Dying Cascade

[Luzer]

I have a quick question about my Cascade hops. I have two rhizomes in one 12in pot on the far ends of each other. The Centennial is growing fantastically but the Cascade is shriveled up and now dying. I've attached some picture of the plants. Looking though them it seems that the Centennial is growing but the Cascade just stopped or grew about 1/4 its size. The first photo is from 5/10 and the last three are from yesterday.

We planted them about 4in below the dirt (now I know it should have been about 1in) and we use normal potting soil for the dirt. I was thinking about getting some fertilizer to see if I can revive the Cascade?

Is the Cascade a lost cause?

 

[Luzer]

I figured I should take a look at the rhizome and the one green part fell off. The rhizome seams spongy (had some moisture when I squeezed it) and had a very small caterpillar like bug (less the fur) that came out for a second and went back in to it. I put it back in to the dirt about 1in below the dirt.
I'm thinking it's completely dead?

 

[BinghamtonEd]

I will preface this by saying I don't know diddly when it comes to growing hops. However in my experience from growing vegetables, and even using rough cut lumber...if there appears to be a parasite/infestation, I would isolate that from the healthy portion. If I saw a failing plant and a suspect insect crawl out from inside it, I would move it to a new pot and hope for the best, and hope to keep it contained.

 

[dtsh]

I've not grown hops before, but I've grown a number of other plants, rhizome and otherwise...

There should be plenty of nutrients for the plants already in the soil and adding more fertilizer is likely to cause more problems than it solves. It is very easy to over fertilize a plant, especially when they're just getting established. The foliage looks relatively good, but digging around and disturbing sensitive roots is only going to harm the plants.

All you should need to provide is water and sunlight at this point. I usually test when to water by the weight of the pot. If it's heavy, there's plenty of suspended water, but when the soil feels dry *and* the pot feels lighter then it's time to water. A young plant without much roots and foliage won't need watering nearly as often as a larger plant. It's a small plant, treat it tenderly.

When it's been growing and the leaves start getting mottled/spotted or yellowing, then it might be time to fertilize, but the plant should be nice and big by then.

Edit: typos

 

[tgmartin000]

Forget the cascade. In the long run they'd probably kill each other anyways.

 

[tooldudetool]

I agree with tgmartin, in the long run, (or about 2 seasons) those babies are gonna be huge, and that pot looks a little small for even one hop plant. I've grown hops for the last several years in my backyard (not in pots), and its amazing how huge my 3rd year Cascade is! It's main root crown is probably 18 inches across, and I can only imagine how deep the roots run, so by the second, or third year for sure, that pot will be a big tangled mess of hop shoots and rhizomes, and it will probably be hard to tell which cones are from which plant by the time you harvest them. Not that a blend of Centennial and Cascade would be a bad thing! Great mix for dry hopping, that's for sure. It sounds like the Cascade might not make it, just order another one next year, and put it in its own pot and you should be better off. Or even better, order two Cascade rhizomes and put them both in the same pot, that way you better your odds of at least one surviving!

 

[Luzer]

I took the Cascade out and will keep an eye on the Centennial. Thanks for the help.

 

[BradleyBrew]

Not to change the subject but that pot is really small. I had a 12" pot with a columbus crown in it last year sitting on the ground when I went to move the pot in the fall the plant as split the bottom of the pot out and had some monsterous roots in the ground. I was shocked!

I would wet the cascade rhizome and gently remove it from the pot and replant closer to the surface. Be careful not to over water... dont "pet the puppy to death"

 

[Luzer]

What year was the Columbus?

I think I'll transfer it after this year. I want to see if it will survive first.

 

[BradleyBrew]

What year was the Columbus?

I think I'll transfer it after this year. I want to see if it will survive first.

1 year old crown

 

[Luzer]

Looking at my Centennial I noticed that the ends are getting kinda grey. Would this be because of over watering?