number of rhizomes per crown

Hello all!

I am sure this question has been answered on here somewhere, but I have to ask it again. Does anyone have any suggestions on how many rhizomes to plant for each crown? This would be for a small commercial 1 acre farm.

Thanks for any help.

It depends on how much of a chance you want to take factoring in a failure rate. On our test plot, of 120 hills we planted one per hill and they all made it. Others have planted 2 on up to 6 for major commercial farms. Our two acre expansion, we are going with live plants so we know that are alive an active. I can sleep better knowing that they are going in the ground healthy. I just have to keep them that way.

Good luck and be ready to work your butt off!

1 per hill.

Think of it this way, you are going to be paying $2 to $4 per rhizome. 1 acre can hold 1000 to 1200 rhizomes in most planting configurations. So lets say that 1 per "hill" is now $3300. If you go 2, $6,600. 6 and you are paying $19,800. The guys planting 6 to 8 per hill are planting stuff they have pulled out of their own fields and are paying about $0.50 or less per rhizome to harvest.

On a good batch of rhizomes, we easily get 80% popping out of the ground. so if you double up on the rhizomes, you'll probably get 100% of your hills popping up but you just wasted $2640 planting an extra rhizome in a hill that didn't need it.

On the other end of the spectrum, I've seen batches of crap that only has 10% popping up. If you double up, at best you get 20% which is still a dismal failure.

To be honest, I haven't seen much in the middle so unless you screw something up, either there is little protection for doubling up or little reward as you are doomed anyway.

Thank you both so much for your help!