Planting Hops in the "wild"

I've strung up lines at just about every place I can commit to for this year and I have about 4 leftover pots of Cascade that are just begging for something to climb now. I live very close to a section of land that is between a river and road that is uninhabited. It's basically what I think you'd call a flood plain because this area will get a little water when we have 3 days of rain. I'm thinking about throwing my cascades in the ground there and slinging some Rope up a tree for them to climb. I'd stake maybe 3 lines down and tie off the other side so that I can release them for harvesting. This is city land so I suppose it's technically tresspassing, but if I look past that, what other gotchas can you think of?

None once the vine is established. Initially the surrounding weeds and things will steal water and nutrients until the hop plant has sufficient roots to do it's own stealing. You'll have to find some means of watering as well. I have about 3 acres of landlocked property behind me that is called permanent open space on my subdivisions site plan and I tihnk next year I will move my hop operation back there.

Linc

Maybe I'll throw one out there near a place I can string up a line and just see how it goes for a couple weeks. I have this vision of a total hop jungle come three years from now.

Bobby_M said:

Maybe I'll throw one out there near a place I can string up a line and just see how it goes for a couple weeks. I have this vision of a total hop jungle come three years from now.

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that sounds totally awesome!

Does the city do any weed control there?

I wouldn't string lines. You will draw attention to it. Let it grow wild. I don't know if there is a penalty for growing anything on city land. It's not like you're growing marijauna. Hey, Bobby why don't you a make test case of it, then we can all grown hops in the park. I'll throw a few bucks into the Bobby M defense fund.

I looked up the list of "official" weeds in NJ and hops are not on it. I think you could be fined if you're caught intentionally propagating a known invasive plant. My only problem with letting it go nuts is that I'll have to do a commercial style harvest where I'd pick a day were "most" cones were mature and just hack the whole vine down. Immature cones never get a chance to grow up. I guess I'll have to go over there and assess the likelihood of anyone strolling through and taking notice.

Bobby_M said:

I looked up the list of "official" weeds in NJ and hops are not on it. I think you could be fined if you're caught intentionally propagating a known invasive plant. My only problem with letting it go nuts is that I'll have to do a commercial style harvest where I'd pick a day were "most" cones were mature and just hack the whole vine down. Immature cones never get a chance to grow up. I guess I'll have to go over there and assess the likelihood of anyone strolling through and taking notice.

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only you could find a list of the official weeds of NJ

i can only imagine how long that list must be!

joejaz said:

only you could find a list of the official weeds of NJ

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It's really not that long: http://njaes.rutgers.edu/weeds/thumbnail.asp

Interesting the Mugwort and Yarrow are on it.

Here you go Bobby

The message was hushed and brief. "Bottom of the tower block. 10pm. Wear dark clothes. Bring tools. Tell no one."
This is the furtive call of the guerrilla gardener, the superhero who is inspiring his secret soldiers to transform public spaces all over the world.
His mission, using good old-fashioned flower power, is to turn every drab roundabout, bare traffic island, shabby flowerbed and patch of empty mud into a blooming spectacle.​

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http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/topsto...ecretly-brightening-up-london-89520-20417092/

I'm on the phone with the PPD as we speak...

Tell them to be on the lookout for lush greenery under one arm and a sixer of cop bribe under the other.

Ok, I've done some recon and I think the best place to plant is at the base of the support cables of large telephone poles. It provides a natural climbing guide and will probably just be discounted as a weed if anyone happens upon it. I've found a few off the beaten path both near home and work. I'll take some pics when I get them planted, but not so much that you local bastages can find them and come reeping.

I've been considering the same thing, although doing it next year when I can harvest rhizomes off the plants I put in the ground this year (will bury some bines after harvest).

I've thought of the cables going to telephone poles as well, but have not figured out harvesting yet, I don't think the bines are going to let go of the cable very easily.

I suggest you go to walmart and get one of thoses camaflouge suits in the sporting goods section

Bobby_M said:

I think you could be fined if you're caught intentionally propagating a known invasive plant. My only problem with letting it go nuts is that I'll have to do a commercial style harvest where I'd pick a day were "most" cones were mature and just hack the whole vine down.

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I don't think you would have to cut down the bines, just harvest the cones as needed.
You're in an area where vines are pretty common. It would be more attention getting IMO if you were to drag out a mass of plant matter.

If I go pick some dandelions for dandelion wine, I don't think that anyone would accuse me of farming/propogating them.

No officer, I just thought I'd drag this vine back to the house to decorate the porch for the fall.

I'm just concerned about all the cones that grow higher than 8 feet.

That's a pretty cool list because I can finally put a name to the stuff in my lawn . I've got at least 10 of them...but when the dry July comes around, I have the greenest yard on the street. Water's for brewing, not lawns.

And you'll be giving us the google map coordinates of this hop infestation, correct?