Crowns

I ordered 4 crowns this week, one of each noble hop. I should have read better as I assumed they'd be shipped in the spring, but it looks like I'm getting them by the end of the week. My question is how should I store these crowns until the warmer spring temps? Should I put each in a planter with potting soil and store in my garage (it stays around 40 degrees in winter unless it gets really cold out).

I've been reading a lot about planting and growing but nothing about storage until ready to plant.

Thanks for any advice!

I'd keep them dark and cold until your zone is ready for planting 'em in the ground...

Cheers!

I would wrap them in paper towel to keep the dry in an open bag in your garage. Moisture will cause mold to grow and you don't want that. I work part time for a small landscaping/gardening company. We usually plant corms, rhizomes, bulbs, etc. in the late fall before the ground hardens for the winter and they sprout up in the spring. Come early spring you should be good to go.

OK, sounds good! Cold, dry and dark...I can do that.

Norie, when you say early spring I'm assuming April - May? Here in April the daytime temps are pretty warm, colder at night. There's always a possibility of a freak freeze up until around May. Would April be a good time, or would waiting be the better alternative?

Can I ask where you bought them from?
I'm in San Diego and am looking to start my first plants soon.
Going to plant them in pots for now, so I can get them in "The Ground" now.
Thanks for any help.

Srfeutz said:

Can I ask where you bought them from?
I'm in San Diego and am looking to start my first plants soon.
Going to plant them in pots for now, so I can get them in "The Ground" now.
Thanks for any help.

Click to expand...

Ya no problem....I bought them here.

https://www.facebook.com/GreatLakesHops?fref=ts

you shop and pay right from Facebook

day_trippr said:

I'd keep them dark and cold until your zone is ready for planting 'em in the ground...

Click to expand...

that's good advice for rhizomes, but i'm pretty sure that isn't what you want to do with crowns.

crowns are sprouted plants, they have bines and leaves. putting them in a dark cold place will cause the plant to die back and thus eliminating the advantage of getting crowns.

i would plant them in a pot and keep them indoors by a southern facing window. they won't be happy, but they shouldn't die. they might lose some leaves but they'll bounce back. when the risk of frost is gone, plant outside.

best people to ask is Great Lakes Hops. they're super helpful.

sweetcell said:

that's good advice for rhizomes, but i'm pretty sure that isn't what you want to do with crowns.

crowns are sprouted plants, they have bines and leaves. putting them in a dark cold place will cause the plant to die back and thus eliminating the advantage of getting crowns.

i would plant them in a pot and keep them indoors by a southern facing window. they won't be happy, but they shouldn't die. they might lose some leaves but they'll bounce back. when the risk of frost is gone, plant outside.

best people to ask is Great Lakes Hops. they're super helpful.

Click to expand...

Ok thanks for the advice. I'll shoot GLH a message.

Sprouted? Leaves? What kind of crown are we talking about being delivered in winter?

What I've seen for sale are post-harvest root balls with chopped off bine stubs. No leaves. No sprouts. Just an end-of-the-season essentially topless plant that's headed for dormancy. And given the zone I'm in, I'd keep it in that state until it's time to plant...

Cheers!

I think I'll ask what Great Lake hops recommend. I have a lot of work to do building the trellis once it warms up a little.

day_trippr said:

Sprouted? Leaves? What kind of crown are we talking about being delivered in winter?

What I've seen for sale are post-harvest root balls with chopped off bine stubs. No leaves. No sprouts. Just an end-of-the-season essentially topless plant that's headed for dormancy. And given the zone I'm in, I'd keep it in that state until it's time to plant...

Click to expand...

very good point, my bad for not considering that possibility. i bought crowns from GLH last year and i received live plants.

given the time of the year, an inactive/dormant root-ball is more likely than something with bine and leaves. if a root-ball is what you receive, then you'll want to keep that cool and in the dark, covered with some loose soil or organic matter. an unheated garage would be a great place for that.

follow the advice i have yesterday (indoor, southern window, etc) only if the thing is alive & active.

DoubleAught said:

I have a lot of work to do building the trellis once it warms up a little.

Click to expand...

hops don't need a full trellis. they need one vertical line to climb. a lattice/tic-tac-toe is a bit of a waste unless you plan on manually training the bines along & across it.