Hops in a pot?

SRTBREW · 03-09-2008, 06:40 AM

Hey all, I am an apartment dweller. I would like to buy some cascade rhizomes and plant them in a very large flower pot and keep it on my deck. Does anyone know if this can be done?

Any tips and info would be greatly appreciated. Also do these need seasons, like should I leave it out in the winter? Do I need to put some stakes in for them to climb on?

Thanks, Jason

EvilTOJ · 03-09-2008, 09:48 AM

It can be done, but I hope you're on the first floor and your upstairs neighbor doesn't mind harvesting for ya. Even the first year can grow 15 feet tall. I grew some cascades in 5 gallon buckets last year, but I'd recommend wine barrels cut in half if you can manage to get those. Yes you can leave them out in the cold. Hops do vernalization for 6 weeks in the cold after harvest, which is like sleeping. Also, be prepared to water them every day since they'll be draining a lot in pots.

SRTBREW · 03-09-2008, 10:16 AM

Watering them everyday won't be a problem. As far as them getting so huge, can I just trim them a little to keep my apts. from kicking me out for growing a monster vine on my deck? I would think trimming would result in a higher density of hop flowers on the remaining plant anyway. Please correct me if I'm wrong.

mr x · 03-09-2008, 12:29 PM

I f you are going to pot them, I would make sure you use a good dirt blend. A little perlite/vermiculite/peat moss/worm castings blend. And I would think they will need a feeding schedule of some sort.

As far as trimming them producing more flowers, I am investigating this myself.

EvilTOJ · 03-09-2008, 12:43 PM

No, trimming them will reduce your yield, not make them grow more flowers. When their growth is stunted they'll produce their normal flowers, but along whatever length their bine is. For example, if you let it grow 20', it'll produce hop cones along the top 15' or so. But if you cut it off to say, 10' you'll get cones along the top 5' of bine, but it wouldn't be the same yield condensed down, if that makes sense? Think about it. Hop farms don't trim their bines down at all, they let em grow 20' straight up because they get the most amount of hops that way.

What you can do instead, if you wish, is put up some strings and train the bines along those. Run them up about 8' of twine then horizontally across the rest of the way. They can be trained to run sideways, but you have to twist them pretty much every day in a few months when they're growing several inches a day.

Smogre · 03-10-2008, 06:48 PM

I have known two different people who tried to grow hops in pots.
1 owned a brewshop and knew a thing or two and other did not.
Both of them lost their plants. aka - The plants died. I don't know why. I suspect either a cold snap or a super hot heat wave took them out.
I live in the same area and my plants were fine and my second year yeild was pretty darn good. They are in the ground.

So I am not a supporter of growing them in pots. I believe their nutrient needs are too great for a pot and the limited soil in a pot could lend to limited growth and or problems.

I do not know how well those 2 people garden. I'm sure good gardeners can make it work without issue.

**david_42** · 03-10-2008, 10:32 PM

One of the local brewing shops has a bunch of hops in a raised bed. Did great two years ago and badly last year. Hops are heavy feeders.

Does your patio have a rail? Run them along that. Hops are quite attractive, in fact, there are several types that are sold mainly for their looks.