Transplanting Hops Overseas

Hi All,

I'm working in New Zealand on a homestead that has loads of semi-wild hops growing on it. The hops were brought over from Germany in the 1860s and planted on the property as a way to make beer for the guests. Over the years they've been more or less left to grow on their own. Last year I used some of them in a brew and it turned out great.

I'm moving back to the US in a few months, any advice on how I could transport and store (possibly dry out the rhizomes?) them for a few months (Feb to May) and grow them in the US?

Cheers guys.

Before you do any planning on this, you'd best find out if you can actually bring hop plants into the US. I know whenever I come back from trips outside the country, Customs always asks if I'm bringing any plants in...

Cheers!

you don't want to dry the rhizomes, they need to be kept cool and a little damp.

it is almost certainly illegal for you to bring back rhizomes from NZ without an import permit from the USDA.

I don't think you should put them in your suitcase. They might get confiscated. You are better off geting small rhizomes and put them in a small zip lock bag small enough to fit in a regular envelope. If you drop off a regular envelope at the post office they don't usually ask for any customs form. And letters aren't usually inspected. If you were to put a couple in your suitcase I would just throw them in the bottom not in a bag and hope for the best.

Thanks everyone for the advice.

I've transplanted three solid hops plants into a container in my yard and they are going strong. Moving to US in June, will have to decide if i want to gamble with the customs people (generally not a good idea) or try mailing rhizomes. Otherwise, the plants will make good gifts for some fellow homebrewers here in NZ.

maybe weave them into a belt you can wear through customs =)

If you want to try mailing me one I'm up for it. If it lives I'll have more rhizomes to share.

Importing plants across continents is a big no no.

Have no idea what the penalties are. But you may want to look into that first.

Are you still in NZ? It would be great if i could get some plants off you.

mcmrf said:

Moving to US in June, will have to decide if i want to gamble with the customs people (generally not a good idea) or try mailing rhizomes. Otherwise, the plants will make good gifts for some fellow homebrewers here in NZ.

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get some new crowns once you get to the US, and make some home brewers in NZ happy.

personally i wouldn't risk being arrested for smuggling, or introducing new diseases to the US. american hops don't have any immunity built up to whatever ails hops in NZ (just as kiwi hops would have problems with US diseases - so what you bring back might not even survive here). just seems like there is a ton of downside for very little upside.

sweetcell said:

get some new crowns once you get to the US, and make some home brewers in NZ happy.

personally i wouldn't risk being arrested for smuggling, or introducing new diseases to the US. american hops don't have any immunity built up to whatever ails hops in NZ (just as kiwi hops would have problems with US diseases - so what you bring back might not even survive here). just seems like there is a ton of downside for very little upside.

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+1000 On a different yet related subject, 5 years ago when my inlaws came for a visit from germany they had brought 3 sticks of summer sausage with them. It got seized at customs, they got fined $1,500 and got put on the Terror Watchlist as beef smugglers. For the next 3 years every time they came here it was a huge hassle getting in country and at least one of those times they had full cavity searches done. So moral is no need to get labeled as a "Hops Smuggler".

BumpyZulu said:

Are you still in NZ? It would be great if i could get some plants off you.

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Sorry I live in NZ would love to get some hops off you. They seem to be locked up by NZhops so would be great to get some to grow.