How deep to you plant hollyhock roots?

Question

I bought some hollyhock, pink and white, roots at Walmart. I used to have some of these beautiful plants with flowers that look like giant carnations and have had trouble finding them again. Unfortunately, there are no good instructions regarding how deep to plant the roots or which end up. Thanks for your help.

These will grow 48-72 inches high. Hope I can get them to grow!

Answer 1

Bare root hollyhock plants usually come in plastic packaging protected by peat moss or sawdust in the bag with them. Remove the fleshy roots from the bag and lightly shake off the protective material. Trim any damage from the roots, such as mold or breakage. If they appear to be dried out, soak them in a tub of water for 10 minutes to rejuvenate them.

Plant the hollyhock roots in a prepared hole that’s wider than the roots and deep enough to encourage the long taproot to grow downward. When planting, the taproot should point downward. Don’t plant too deeply, though, just a couple inches below the soil. Bare root hollyhocks can be set on a mound of loose soil in the middle of the hole with another hole in the center for the taproot. The bud or crown of the bare root hollyhock should point upward and be level with the surrounding soil.

Gently press the roots into the soil for good contact and cover with soil. After covering the bare root plant with soil, water well and add a layer of mulch. Bare root hollyhock plants should not be allowed to dry out; neither should they sit in waterlogged soil.