Seed-Starting Essentials
Starting plants from seed has many practical benefits: You save money, get a head start on the growing season, and choose from varieties far beyond those locally available. You also get to experience the joy of watching a seemingly lifeless seed sprout into a living plant.
A seed is a plant embryo and its initial food supply is stored within a protective coating. Seeds remain dormant until a combination of moisture, temperature, air, and light triggers germination.
Seeds have different shelf lives. Some will remain viable for hundreds of years, whereas others may only store well for a couple of years.
Starting TimesKnowing when to start seeds indoors takes some backward thinking. Find out the average date of the last frost in your area and the number of weeks before that date you should start a particular seed. (The number of weeks varies and is listed on the seed package.) Then count backward on the calendar from the average last frost date.
As a general rule, start most seeds six to eight weeks before your average last frost date. If you start seeds too early, you'll have to keep the seedlings inside too long, and they will be weak by transplant time.
vbritchie: I think you need to look for a variety of hollyhock that is resistant to the blight you described. I think it is a kind of rust and some varieties are bred to be resistant. I pulled my plants last year because they fell victim to the same thing. Claudia
4/2/2011 01:11:36 PM Report AbuseI've had hollyhocks for years and I found that Japanese beetles were the worst pest...they love the leaves. The only way I could keep them under control was to use 'sevin', a pesticide that I got from the garden department at our local Lowe's store. Hope this helps! Margaret
8/1/2010 01:10:27 PM Report AbuseIliked your article on hollyhocks, but need to know how to keep a blight that destroys the leaves, flowers and then the plant every summer. I am not sure what is causing the riddled leaves, as if something is eating it and all the leaves becomes yellow. I love the flowers, but need to know how to care for them other than having expensive chemicals from lawn care administered. Thanks Vera
2/12/2010 10:10:06 AM Report Abuse