow the large seeds individually, spacing about an inch apart on the compost surface, in a grid. Don’t push in the seed, as you then won’t be able to see each one. If you are distracted, it’s all too easy to forget where you’ve sown and where seeds still need to go. Left on the top, they are clearly visible. When the tray is full, cover lightly with compost. 3. Spaced widely, the seeds can germinate and grow on for a few weeks before you prick them out. This saves you time in the end, rather than simply chucking seed about willy-nilly. 4. Place the tray in a warm and cosy spot to germinate. You don’t need light at this stage. I cover seed trays with an empty compost bag – opened out – to keep in warmth and moisture and speed germination. If you do this, after about a week, check trays every morning and night for germination. Once this starts, remove the light-excluding plastic. 5. Hollyhocks take 10-14 days to germinate and then another 3-4 weeks before they’re ready for pricking out. If roots are showing at the base of the tray, they’re ready to move on. 6. To prick out, handle only the seed leaves, not the stem (which bruises very easily). Get a pencil (or stiff plant label) right under each plant and try to tease out every individual seedling, roots and all. 7. Place each seedling into its own pot of peat-free compost, firm down and water. 8. The ideal spot for growing on has maximum all-round light – ideally, plants should have warm roots but cool tops. 9. Hollyhocks will be ready for planting out in the garden by June, but won’t flower well until the following year. Further details for Alcea rosea Single Mix Optimal Growing Conditions Appearance and Characteristics Sun Exposure Full Sun Soil Type Normal or Sandy or Clay Soil pH Neutral or Alkaline or Acid Soil Moisture Care Level Easy Flower Colour Creamy Yellow Deep Pink Light Pink Purple Red Salmon White Yellow Blooming Time Mid Summer Late Summer Foliage Color Light Green Plant Uses & Characteristics Accent: Good Texture/Form Attracts Butterflies Attracts Hummingbirds Border Cut Flower Deer Resistant Drought Tolerant Rabbit Resistant Massed Specimen Flower Head Size Very Large Height 150-210 cm 59-82 inches Spread 30-45 cm 12-18 inches Foot Traffic None Zellajake Farm and Garden: ” Seeds for all your planting needs” since 2013