Saaz Have Arrived! Question

Just got my Saaz rhizomes from Thyme Garden. Judging by the postmark, the poor things have been in transit for 6 days! Seems like a long time for the USPS.
Anyhoo, they're pretty thin, but are long and both have very prominent shoots growing from them, complete with what appear to be very young leaves/buds. These shoots seem to run parallel/alongside the rhizome. When planting, should I try to have these tips exposed, or would it be better to just bury them and let them find their way out of the ground?
Thanks!
Chris

Saaz!!

I buried mine because they were only an inch or so long, they were still developing, and I figure they can grow much bigger than that so they can find their way out. If they look developed, ie the shoots that you usually sticking out of the ground you might want to keep them sticking out when you plant them. It's my first year growing them as well so take my advice with a grain.

alrighty then, thanks!
I have another question. One of the "buds" at the tip of the developing shoot is showing signs of rot (drat!). I recon I should just cut this off, correct? Should I cut off just the rotten part?

Chris

yet again I'm not the most experienced but I would cut it off. It kinda depends on what it looks like as there are multiple different diseases and viruses. This site tells a few http://oregonhops.org/culture2.html . There are others as well, I'd do a google search before I cut anything.