Year end maintenance

With some nice weather and a little time this weekend I buried three 5 gal buckets that had rhizomes planted in them this past Spring. The first two I had no problem lifting but the last one was anchored. After a little digging I was able to keep the majority of the roots in tact so I decided to show some of the newer growers what type of growth some rhizomes are capable of during their first season. Why did one do so much better than the others, your guess is as good as mine. All rhizomes aren't created equal. Hop On!!

cool, thanks for posting that.

Next year I'm going to start a couple varieties!!
I'm also going to try and get some rhizomes from two places where I know they are growing wild. They aren't natural, but when people settled near by they planted them.

Thanks for sharing that picture, B-Hoppy!

That picture provides a good lesson as to why hop growers using pots (myself included) should check the bottom of their pots each year to be sure that root mass hasn't clogged up the drainage holes. If the roots clog the holes, then the pots won't drain, and the rhizomes will drown in stagnant, stinky water.

Good drainage is an important part of happy hop growing. Also, maybe a no-brainer, but I would be more inclined to divide the rhizomes of one that grew like a beast than the one that puttered along, even if they were the same variety.