hops in pots?

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PUD

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i rent my house and plan on planting my rhizomes in pots. i wish to take them with me when i move. what would be good pots to grow them in? the homebrewers garden suggests 5 gallon pots for limited growing space.
what about those shallow long pots? will the root ball grow horizontal or will they grow deep?
 
Pots may work, but I don't think they're ideal. Hops grow deep, tree-like roots. If you must plant in a pot, I'd suggest the biggest pots feasible.
 
anybody have a more exact answer with possible dimension or size? just got my hops today and plan to have them in pots at my fiancee's place and we're moving in a year too. how about transplanting? i'm starting them in small post at my place. granted if they die at her place, it's still a small victory considering she hates beer and my homebrewing :)
 
Looking at those 30-year-old Cascade crowns they have on eBay it doesn't seem to me like they get too big for a pot but I'm no expert.
 
I've heard that large pots can be used for the first couple of years or so, maybe longer depending on the size of the pot.

Here is what I am doing for this year, fairly cheap and easy to build.
 
man i wish i could do that..but her parents are also a bit uber religious and hate drinking (beer was once referred to as devil water). so i'm hoping to put them up as " nice foliage" up against the house in a flower garden. i just want to be sure that the root system doesn't get too big for the pots. but you did give me ideas....especially once we are married and we have our own place away from her folks. i guess my question would be if the 20 gallon pots are for 1 plant only? if so, in your experience, is it possible to fit 2 in there? reason is that i room for 3 pots but have 2 cascade, 1 chinook and 1 centennial. my fear is that the 2 cascade will under produce. thanks for the feedback.
 
I've got two Chinook in a half drum (half a 55gal barrel) sized pot. They seem to be doing fine. We'll see come harvest time.

I'd say go for it and use the space that you have as best you can. If you can afford/fit big pots with one rhizome per pot it'll work out best in the long run though.
 
hobbsj said:
(beer was once referred to as devil water)

Not to bag on your choice in women, but you could keep the hops and look for a brew goddess... just sayin... devil water...really. Then again we all have our burdens to bear.
 
Seabee John said:
Not to bag on your choice in women, but you could keep the hops and look for a brew goddess... just sayin... devil water...really. Then again we all have our burdens to bear.

Yes...mine is keeping up with wife on beer night! :tank:
 
Seabee John said:
Not to bag on your choice in women, but you could keep the hops and look for a brew goddess... just sayin... devil water...really. Then again we all have our burdens to bear.

I suppose I should clarify some things...for one, I'm not making fun of his Gal, God knows I've had a few "winners" in my life. I feel I should mention that the "brew goddess" in my house barely puts up with all my "beer stuff" (Of course I'm not as bad off as Slnies who gets his wife a hotel room every time he brews at home - which is part of the reason he brews at my place)

I just tend to laugh at extremes from time to time...no harm intended.
 
McKBrew said:
I've heard that large pots can be used for the first couple of years or so, maybe longer depending on the size of the pot.

Here is what I am doing for this year, fairly cheap and easy to build.

Great stuff. More pics please. Some close ups. I'm going to put my new rizhomes in pots. Thanks.
 
I went to Wally World and bought a couple 20 gallon Rubbermaid tubs (the kind you can chill kegs in) for $6 apiece and drilled a few large holes in the bottoms. Then I went and bought a bunch of stuff from Lowe's and mimicked Talleymonster's PVC trellis system. Pipes, pots, dirt filler stuff for 2 pots was about $35 for everything total. It's about 10 feet up. I plan on training 2 bines up 2 different ropes and then once they reach the top I'm gonna train them down 2 ropes on the other side. Best part is the tubs have handles so if I wanna adjust em its really easy.
 
I just got done putting my rhizomes in pots. One each of Willamette, Sterling, Cascade and Mt. Hood. I plan on getting them off to a decent start in the pots while I get the yard ready. I have to dethatch and till the the heck out of it first. Plus, the snow just finally melted off of the ground so it's still frozen just below the surface. I figure I have at least two weeks before I can start working the soil and another two after that to get the trellis and beds ready.

Feels good to get them in some soil though.
 
EdWort said:
Great stuff. More pics please. Some close ups. I'm going to put my new rizhomes in pots. Thanks.


I'll try to get something more when I actually have a chance to finish more than one pot and get my rhizomes planted. I'm going to try to get them done on Sunday.
 
Here is a quick video showing my design as well as some pics. Got the pots built and rhizomes planted today.
[YOUTUBE]vYtMouMk3nQ[/YOUTUBE]

DSCN0442.jpg


DSCN0443.jpg


DSCN0444.jpg


DSCN0454.jpg
 
A friend did his in pots and wishes they were bigger. I'd be leary of cheap barrels. My wife did these a couple of years ago, and after about 2 years they fell apart when we tried to move them. You might want to beef them up with straps before trying to move.
 
Homercidal said:
A friend did his in pots and wishes they were bigger. I'd be leary of cheap barrels. My wife did these a couple of years ago, and after about 2 years they fell apart when we tried to move them. You might want to beef them up with straps before trying to move.

If I used barrels, I would put a small roofing nail just underneath each steel strap (3 per strap equally placed around the circumference). That will help keep the straps from falling down with things dry out during the winter.
 
I planted some in 1/2 whiskey barrels. The rhizomes froze the following winter. I'd suggest planting them in raised beds in the ground, then digging them out when you move.
 
How are people handling wintering their hops in pots?

Is there a specific temp that the rhizomes must drop to in order to become dormant?

Should I leave the pots outside until the bines die off after some frost?

How about watering?

Do hops needs to become dormant each year? In a private message discussion I'm having, it was mentioned that major pruning and continuing growth indoors may be a solution. Letting them grow indoors throughout the winter would porbably be the easiest method, if that's possible.

I won't be able to plant outdoors until next year but don't want to jeopardize my hops plants by wintering them wrong.

What do those of you with hops in pots do?

Just FYI, I'm in Pennsylvania (Zone 5)

Thanks!

-Rich
 
My hops in pots are on my porch, it has a closet for storage. I will probably move the hops into the storage closet during the winter, this should keep the temp a little more constant and also get them out of my way.
 
Hop roots need 10 weeks of temperatures below 50º to get vernalization. I can't find where I read that, but I know it's true! I saw it on the internet.
 
vernalization is indeed a good thing. It's like what sleeping is to us. It allows the hop roots to regroup and start converting it's stores of nutrients into next spring's growth cycle.
 
I'm not sure about winter storage of my hop pot, but I'm thinking covering it with a thick layer of straw would probably be the way to go.
 
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