Can you plant rhizomes this late (early May) and get anything?

So, I told myself I would grow my own hops as soon as I had my own place, and I got into my first home ownership adventure last October. However, between the other projects I had going on, my jeep wheeling taking over as higher priority hobby, etc. I dropped the ball and didn't get rhizomes planted in late March - early/mid April like you are supposed to...

So, if I get some rhizomes from Freshhops this week - it appears they are still for sale and I am thinking 1 regular nugget and 1 "jumbo" hallarteau for now - would I get anything out of them this year, planting so late? I assume they will grow SOMETHING even if it's nothing I can use this first year. Also, by using the "jumbo" rhizome (that's $9 as opposed to $4), I figured I might even get a decent first year crop from that one?

Thoughts? Even if I don't get a huge windfall this year, I'd like to get these in the ground so that next year I don't need to worry about it and get a better harvest.

I plan to grow on the south side of my garage, up a 12' or so pole, and then maybe string it to the top of the roof if they are still shooting up.

go ahead and order a few rhizomes. you might be surprised by the big jumbo as they have more stored up food energy for the new shoots that sprout than do the single rhizomes. the whole idea is to have a healthy plant that produces. you have to start sometime so stick a few in the ground and stand back.

B-Hoppy said:

go ahead and order a few rhizomes. you might be surprised by the big jumbo as they have more stored up food energy for the new shoots that sprout than do the single rhizomes. the whole idea is to have a healthy plant that produces. you have to start sometime so stick a few in the ground and stand back.

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Thanks for the vote of confidence... I figured I'd be ordering even if I got a negative response. LOL. So, I placed an order for exactly what I indicated (1 nugget regular, 1 jumbo hallarteau) and hopefully will get them in a few days after paying express shipping.

If i get them in the ground this weekend, I just might be OK... but I'll keep everyone posted.

Anyone else have thoughts or first hand experience of late planting?

i've planted them as late as early june just to prove a point to a local brewer who was an expert at giving advice to hop growers (he read a lot). the plants WILL grow but the month or so (april or may) that they missed by being planted later will usually manifest itself in the form of less vigor during the first year. i may stick a few in pots this july to see what happens. good luck - although i'm sure you won't need it!

Roaring,

I'm in exactly the same boat as you, mostly. I live in Houston and have intended to plant hops for a few years now. Trouble is that we have an annual Kentucky Derby Party, which is always the first Sat. in May and I end up working my butt off to prepare for that every year for about a month ahead and lose track of time. Anyway, I ordered six rhizomes from freshhops last Sun. and have prepared a few spots for them planning to put them in as soon as they arrive! Here's to hoping we haven't missed the boat...cheers.

Order and plant them anyways. You may not need the huge trellis the first year and you will just be trying to establish them for the second and third years. Just don't expect hops the first year. If you get some, great, if not, consider it investment in next year's crop.

Issue of getting rhizome's late is just the condition of them and the supply. Supply is short and condition may be questionable. Worth the try and to get a head start on next year if you know you're going to want to do it then.

you can do it!!

While I've not had the best luck with hallertau, I did put a rhizome in three years ago this father's day(June) and it keeps coming back. I don't expect anything but vegetal growth from my first year plants anyways so go for it if you want to grow your own.

Don't expect anything in year one Don't give up on them till they've been in the ground for a couple of years at least.

Alright, I just got my six in the mail this afternoon from Freshops and they are in the ground! 2 Cascade, 2 Perle, 2 Nugget and I couldn't resist....I got online and bought 4 more...Crystal.

I planted 30 over Memorial Day last year, netted 4lbs off of 20 Cascades. So yes you can plant now(late if you call it). Also you can get hops off of 1st year plants, don't believe the doubters!
Last weekend we planted 200 rhizomes so I have faith.
Your Nugget, if like my 1 plant, should be a monster grower.

Even if you got nothing, you would be ahead of the game as opposed to planting Spring 2011.

I planted all of mine last year pretty late, somewhere around the end of May. I was really worried that I'd killed them as I procrastinated on getting them into the ground (I think almost three weeks from package arrival to planting), but they grew like champs. I've got two vines each of Cascade, Nugget, and Mt. Hood and, in the first growing year, I got a couple of ounces each of the Cascade and Nugget, but the Mt. Hood was kind of sluggish so I didn't get an appreciable amount out of it. This year however, the Mt. Hood vines have already hit the roof while the Cascade and Nugget are only about 2/3 of the way up!
You're not going to hurt them by getting them in the ground late (they're pretty tough), but you won't get as much out of them in the first season. But, as has been said, you'll be ahead of the curve for next season.

I just found a guy willing to sell me 5 varieties I wasn't able to get this year. Locally grown. So I bought them and planted them. Obviously they are way behind both my 2nd year and other 1st years, but there are sprouts. They'll be fine.

Ok, so I planted mine about a week ago. The small nugget isn't doing much, but the "jumbo" hallarteau is going like crazy. Already 6" out of the ground on about 5 bines...

Should I cut back any of these bines? I thought I heard of pruning back to the 3 healthiest stalks or whatever? Any truth? Is this for a first year plant maybe from a normal rhizome and not a jumbo/crown?

I cut back the bines that aren't growing up the string, but more because they are a nuisance growing all over the place. I've also tried putting grass clippings on them to try to kill the side shoots or keep new ones from coming out. Actually I just yank them off. I should use clippers. So basically if you have all the bines you need growing up the string and don't think you'll need backups for whatever reason, cut the others off.

JMass said:

I cut back the bines that aren't growing up the string, but more because they are a nuisance growing all over the place. I've also tried putting grass clippings on them to try to kill the side shoots or keep new ones from coming out. Actually I just yank them off. I should use clippers. So basically if you have all the bines you need growing up the string and don't think you'll need backups for whatever reason, cut the others off.

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I'm starting them on lattice/trellis that has 5 upward and parallel members/posts... so I suppose I could grow 5 bines - 1 up each? I am starting string from the top of the 8 foot trellis to the rooftop, once they get that high, but they got a long way to go...

I guess I was just wondering if there would be enough mojo in the root system of a jumbo rhizome/crown to successfully grow 5 stalks, or should I cut it back a few (to 3) and just not use all of my trellis system. Knowing what we know - jumbo rhizome, planted late, etc. Would I get more yield from cutting it back to 3 versus keeping 5... or would the energy required to grow the extra bines negate any extra yield.

I guess I will play it by ear and I have some time to decide... deifnitely planning to keep it at 5 or less bines. There are more poking through that I'll have to pluck off as these 5 look pretty promising already!

If it is a first year plant the conventional wisdom seems to be to forget about any real yield the first year and let them grow as much as they can. Remember that the plant will have about as much mass underground as above ground, and all of it's energy to grow those bines and roots comes from photosynthesis in the leaves above ground. Your are managing for maximum root growth the first year, which will store energy through the winter to get you bigger bine growth next year. You can manage for yield in subsequent years, after you have a good root system built up.

ThreeDogsNE said:

If it is a first year plant the conventional wisdom seems to be to forget about any real yield the first year and let them grow as much as they can. Remember that the plant will have about as much mass underground as above ground, and all of it's energy to grow those bines and roots comes from photosynthesis in the leaves above ground. Your are managing for maximum root growth the first year, which will store energy through the winter to get you bigger bine growth next year. You can manage for yield in subsequent years, after you have a good root system built up.

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Thanks, great info!

It is a first year plant, but it was from a "crown" or "jumbo" rhizome. As opposed to your normal rhizome which is a 3-4" root clipping, this was a root "clump" that barely fit in a 1 gallon ziplock bag... so while it may be first year in my ground, there is some root system there already...

However, i am going to follow your advice and will let as many bines grow as I have trellis and twine for... :rockin: