Provided that these beds get enough sunlight and that I build a support for them, will these beds be good for growing hops? I have 2 "jumbo" rhizomes and 6 small rhizomes. http://i.imgur.com/oAyiLPQ.jpg
Growing hops in raised beds...
- Thread starter jdoss03
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Those beds look fine for getting some hops started. I'm just foggy on what you mean when you mention about them getting "enough sunlight"? They like full sun but there's also a 'duration' requirement for them to achieve optimum growth. It looks like your location is slightly outside the accepted range so this factor may have a bearing on how they produce. http://www.usahops.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=hop_info. There's also lots of other environmental factors that will have an impact on how well they perform for you. Have fun with it and don't forget to give them a drink when they're thirsty!
The Soft Underbelly
Well-Known Member
They'll be fine in there. I have 2 cascade crown which are 5 years old in one bed. They're partially shaded by the willow tree but still get sufficient light. If i move them this year it's only because they began to merge with the willow late last summer....
I'm considering moving my hops to a raised bed at the end of the season, but my concern is really more about containing the spread and trying to have the setup looking a bit nicer then my first year bucketed hops. Should I even bother worrying about them spreading through my yard?
We have a lawn service, so a raised bed would also prevent them from getting "accidentally" mowed and weed wacked. This is my first year gardening, so I have no idea what I'm doing but I'm enjoying myself either way.
We have a lawn service, so a raised bed would also prevent them from getting "accidentally" mowed and weed wacked. This is my first year gardening, so I have no idea what I'm doing but I'm enjoying myself either way.
Barnesie: I have a raised bed. Next time you come over you can check it out. Sweetcell has a buried bed, if I understood right. His thinking is that he would have a barrier to spreading. In any case, you can always dig the root ball up every 5-10 years and trim it down (and give friends some rhizomes to plant to boot).
Beds in the picture could easily hold two full grown plants. You may want to work on the soil. I put in a mixture of topsoil, compost, and manure in mine.
They should do alright but amend the soil to give them a good start. Looks like that will get sunlight all day so that will make them happy. Water them but do NOT overwater them. If you take a handful of soil and make a fist and it clumps, you have the right moisture level. 8 rhizomes on those beds may be too many, however. I can't tell how big they are but they look like they would hold 2, at most 3 plants each. Hops do need some space and you don't want different types to mix with each other.
