how to keep hollyhocks from falling over?

10 years ago

My Hollyhocks get so tall that they flop over. Last year, I put in some stakes and tied them up in a few spots, but the stakes I used weren't strong enough and didn't help much. I forgot about it until just now when I went out to water and saw them flopping over again. Just curious what methods of support others use for growing their Hollyhocks - what works best for you?

Marj

Featured Answer

Skybird - z5, Denver, Colorado

10 years ago

Mine (don't have anymore) didn't get enough sun and they "listed" some, but never totally flopped over. I'm guessin', like GJ, that your's aren't getting enough sun--FULL sun is best. I used to put in tall, solid stakes behind them and tie them back in a couple places. If you start tying them when they're still fairly short they never have time to lean too much so the stakes don't need to be as strong as if they're really flopping when you first try to tie them back. If you want something that will be REALLY strong to tie them to, get a couple (green) T-posts that are just tall enough to work, but short enough to be mostly hidden behind the plant when it's blooming. (I used the plastic coated metal stakes and had the soil moist/wet so I could shove them in far enough to be real solid.)

Good luck,
Skybird

Comments (6)

gjcore
10 years ago
I no longer grow hollyhocks but they always grew tall without support. Are they getting enough sun?
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b2alicia
10 years ago
Hi Marj!
Mine flop over too.
:)
catnohat
10 years ago
I have 7 young hollyhocks that never grew over a foot tall this year. 3 of them did bloom though. I hope mine do not grow so tall they fall over! Anyway, there are a lot of hollyhocks in my neighborhood. If anyone wants seed, let me know.

~Cat
mstywoods
Original Author
10 years ago
The tallest spikes on mine are about 5 feet. I finally watched the sun exposure and wrote down the times - they are getting 4-5 hours of full southern exposure sun from about 9am - 2pm. Guess that's not enough, or maybe it's because they are in a corner of the garden bed and the morning sun is hitting them from one side, so they are bending towards that side, and then sort of flop over from the weight of the top of the branch. There is a very large spruce tree in our neighbors yard on the other side of them, so that is what shades them after 2pm.

I'll try the t-stakes, Skybird - thanks for the idea. But I may end up moving them to another area in our backyard that is sunnier longer, and put something else in their place in the front bed. I want something to grow tall there because of the blank wall of the house showing at that spot. Any ideas for some other plant that do better with that amount/type of sun exposure?

Thanks,
Marj

This post was edited by mstywoods on Sat, Aug 24, 13 at 10:38
Skybird - z5, Denver, Colorado
10 years ago
All the other "tall" blooming things I've tried in my yard--with 4-6 hours of sun--have also flopped, Misty! And if it's getting sun till 2:00, that's probably too hot for the taller shade things! You might think about an ornamental grass--possibly one of the taller (5-6') Miscanthus's (how do you spell the plural of Miscanthus???)

If you ask me any questions, I may not be back to answer! Am currently looking out the front windows of my cabin at Sleeping Ute Mountain! I can see Ute Mountain---but I CANNOT see the Sleeping Ute! That's the only reason I'm inside and on the computer! Hope it clears up some! Have a ticket for the Twilight Tour at Cliff Palace this evening--and right now it looks like we might get RAINED on!!! (And could possibly get poured on tomorrow at the Ute Mountain Tribal Park! Keep your fingers crossed for me!!!)

If I think of anything else and have a chance to come back to post, I will!

Skybird

P.S. When I took out the hollyhocks by the side of my shed, I put in a couple German iris for early color and a couple daylilies for later color. Not as tall, but they're working pretty well in the light I have!

P.P.S. Greenstem has a really good grass reference chart and I was gonna link it for you to check out, but when I clicked on the site I got a message saying: This site could harm your computer!!! Don't know what's up with that! Sorry I don't have any other good grass sites to link for you!