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Hollyhock
I've a few hollyhocks in my garden. Both in full sun, half sun and shadow. They flower very well but the leaves become become dry, brown and very ugly. I've seen the same problem a bit further in the street.
What causes the leaves become so nasty. The roots are not dried out.
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I'm not an expert Rinus but I'm sure its rust they suffer with, though mine never seem to get it badly for some reason.
Your hollyhocks get rust when they get to my garden Fishy
I love hollyhocks but they always look awful from the waist down. I try and place them so the legs are hidden
In the sticks near Peterborough
Same here Nut, I tend to remove the leaves so far up and plant something in front of them. At the moment I've got Charters Double but I'm going to try Antwerp for next year, they are supposed to be resistant to rust.
Its strange nut cos you and I are geographically neighbours, similar rainfall levels...though I'm on higher ground here. I wonder if that makes a difference
Might do Fishy. Rust is big here, it destroyed a big patch of Vinca a few years ago.
We're not below sea level but not much above
In the sticks near Peterborough
Well I do live below sea level ( Netherlands). Do I have to add something to the soil to avoid dry brown leaves next year? Or is it "just live with it".
Does it mean the iron level in the soil is to high? (rust----iron????)
Nice thought Rinus K, but no - rust is a fungal disease, spread by spores. It gets its name from the colour of the affected leaves.
I've frequently noticed that hollyhocks growing in beds seem almost guaranteed to contract rust, whereas I know of hollyhocks growing from gaps in paving, tarmac etc, with no soil at the surface seem to survive virtually rustless for years and years.
My conclusion is that the spores fall from the affected leaves and if they fall on the soil they linger there over the winter to reinfect the plant the following year, whereas if they fall on paving, tarmac etc the spores are washed away in the winter, hence less chance of re-infection. Just a thought
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Was tempted to put some hollyhocks in the corner of my rose bed next year. All this talk of rust is making me rethink though GH - wouldn't want them to infect my roses. Should I avoid?
No idea what the GH is - ipad gremlin!
I remove brown leaves and spray every 2 weeks with rose fungal/ black spot spray . They are never pretty at the base so always planted at the back of the border. I dont think this can help the problem as air circulation is worse at the back of the border but it's the best I have come up with. The rust has not spread to my roses so I think it must be a different fungus