Hollyhock 'Chater's Scarlet' | Alcea

Alceas can have issues with Rust, a fungal infection that will appear as orange fuzz on the leaves. To prevent rust try to prevent too much moisture sitting on the leaves by always watering at the ground and, if possible, watering in the morning to give the moisture time to evaporate off the surface during the day. You can spray you plant with Neem Oil or sulfur as well which works as a fungicide. There are a number of non-organic fungicides you can also purchase to protect your plants against Rust. Alcea's can also be attacked by slugs and caterpillars as well so check the leaves regularly, especially when the plant is young. MORE

Generally the plant will cope fine with rain water throughout the year. During hot, prolonged dry periods in summer, however, you may have to give the plant a good watering several times a week. If the plant starts to look distressed and the soil around it is very dry, then give the plant some more water and check up on it the next day.

Plant somewhere where the plant will receive around 6 hours of direct sunlight every day.

If planting into the ground, and especially if you have clay heavy soil, mix in plenty of rich organic matter such as garden compost and possibly some perlite to improve drainage. A good mix is three parts garden compost and one part topsoil.

Don't worry, this isn't a hungry plant so your food bills won't be going up!