Relocating & Splitting Hops - need advice.

Hello,
I have a variety of hop vines growing on my property, and I am going to be moving to a different state within the next few weeks. I would like to take the hops with me, as well as split them and give to friends if I could.

I know that when I got them, they were just the root / rhizome and I had to bury them in the spring, and watch them grow into monsters throughout the summer. Do I do the same now? Just dig them up? And to split them, can I just cut them in half?

How long will they survive? Is the best way to preserve them in a ziploc bag with some moisture?

Any tips or advice are greatly appreciated.

-L

Just dig them up and bag the main root. You can give your friends some of the rhizomes that are growing around each root. Keep them cool.

I'll take some... and even pay shipping and handling to the right grower!

Here is a video all about transplanting and dividing hop plants.
http://www.basicbrewing.com/index.php?page=march-16-2009-transplanting-hops

I am curious about how to divide hop rhizomes properly. The link is not working. Anyone know a place for another video that shows this process? Thanks

guy,

I don't know how old your plant is, but even after two growing seasons you'll most likely have rhizomes coming off of the main crown. The little rhizome you originally planted will over time, swell into what looks like a big thick gnarl of wild grape vines with a bunch of rhizomes coming off of it. The rhizomes will be located mostly in the top six inches of the soil and have little white eyes/buds, and the actual roots don't have them. They do start to become 'woody' after a few years so you could dig the whole thing up and assess what you have. If you have a bunch of rhizomes, just cut them off as close to the crown as possible and get them into the fridge as soon as possible. The cool temps will help hold them back (keep the buds that haven't sprouted from sprouting too soon). Just stick them in a zip lock bag and refrigerate. The easiest way to cut up a crown is with some sort of saw. I like the bow saw or a standard pruning saw will work. Hope this helps.

So when is the best time to dig them up?
Also, instead of digging up the whole rhizome, I read that you might be able to stab a sharp spade shovel into the ground about one foot away from the center of the plant, going all the way around the original rhizome - then digging up what is outside that one foot circumference. And this method could result in 20+ extra rhizomes after 2-3 years of growth. Does this sound typical...

Do it every Spring and you'll keep the crown from getting too unruly. You can also do it in the Fall if you'd like . . . the weather may be better at that time. Hop to it!