Planting Rhizomes and frost

My Rhizomes just arrived today, but the weather forcast here in Northern Ontario for the next week has below freezing at night for a few nights. Is it too early to plant?

I would toss them in the fridge until the cold nights are over

If the soil under the surface isn't still frozen, you're probably fine to plant now, but it wouldn't hurt to wait either.

I'd put them in the fridge too. There is plenty of time to get them going in a week or two.

Mine are coming up and I need to prepare a cover for them in case of frost. We normally get a late frost that damages some plants.

My first year hops didn't go in until May last year after the probability of frost had passed. The first year is all about the root structure so you don't want to hinder it by putting them through the freeze. They would probably survive, but will hate you for it all season

Thanks all, I'll wait then. Guess I'll start prepping the soil, etc.

elproducto said:

My Rhizomes just arrived today, but the weather forcast here in Northern Ontario for the next week has below freezing at night for a few nights. Is it too early to plant?

Click to expand...

If you can work the soil freely, you can plant. It will take a HARD frost to kill the shoots and you could always cover them with plastic overnight if you had to...

Don't plant in temporary pots (almost certain you would break shoots off at the rhizome when transplanting)...

They are hardy bastards.

Hmmmm. just found this quote from a BC Hop farm.
http://www.crannogales.com/HopsManual.pdf

"Hops should be planted as early in the spring as you can get your hands into the soil. A good rule of thumb is to
plant hops the same time you would plant peas or fava beans. Hops, especially if they have been mulched after
planting, can easily withstand a light frost. Although they can be planted as late as the end of May, this reduces
their growing season and wastes the best part of the spring."

Keep in mind that where those instructions are written, may have a different growing cycle than where you want to plant. I.E. - They may start their growing season earlier...

It's been consistantly freezing at night up here. I'm waiting a couple weeks to plant my new rhizomes. My old one is just starting to peep through, but it's a 3rd yr plant.

TB

Hmm well op not sure how far north of me you are? I say plant em you have a few days after planting before you will see shoots. Then if there is frost in the forcast cover em. I however have not worried. I have beem frosted on 2x since shoots 1st appeared and all is good.

I have 7 new ones growing in 1 gal. pots for now. I move them into the garage at night and move them out in front of the south-facing garage during the day. In a couple of weeks when I get the planting area worked up, I will transplant them. I picked them up from the LHBS last weekend and split the rhizome into 2, each had an "eye" and planted each separately. They were pushing through in about 2 days.