To pot or not to pot; that is the question.

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kansasbrew

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I am growing hops for the first time this year. At first I thought to go with large pots. The reason? I've heard that hops can become almost invasive and take over. Am I too worried about that? I have room to put it right into the ground, but I don't want it to go sideways on me.

So, should I go with pots--favoring control?
Should I go right into the ground--ease, expense and better growth possibilities?
 
i buried 5 gal buckets in the ground (drilled) and planted in the buckets. its a little of both, except there is NO water being wicked up from below.
 
I keep reading that five gallons is too small. What has your experience been?
 
the root ball doesn't need to get much gbigger than a basketball, from what I saw. so far i'm good. i'll report back later in the summer, too.
 
1st year plants in my experience wont get too out of control so there would not really be a difference between potting or not for the first year. I myself am trying to come up with a good way to grow in a planter for this year. There are a lot of options and opinions out there but remember that hops take a lot of attention so if you give that attention then they should not get too out of whether or not you pot or not.
 
I'm torn. I planted everything in ground. I pulled a few to see if I should trim them. Some of them were three feet deep. Originally I wasn't concerned but now I am. I may need to pull them all from my raised garden and put them in boxes.
 
I'm torn. I planted everything in ground. I pulled a few to see if I should trim them. Some of them were three feet deep. Originally I wasn't concerned but now I am. I may need to pull them all from my raised garden and put them in boxes.

The ROOTS can and will grow their way down to China - it's the rhizomes that you have to keep in check. The roots cannot regenerate, that's what the rhizomes job is. All you have to do once they're established is do an early spring 'pruning' by digging around the crown and get rid of any rhizomes creeping away from the crown. Once you get the hang of it you can follow them all the way back to the crown and cut them at that point. This yearly activity will keep most varieties in check. Some vigorous ones should be entirely dug out about every 3 years or so and severely cut back. It only took me about 20 years to realize the last point! Remember, we have the shovels. Grow on!
 
Thanks bhoppy your advice is always appreciate. Know that I now realize my hoops aren't out of control. Just almost out of control. Lol.
 
After going through and planting 2 varieties in containers, I probably wouldnt do it again. They become huge root balls and the entire container becomes one big root. I had some holes drilled in the bottom of mine for tap roots and the roots probably got 2 feet down in the ground. I am sure you could put in some sort of garden divider to enclose a hop plant if you were really into stopping the roots.
 
I didn't realize there was a difference between the root and the rhizome. When I saw how deep the root was I freaked out. The rhizome has feelers that are touching the edge of the raised garden box. If I trim those I will prevent different hops from intertwining. I'm less concerned about the root now. I feared I might have hops randomly appear. In my neighbors yard. I think I can keep that from happening.
 
I feared I might have hops randomly appear. In my neighbors yard.
I think Hogwarts has some spell to keep that from happening. ;) I too am glad to know the difference between the root and the rhizome. It sounds like that could be managed with a sharp spade and a truffle-sniffing pig.
 
I have a new question which is slightly off topic.

Having dug two of my hops out as carefully as I could. Going down a clean 2.5/3 feet to get that entire tap root.

Have a harmed my hop plant? Can I just stick it back in the hole and it'll be fine?
 
You could probably tie them to a length of rope, tie that around your back bumper and drag them around town for a week or two and they'll still grow! Honestly, now that they've had a year to build up some food reserves they'll do just fine. Trim up any strays trying to get away and stick 'em back in the ground and stand back!
 
What's so funny is when I give out advice I say hops a Tonka tuff but when it's my hops they are rare pieces of delicate china. Thanks bhoppy. I'll trim them up and get them back in the ground.
 
If the rhizomes only grow sideways shallow, could you accommodate deep roots and prevent rhizome escape by planting in a bucket with no bottom?

I'm a very lazy gardner. My garden is lucky if I remember it is there once every six weeks. I want the absolute minimum-maintenance, low-risk configuration.
 
Same question as wuertele - If the hop roots escape a container, will rhizomes develop from those roots or will they somehow self-propagate outside of the container? It seems like if the answer is no, it would be a great method to "trap" the rhizomes in containers and just let the roots go wild out of the drainage holes.
 
If the hop roots escape a container, will rhizomes develop from those roots or will they somehow self-propagate outside of the container? It seems like if the answer is no, it would be a great method to "trap" the rhizomes in containers and just let the roots go wild out of the drainage holes.

If the hop ROOTS escape the container they will not develop rhizomes. The rhizome you plant has buds/eyes on it. When you plant the rhizome the buds will generally grow upwards and become the vines that produce the hops. If, by chance, one of those lower buds on the rhizome happens to grow laterally through the soil, rather than upward, it will turn into a rhizome. Generally, the terminal growing point will, at some point, turn upwards and begin to form another vine that will also produce hops.

I don't know if a rhizome that develops while growing in a bucket/pot has the wherewithal to take it upon itself to head south and grow downward and eventually out one of the drain holes of the container. I would bet it would give up at some point and eventually change directions.

Here is a picture of a hop plant that has most likely been grown in a container: http://www.probrewer.com/vbulletin/attachment.php?attachmentid=3182&d=1235618134 . You can see the lighter colored rhizomes growing out from the crown in the upper portion and the true ROOTS (a little darker) located beneath. Again, when hops are grown in the ground, the rhizomes will tend to grow laterally for a while and eventually turn upwards while the roots will form below that part of the crown and generally grow downward. In a container, I'm not sure. Sorry for the blather. Now I need a beer!
 
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