I have slowly dispensed of hollyhocks from my garden because of the problem with rust. One has reappeared growing through a flagstone, quite short and has no rust? Explain if you will.
My hollyhock has some closed buds and all of the leaves have died off due to rust. This is a new bed with rich soil, this must be the problem. The best hollyhocks I have seen locally have been self sown ones, growing through cracks in driveways - this must be the answer!
I have been growing hollyhocks in my garden for several yeas and every year I have the problem of rust. I had never heard of "rust" until I read this blog, I just thought it was a normal thing that happened to hollyhocks.I should say though that my plant are always about 8 feet tall and have lots of blooms. Now I know about "rust" what can I do to prevent having it again next year? No-one has left any answers yet? I would really appreciate any help! I would also like to say that due to "Gardener's World" I only started gardening aabout 5 years ago and my garden is all I think about now-a days, I hadn't realised what I'd been missing all those years! Thank you for everything! xx
I've planted out my hollyhock plants which I've been growing in the greenhouse this weekend, they're looking very healthy they're in the front garden away from the ones I had in the back last year that had rust,next to each plant I've placed a half grapefruit skin which I've been trying around the garden next to other plant with slug problems, this seems to be the answer to slug problems at the moment for me so hopefully they won't get eaten and next year they will flower and not get rust.
The best hollyhocks I ever succeeded in growing - after many years of rust ridden plants - was whilst having building work done, and the whole garden was covered in a fine film of concrete and hardcore dust, but for the first year ever, NO RUST on the hollyhocks - spectacular.
I think the key difficulty in growing hollyhocks (apart from the rust problem!) is that the seeds are vulnerable to frost. I have a suspicion that that's why one sees hollyhocks growing in the most unfavourable of places, such as cracks in paving, because the seeds have tucked themselves into a frost-free sheltered environment and thrive! Basically, hollyhocks like the bad life. Neglect them and they flourish. Love and nurture them and they die.
I often put cold used teabags into my house plant soil as extra fertiliser.But after putting in a REDBUSH teabag,one plant shoot has appeared!! Its red,20cms high,thin,with tiny obvious budding leaf start! Is this plant safe to grow here??
Hollyhock rut is extremely difficult to control , basically you'd be plastering the plants with rust fungicide at ridiculous intervals and pretty well throughout spring and summer, so it is something many of us regard as 'normal' too! But dry conditions and good air circulation do all help immensely so flagstones, gravel and perhaps even concreting activity could all help!
I have planted Dwarf Hollyhocks for the first time this year. They are currently flowering but the stems are rather tall and it seems that the top flowers won't be opening. Can I cut them down a bit or is this not to be done. Please advise.
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Now I know about "rust" what can I do to prevent having it again next year? No-one has left any answers yet?
I would really appreciate any help!
I would also like to say that due to "Gardener's World" I only started gardening aabout 5 years ago and my garden is all I think about now-a days, I hadn't realised what I'd been missing all those years!
Thank you for everything! xx
Its red,20cms high,thin,with tiny obvious budding leaf start! Is this plant safe to grow here??