Hollyhocks are easy to grow from seed and will readily self-seed in your garden. The new plants may not be exactly the same as the parent plants, if they are hybrids or cultivars. Self-seeded plants can be lifted while young and transplanted to a spot in your garden where you would like them to grow.
Hollyhocks take around 10-14 days to germinate and then another 3-4 weeks before they're ready for pricking out.
Hollyhocks are easy to grow, although many varieties are biennial and take two years from seed to flower. Some bloom the first year if planted early enough, and other varieties are considered to be short-lived perennials.
To force biennial hollyhocks to flower the first year, treat them with gibberellic acid, a flower inducer that takes the place of a cold period. Planting them in fall may also induce hollyhocks to bloom the first year.. . . . .364011236447!]
