6,340 Garden Web Discussions | Growing from Seed
I was sure waiting to see if someone else had an idea on this one.
My first thought is that maybe they are crossing with each other or maybe the hollyhock you had was a hybrid and the seed were not true to begin with. If several hollyhocks are close together they will tend to cross and the seeds will be totally different than the parent plant.
As far as the life of a single plant that I am unsure about, I do know that a neighbor of mine has had a hollyhock in her garden at least 7 or 8 years could be longer. I obtained seed from it and grew my own and I have had it for 2 or 3 years.
I'm not sure if the double hollyhock seed are hybrid varieties (the seed package just said 'double hollyhock mixture of colors')but I am quite sure the one's I grew did not cross with any single varieties. I guess then the seed then must revert back to the single varieties. I too have had the same plant come back again for a couple of years & some plant stalks in bloom way over 8-10 feet tall. but wasn't sure if they were true perennials or not. On the farm they just did as they wanted & we never paid much attention to them ... oh, as little girls we made flower dolls out of the open flowers & the un-opened bud ... can't remember how we did it now though!! :)
The doubles are so beautiful so was hoping they would re-seed & grow the same double shape!
Try putting a coffee filter in bottom of pots so soil doesn't wash out. May degrade over length of time you'll have seedlings in those pots, though. I also use fine insect screen in bottom of pots to try and keep out pests including slugs. Can get insect screen in rolls in any big box store, Walmart or hardware store. It's just the stuff they use to replace window screens. Get the coated kind so you don't risk rusting.
Good luck.
The FAQ's for this forum should answer quite a few of your questions. If there is more you want to know, come back to this thread and ask additional questions. Hope this helps.
Here is a link that might be useful: Growing from seed FAQ's
Keep the soil very moist until the seedlings have sprouted well through it (until you have as many as you need/want). Watch out for white mold on the surface of the soil (if it appears, remove the lid for a few hours and place in light and it should go away). Other than that, you're using a good method & good starting soil. =) Remove them from the greenhouse when you see the 2nd set of leaves is about 1 cm or larger. Place into same soil in 16 oz plastic cups, potting up an inch or so higher on the plant than they were in the greenhouse. For helpful pics, go to THIS LINK.
Peace - Steve
I have tried these for years and failed. This year I was tired of being afraid and soaked them and planted them outside. To my surprise they germinated and grew (about three inches) and there they are--only three inches for about weeks. They are not dying but they are not thriving either. As long as they hang in there I guess there is hope.
Ah, I forgot all about the the wet paper towel approach. It's been decades, so thanks for the reminder lesson.
And, don't worry about the stay-at-one-size stage. I'm not sure if that's usual, but the one that has emerged was doing the same thing. It's just been the last day or two, when it looks like it has finally started growing again. It's stayed at that stage for so long the nastutrium is competing with it, but I keep pushing them out of its way, until the time I have to keep pushing it out of thier way. lol
The likelyhood of your seeds being true to color is unlikely, you can always try it though and see what you may get. Who knows you may get something even prettier than what you already have or you may get something that is just plain ugly.
Yes you can self pollinate your own flowers, I use a paintbrush. Here is a website I found that tells about pollinating your own flowers and the reproductive parts of a flower.
Here is a link that might be useful: Seed Saving
I have leftover seeds still in their commercial packages that I have kept in the freezer for several years. I used a pack earlier this year that I had stored in my freezer for over 3 years germination was extremely good.
In other words I dont do anything special to wrap them just close the package by folding it and put it in a walmart sack and put it in my freezer door along with other seed packs.
Yes, today's weather was extreme! It was so hot! My external temp was saying 112F. I'm sure it's incorrect. But I think we reach 90+ today. I have a wintersown perennial which I need to move. It was doing great last week until the hot weather arrived. I should have labeled the plant. But my guess, it's the lunaria money plant. Or maybe the reason why it's wilting is because there isn't any mulch. Also, I can't believe 2 of my larkspur was wilting.
About four o clocks limelight, cosmos, calendula, agastache, cleome, zinnia, purple ruffles basil, I didn't see any sign of stress. :)
How's the rain up there? I've noticed stall outs twice in the last 8 years, and both time the spring seemed in perpetual rain. Not sure if that's the cause, but my friends and relatives in the area, ended up with poor gardens in those years, while mine was fine afterwards. Then again, I have the advantage of gardening in containers, so rain can drain, and I live in the city, so our temperatures are several degrees hotter then outside of the city. Don't know which, if either, gave me the advantage. Just my guesses.
Most brug seed is very easy to germinate and can be planted at anytime though the fresher the seed the better. I soak them in water overnight to soften the corky covering. After soaking remove the cork and just press the seed into the soil, barely covering it. Keep the soil lightly moistened but not soggy or the seeds may rot. Most will sprout within a few weeks but I have had some germinate after several months. I'd start them in pots and transplant to the garden when they are big enough to handle. In zone 10 you will likely get blooms in the first year. I'm in zone 7a and it usually takes until the second season for my brugs from seed to bloom.
Parentage is supposed to be e. purpurea both sides for this one, so stratifying fresh seed shouldn't be necessary.
Germination approx 10-21 days - if you don't find germination after 4 weeks try giving them a moist chill of 2-4 weeks.
Thanks a lot. I wonder if anyone has grown any of these seeds?