Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!
How tall hollyhocks?
I’ve tried and failed a few times to get some of the hollyhocks from the bottom of Allison Road to grow from seed. Finally this year, one of their lighter coloured ones has finally rewarded my patience… and how! It’s already just shy of 10 feet tall and it’s still growing. It’s nowhere near the UK record of 15 feet. But I’m just wondering if hollyhocks are commonly much taller than I’d thought. How high do they generally get?
PS: A plant grown from the exotic deep dark red hollyhocks on Allison road looks like it’s come good too. I’m yet to see if it’ll flows this year.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by NickM on
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Cant comment on the height front but seeds not sprouting is likely down to the fact those (and pretty much every local hollyhock) has weevils whose larvae eat the seeds rendering them duds. If you see 'orrible little bugs with long snouts, that's them.
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Permalink Reply by Hugh on
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Yes, my neighbour was telling me about those. So far I don't have them. In the spring a shoot and a leaf of the main stem had rust. I cut them off pretty quickly and it seems to have stopped it spreading. Perhaps I've been lucky this year......so far.....touch-wood!
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Permalink Reply by Duguneek on
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Enjoy your hollyhocks' height! Everything's bigger and better these days... I blame the 'mericans myself. It seems they like some space around them for air circulation, also they will appreciate about 8 hours of sun per day (haha) and good to support them as you have done here in the picture. Not sure if the seeds will produce off-spring with different colours...
@duggiegardens
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That’s interesting about the offspring colours. I had the seed for this plant labelled as having been gathered from a pink hollyhock by the lake in FInsbury Park. When I saw the colour and matched it in my mind with those on the north west frontage of the church, I assumed I had muddled things up. I should have thought. Of course hollyhocks are one of those plants where plants grown from seed don’t come true.
As to staking, I’m at the top of the hill and we regularly get westerlies blowing across the garden. So staking anything tall is a must. I liked Monty Don’s recent advice that the best time to support plants is before they need it.
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