What's Eating Your Hollyhock?

Hand-pick into soapy water at dawn

Neem oil spray at dusk, every 5 days

Mix 2 tablespoons cold-pressed neem oil and 1 teaspoon dish soap per gallon of water. Spray the upper leaves and open blooms at dusk when pollinators are gone. Neem deters feeding without killing the beneficial insects that pollinate the flower spikes. Repeat every 5 days through peak season.

Skip Japanese beetle traps

The pheromone lures pull beetles in from a wide radius and a fraction stop to feed on your hollyhocks before reaching the trap. University trials show traps increase damage on nearby plants. Hand-pick instead, or place traps at the far edge of a large property.

Knock weevils into soapy water in late spring

Cut and bag spent flower spikes before pods mature

Cut the flower spikes after bloom and bag the seed pods in the trash. Do not compost. Larvae overwinter inside fallen pods and emerge as adults the next spring. Removing the pods breaks the cycle and is the single most effective long-term control.

Clean up the basal rosette in fall

Rake fallen leaves and old pods from around the basal rosette in late fall. Adult weevils overwinter in plant debris at the soil line. A clean planting in November means fewer adults waking up to attack next year's flower spikes.

Strong water blast every 2 to 3 days for 2 weeks

Hold a hose nozzle 12 inches from the affected stalk and spray at high pressure. Most aphids dislodge and don't make it back up the 6 to 8 foot spike. Repeat every 2 to 3 days for 2 weeks. The fastest, cheapest fix and works without chemicals.

Insecticidal soap on the stalk and leaf undersides

Spray ready-to-use insecticidal soap (Safer Brand, ~$10) on the flower stalk, buds, and underside of every lower leaf at dusk. Coat fully because soap kills only on direct contact. Repeat every 5 days for 2 weeks until clusters are gone.

Plant alyssum or yarrow in the bed

Tuck alyssum, yarrow, or dill into the cottage garden bed alongside the hollyhocks. These flowers attract ladybugs and lacewings that feed on aphids. Established plantings keep aphid pressure low without sprays and pull in the pollinators hollyhocks rely on.

Hose the lower leaves weekly for 3 weeks

Direct a strong hose spray at the underside of the heart-shaped lower leaves. Mites can't reattach quickly when knocked off, and the rinse humidity slows survivors. Hollyhocks tolerate a hard rinse. Repeat weekly for 3 weeks. Skip if rust disease is already present, as wet leaves spread rust.

Mulch and water deeply at the base

Spread 2 inches of bark or straw mulch around the basal rosette. Water deeply at the soil line once a week instead of light frequent watering. Drought-stressed hollyhocks attract spider mites, and a steady soil moisture level breaks the cycle without raising humidity around the foliage.

Neem oil at dusk, every 5 days for 3 rounds