Apartment hops growing
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That really depends on how much light you get in your apartment, which is actually a relatively hard thing to gauge subjectively. I have very large south-east facing windows in my apartment and can grow most things, but couldn't grow much but shade plants in my previous place.
The other consideration is whether or not you have the space to trellis the hop plant properly. These suckers get long.
The other consideration is whether or not you have the space to trellis the hop plant properly. These suckers get long.
i think i have enough space to trellis the plant,and i have a south facing window so i think light is enough too, the only problem is with pot ! if it's enough for plant roots ? i don't want to wait a long time for hops to grow and harvest only one time.
Irena said:
That I'm not sure about. I've only ever grown hops indoors hydroponically, and roots grow differently in those circumstances.
You probably won't get much or any harvest the first year in any case, so it is worth figuring this one out. I hope others will chime in.
Ok, just to be sure you understand. Hops need almost all day of bright sunlight to be really prolific. Half a day would probably suffice, but everything I've read said full sun for many hours each day.
And when we say they get long, think 20 feet tall. And they reach out and grab anything and everything and try to climb on it.
I think you could get by with a LARGE pot to put it in, but it will not likely grow as big and maybe die off in a few years. The roots are almost as eager to find new places to go as the bines.
Also, you may get a little bit the first year, but it probably wont' produce enough flowers to use for brewing until the second year, and that's under prime conditions. Cascades are probably the best for production and ease of growing.
And when we say they get long, think 20 feet tall. And they reach out and grab anything and everything and try to climb on it.
I think you could get by with a LARGE pot to put it in, but it will not likely grow as big and maybe die off in a few years. The roots are almost as eager to find new places to go as the bines.
Also, you may get a little bit the first year, but it probably wont' produce enough flowers to use for brewing until the second year, and that's under prime conditions. Cascades are probably the best for production and ease of growing.
Yeah, as Homercidal implied, a single window probably won't cut it. The south east wall of my apartment is basically all glass, and even then I think I had slightly stunted growth.
What do you mean exactly by large ? can you give me a diameter and height for example ? and can i cut the roots if they exceed the pot ?
soundsandsuds
Well-Known Member
My vote is no.
You need way more space than you've got and way more light. I'f you're looking to fill up your apartment with more gear buy another fermenter for where the inside pot would have gone and a propane burner for your balcony.
You need way more space than you've got and way more light. I'f you're looking to fill up your apartment with more gear buy another fermenter for where the inside pot would have gone and a propane burner for your balcony.
Like ten feet by thirty feet, and I'm 20 stories up in the air so there's nothing casting shadows at any time of day. Unless you've got something like that, I just can't see you getting enough light on a 20 foot long vine all day, every day.
If you cut the roots, you'll be curbing the plant's growth. If you do it too abruptly or incorrectly, you'll kill the plant. Fruit and cone bearing plants don't produce fruit or cones if they're unhealthy. You could always use grow lamps, but getting grow lamp coverage over twenty feet would be mighty expensive, both in terms of equipment and electricity.
For a planter, you'll need as big as you can find. I'm talking about 4-5 feet wide.
And you can cut the creeping root back, but you won't be able to cut the deep roots, where it matters.
While I dislike discouraging folks, this sounds like a very difficult thing to do. I'm sure you could probably grow some Cascade hops to a certain degree, but whether you get enough cones to use would be the problem. I'm sure it would make a nice ornamental vine though, regardless.
And you can cut the creeping root back, but you won't be able to cut the deep roots, where it matters.
While I dislike discouraging folks, this sounds like a very difficult thing to do. I'm sure you could probably grow some Cascade hops to a certain degree, but whether you get enough cones to use would be the problem. I'm sure it would make a nice ornamental vine though, regardless.
cheezydemon3
Well-Known Member
a Half barrell would be a good pot.
The hops won't dangle over the edge of a balcony either. they grow UP.
The hops won't dangle over the edge of a balcony either. they grow UP.
Irena said:
Some people get a few cones their first year, but many don't get any until their second.
cheezydemon3
Well-Known Member
The only one that produced my first year, (out of 8 varieties) was cascade.
It has consistently been the best producer.
It has consistently been the best producer.
rhoadsrage
Well-Known Member
Get an Earthbox and put it on your balcony. A South Facing balcony will work. Hops grow up to 20 ft. tall. I grew them in pots on my roof when I lived in an apt. I used 1/2 barrel sized plastic pots with a mix of 2:1 peat moss and mushroom compost. They did well but needed lots of water. The earthbox will solve that problem. There are lots of plans on line to make your own.
newtonjason
Member
Exactly my thoughts. I did this last year and they turned out awesome. I planted 12 sub-irrigated planter boxes made from storage totes and the results exceeded my expectations.
Keys were to give them enough nutrients and water as you are feeding a large plant from a small root volume.
In the height of summer I watered them almost every day with nutrients a couple times a week.
From 12 plants, (1st year growing) I harvested 43lbs wet hops, 9.54lbs of dried hops. so average 3/4lb dried hops per plant.
I purposely trimmed most plants to only one bine so that may have limited harvest. one of the plants I left go to two bines and it produced twice the cones with no issues seen.
I'll keep posting updates, but in Vancouver, BC I am starting to get shoots coming up so the season (2014) has officially begun
Fuggles (2 vines) - 4.8 lbs wet - 18oz dry
Willamette (1 vine) - 2.4 lbs wet - 9.5 oz dry
Centennial (1 vine) - 2.4 lbs wet - 9 oz dry
Cascade (1 vine) - 4.8 lbs wet - 17 oz dry
Sterling (2 vines) - 9.5 lbs wet - 33 oz dry
Goldings (1 vine) - 3.5 lbs wet - 9.3 oz dry
Galena (1st vine)- 1.9 lbs wet - 6.4 oz dry
Mt Hood (1 vine) - 3.4 lbs wet - 10.7 oz dry
Galena (2nd vine) - 6.3 lbs wet - 23 oz dry
Chinook (1 vine) - 4.6 lbs wet - 16.7 oz dry
http://brewbot.ca/growing-hops-on-a-balcony.html
