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

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (6)

gjcore
10 years ago
I no longer grow hollyhocks but they always grew tall without support. Are they getting enough sun?
Related Discussions
my seedlings and vegetables keep falling over
Q
Comments (10)
From what I understand lights are good but don't replace natural light, so keeping them cool slows growth, and produces stockier plants, it made sense to me, so I followed that advice. this made sense, as in this may sound odd but in 2001 and 2002, I got the opportunity to go to Kew Gardens in London, to do environmental survey's as part of my higher nursing degree, I went again because my dad had a stroke during the term and so I repeated, my tutor said, "oh you don't have to do Kew again, unless you want", and I wanted it was an amazing place, and I got to go behind the scenes, the hot houses work due to the heat pumped from below and the humidity, but! they are natural light, the Luminance, was way higher even in winter than shop light, we did Shops as well, I was exceptionally lucky with My tutor as her Husband is a famous Architect, and she has got lots of Brilliant contacts. with Basil, well er, the thing about growing is that until you plant, as see the growth, you have no idea, last year I did Basil, and realized, my idea of basil was shop brought, loads of plants in a tiny pot and even potting on they would die quickly, last year I grew it and was amazed how big one basil plant got, but then she bolted :-( so lesson learned is succession planting for basil and to be honest, I am rubbish at basil, they keep dieing on me? Digdirt, Loo's you have some insider info :-) even my 5 year old's get confused when I say "do you need the Loo?" as only Mummy and Daddy say that :-) where I am living, I am amazed by the amount of People, who have lived in the UK (okay near a US Navy and Army base) but even the guy who treats my lawn lived for 3 years in the UK, in the late 1970's. yes, interesting times ahead, I feel for Cleggy, the worse he was doing the more powerful he became :-) only in Britain can you do bad and become more powerful? hehe, we like the underdog :-)
...See More
buckling keeps falling over, please help
Q
Comments (16)
OK, I just found this page- but you better check for something poisonous. I have raised goats for 4 years now- that sounds completely like an neurological response to a poison- had one do it in my field last year. We nursed her through- but if you don't find the source you run the risk of another goat getting it. Goats are kind of smart- if something makes them sick they generally don't go back to it, but another goat will.
...See More
I am disgusted!-Poles for beans keep falling over
Q
Comments (16)
The folks who said to stake the legs down real well are right. Without the stakes, the whole thing can blow over at any time in the future. The idea about horizontal bracing between the legs is also good. You could even use some more bamboo for the braces and lash it on real tight. Braces more rigid than bamboo would probably be best. You simply don't want the flimsy legs flopping around in the wind. I really like the idea about pulling the tension line down from the center. I'm just not sure how much tension on bamboo is good. Ted
...See More
Container growers - how do you keep your pots from blowing over?
Q
Comments (9)
For those containers sitting on the ground I drive a stake into the ground next to them and tie the container and/or the plant support to that stake. Just like you would a cage in the garden. For those sitting on the deck they get tied off to the deck rails. Plus any of my indeterminate variety tomatoes are grown in such large containers that the weight of the container would be difficult to tip over. Dave
...See More
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!

how to keep hollyhocks from falling over?

Skybird - z5, Denver, Colorado

Comments (6)

gjcore

Related Discussions

b2alicia

catnohat

mstywoods
Original Author

Skybird - z5, Denver, Colorado

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

how to keep hollyhocks from falling over?

Skybird - z5, Denver, Colorado

Comments (6)

gjcore

Related Discussions

b2alicia

catnohat

mstywoodsOriginal Author

Skybird - z5, Denver, Colorado

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

mstywoods
Original Author