HollyHock Grey and Rust spots

Hi
I planted some Hollyhocks into the ground a few months(Start September this year i think) back and they looked a healthy size with nice green leaves and were growing well afte a few hiccups. Since worsening winter weather has set in , the leaves have gone a moldy grey with rust spots and started to shrivel up. Is this normal in winter? Any tips? maybe i just need to remove the leaves . I hope they bloom next June-August!

 

Hi @Shaneoak .
I'm sure someone more knowledgeable will come along to answer you but..... my own first hand experience of my Hollyhocks is that they are very prone to rust ( mine always get it) and that they die right back in Winter( mine get cut right down to ground level in Autumn).

This might explain things better than me.

Growing Hollyhocks: Planting & Caring for Hollyhock Flowers - Garden Design

 

Thanks for the info upsydaisy. I'm in the UK btw. I thought they were frost hardy, but it says to protect them in that article. I might just mulch them just in case as they are young plants. It can get to minus 4 here in Leeds, on the odd occasion, but usually stays around 1 or 2 at it's lowest.

 

@Shaneoak RHS has hardy in Zone 5 which is winter min down to -10°C - -15°C. Growing up in Lincolnshire in the 60s and 70s they were just left outside for years.
Like @Upsydaisy mine die back to a rosette of leaves. I would tidy up any fallen leaves and trimmings and dispose of them in council green waste. I believe you can get rust resistant varieties.
I think the article Upsy links to might be a US one as it mentions attracting humming birds.

 

Thank you. Oh wow Humming birds in Leeds would be fantastic! Just a quick one would Avens be ok outside too in 7 in ch pots? I will plant them next spring. Thanks

 

Hi , Shaneoak ,

l water my hollyhocks with organic liquid seaweed during the growing season , it seems to stop the rust being too much of a problem .
Your Avens should be fine outside over winter , they don’t like overly wet soil though.

 

Thank you for the information. Oh good because it's minus 4 here in Leeds in coming weeks!