Moving hop crowns

I'm probably going to start growing hops next season. However, I know that I'll be moving again in 3-5 years. So, what are my chances of success if I decide to dig up the crowns and transplant them to a new location? If I move mid-season, can I hack the bines off, dig up the crowns, and expect them to survive until the following season?

You could always plant them in big planters, like Bobby_M has done. I'm shocked at how thick his vines are in the second year (uh, that sounds kinda perverse...)

I don't mind planting them in the ground, and I think I'd actually prefer to do that. Even with planters, I may still run into a mid-season move that would require cutting the bines early.

Hops are a weed vine. They are pretty darn hardy. I have read about many people digging up their plants. As for moving mid season, why even cut them down. Make sure your setup allows you to drop the bines down, coil them up around the base of the plant and move them that way. You may damage them a bit but better than cutting them off. If you do cut them though, they will grow back just fine.

If you are concerned, I would plant them in the ground and the next year after you have a few feet of vine, take a pot and bury some of the vine in that pot. It will root in the pot and you can cut it from the mother plant so you have a back-up in case the transplat fails, but I doubt it will.

It's like pulling out the biggest possible rhizome. I can't imagine it failing. Also, if you have it climbing a line, just disconnect it at the top, move the plant and rehang the vine. I guess it would be fine out of the ground for a day or two.

I read that if you are moving them mid-season you should cut off most of the bines when you move them. The reasoning is that the roots loose a lot of their mass (even if you try to get as much as possible) and also most of the little rootlets since they are fragile. If you cut back most of the plant it does not need to provide water/nutrients for the whole thing, but yet still will have some energy coming in from the amount of plant you leave.

I think the plant will wilt if you didn't cut off most of the leafy growth, but it would probably recover next season, these things are weeds after all

When you plant them, use a large hole with a good mix of light soil. Maybe a mix of peat/manure/wormcastings/perlite/vermiculite. Also, use a bit of landscape fabric to keep the weeds down around it. It will make it easier to get them out of the ground.

Right, if you have to move them in mid-season, just trim the bines down to 3-4 feet and dig out the root. Off-season, just dig them up and keep them cool. Either way, they'll be fine.

I think you could hack them back to the ground and dig them up. I would transplant them as soon as possible though. The plants will have been sending nutrients down to the roots all season so they will have plenty of nutrients. However they won't be dormant like the ones people are shipped in the Spring. They will want to start growing right away, even if kept chilled. As a result they won't keep as long as a dormant rhizome cutting. They will sprout right away so they need to be planted before the sprouts get too big.

you know, you could really have fun with this. I happened to be at a local brewpub that has their outside yard fence covered in hops. Just for gits and shiggles, I pulled one of the sprouts from the base (3 inches exposed and 8 inches of root) I planted it and it's growing like mad. Anyway, I thought if you were digging up your crowns, you will have to dress them a bit (trim some side shoots) So, you could take your trimmings and pull a johnny hoppleseed type of deal and plant them here and there as you move. Make it a Hop revolution of sorts and spread the love around the world.

I'm not sure about taking hops from a brewpub without asking, but I've been thinking I'll be spreading hop plants around the public lands here where no one goes next year when I have some Rhizomes. Guerrilla gardening that helps brewing

Yuri,

I did up wild hop plants and roots all growing season and send them to Colorado State U. for a project. The Chinook Hops in my yard have be seperated and replanted about 4 times and do well. Once transplanted it will take a season or two to really start growing.
Hopboy

I'm wondering about transplanting as well. First year grower, and I've come to realize I need to re-arrange my setup a bit. Can I move them this fall with no worries?