growing in downtown Chicago

[flanneltrees804]

I am interested in growing hops on the roof of my apartment building in downtown Chicago. Growing up, my family always had gardens with vegetables, herbs and flowers so now I want to grow hops and the only place I have is the roof. Here's what I am thinking at this point.

My roof is long and flat so I want to get some 20 gallon pots, put a dowel in the pot and run some wire across my roof (horizontal/parallel with the ground) and anchor them about 20 feet away.The roof is only slightly shaded from the east so there is tons of sun up there, plus the roof is flat and covered in tar so it stays nice and hot.

Questions... will Chicago wind be an issue?
How high do the vines need to grow before I send them horizontal across the roof?
Are 20 gallon pots big enough? (one ryzome in each)
Will they freeze and die in the winter making me have to start all over next year? If so, is cutting them at the base and moving the pots inside during the winter an option?
What types grow best in this climate?

 

[ThreeSheetsBrewing]

Everything should be ok. One you get them trained to follow a rope they will tolerate the wind, the vines get very thick. Once winter comes all you have to do is cut them back and cover. I grow chinook, cascade and nugget in MN. How do you plan to dry?

 

[flanneltrees804]

Thanks for the response! I'm gonna dry them using the air filter/box fan technique. So if I cover them in plastic they won't die during the winter even though the roots don't go very deep?

 

[sweetcell]

The roof is only slightly shaded from the east so there is tons of sun up there, plus the roof is flat and covered in tar so it stays nice and hot.

Questions... will Chicago wind be an issue?
How high do the vines need to grow before I send them horizontal across the roof?
Are 20 gallon pots big enough? (one ryzome in each)
Will they freeze and die in the winter making me have to start all over next year? If so, is cutting them at the base and moving the pots inside during the winter an option?
What types grow best in this climate?

tar-covered roof might be too hot. that alone would motivate me to keep the hops up off the black surface - don't want the plants cooking from the radiating heat!

wind shouldn't be an issue as long as your wires hold.

i don't know if 20 gals is big enough, *seems* to me that it should do. bigger is always better. make sure the plants don't try out, they won't have the option of sending down a deep root to tap deeper water.

hops do fine with freezing. they'll die back in the fall, store up energy in the roots, and chill out (!) for the winter. no need to bring them indoors.

for some ideas on what types to plant, see link in my signature.

 

[flanneltrees804]

Thanks for the tips... a few other questions, I know the debate around crowns vs. rhyzomes but I'm not sure which I want to go with. I'm not looking for a ton of yield, especially the first year, but I do want something as I would hate to plant rhyzomes and have nothing grow. Should I just order crowns or plant two rhyzomes in each pot? Suggestions on where to buy these? Some places seem to be selling out so I want to pull the trigger soon!

 

[ThreeSheetsBrewing]

I like Midwest, but I am able to shop their storefront. As well, keep an eye on Craigslist, I've found plenty of folks splitting their plants for a good price.

As for covering in the winter I would go with mulch. Plastic may keep things to warm.

The black tar may be to hot as mentioned above. Perhaps you can plant other things to cover the tar? I'd avoid terracota pots to avoid cooking roots.

 

[ArrowheadHops]

Flannel:

You’ll want to watch how dry they get on the roof with the black surface. Don’t over worry yourself about it just keep an eye on it. As for rhizomes vs. crowns I don’t really think you can compare the two fairly, after all one is just a year old version of the other. A rhizome can produce well the first year if given everything it needs, and are typically cheaper. On the other hand a crown is an already established plant (a year old) that will produce well and will cost a bit more. If I may suggest if you want a crown please get it from Great Lakes Hops and if you want a rhizome I currently have them at a nice price. Ether way have fun and watch it grow.

 

[flanneltrees804]

Thanks for all the replies, I am going to by crowns from Great Lakes Hops, Lynn has been super helpful with recommendations for my situation. One of my last questions (there are probably many more questions I'll have) is on when to plant the crowns.

Here in Chicago we typically still see frost/freezing temps well into March and even April, should I wait till early/mid April to plant? Will this give me less yield? Thanks again, I am going to start posting pics and updates when the garden begins so anyone else in my situation can learn with me.

 

[anaid]

Hops make the perfect plant to cover a privacy trellis or pergola! Mine has beautifully covered the patio for 5 years and each year looks great. A portion is 'harvested' for the brew