How aggressive are hop roots?

[duffy5018]

So, my wife allowed me to purchase hop rhizomes this winter for planting near our house. Our original plan was to remove a couple 7' tall bushes that got sun from around 11:30am-9pm near our deck and replace them with a 8'X5' privacy fence where the hops would grow with some horizontal training. Well, life happened, the bush removal and privacy fence installation got put on hold for a year or two, and now I have two rhizomes (Centennial and Comet) arriving in the next month and the only two options are: Scrap the planting and eat the $20 of rhizomes, or plant along the 6' fence by my pool, roughly 4' from the pool side. I'd be able to plant only one there due to the fact the only side that gets any appreciable sun has only one 3'X2' patch not under stone or concrete.

Now, my question is: If I planted near the pool, how worried would I have to be of the hop roots infiltrating the pool walls? What about any plumbing? The pool is about 15 years old, has concrete walls, and is in overall good shape. The patch is near one skimmer and there's a return line that runs along that side of the pool as well. As much as I don't wanna toss a couple rhizomes, I'd rather not have a $2000 pool repair bill in 5 years... ya know?

 

[lurker18]

I tried to dig out mine a few years back, and some of the taproots were as thick as my wrists. If you are worried at all about roots pushing through, I would not do it. Also, if you decide to move them, they are a SOB to get out. Hops are much easier to grow than get rid of. I would pot them for a year or two until you can get a permanent spot.

 

[Konadog]

You could always plant them in some large pots until your ready for in-ground planting.

 

[duffy5018]

I thought about the pot route, but I thought hop plants grow so fast that they'd become root bound in weeks. But I may try that. Normally I'd build my own planter box for this, but HomeDepot has a 2 pack of 22" resin pots for something like $45, and I don't really want to spend a weekend building something for 6 months of use. Seems like a decent short term solution.

 

[Tobor_8thMan]

Basically, think of any rhizome flower, plant, lawn, etc. They grow and spread underground. How to contain in the soil? Put a ring of metal (cheap galvanized flashing type will do) probably 1.5 to 2 feet into the ground. I doubt the rhizome roots will go under or through the metal.

 

[Konadog]

I've had some in 15 gallon pots for over 3 years now. I would say the first two I didn't have any issues, but did noticed roots popping out the bottom the 3rd year. I just moved and cut them off.

 

[SMD]

I would think to pot them this first season, and use this time to plan for next year. Plus, at the end of season if you have to bring them inside, it’s all ready to move. Then you’ve got a head start on your 2nd season= bigger yields.

 

[VikeMan]

Basically, think of any rhizome flower, plant, lawn, etc. They grow and spread underground. How to contain in the soil? Put a ring of metal (cheap galvanized flashing type will do) probably 1.5 to 2 feet into the ground. I doubt the rhizome roots will go under or through the metal.

I know that hop plant roots can eventually go deeper than 2 meters. I would assume that they'll spread once they reach past the bottom of a barrier, but I don't really know.

 

[DuncB]

Bamboo certainly wouldn't be troubled by that barrier even if it was 4 foot deep.
Some good videos about hop growing on the northern brewer channel, i think they dig one up and one is planted against a fence and you can see the growth.
I suppose you could let it grow in the ground and then chop out a smaller piece of rhizome for next planting and then treat it with a sytemic weedkiller to get rid of the foliage and the roots. Seems a shame though to go that route.

 

[lurker18]

Basically, think of any rhizome flower, plant, lawn, etc. They grow and spread underground. How to contain in the soil? Put a ring of metal (cheap galvanized flashing type will do) probably 1.5 to 2 feet into the ground. I doubt the rhizome roots will go under or through the metal.

From experience, they most surely will go deeper than 2 feet. I don't know if the tap roots send runners out though.

 

[Kaz15]

I moved a 4 year old cascade crown to my current house. It was REALLY tough to get out. Broke my old wooden shovel trying to get it free. Here are pictures of the monster.

 

[Kaz15]

This is a follow up to my last post. The cascade plant seen above is entering it’s 3rd season since the transplant. The beast has awoken I follwed GLH’s instructions to dig around the crown to fluff the soul and trim off any rhizomes. Here’s what I found:

One massive rhizome had already made it’s way under the neighbors fence. Several others were also trimmed. Though less impressive than this one.

My understanding is that this is normal spring maintenance for mature plants. And these are the exact rhizomes that are cut and shipped out for home growers or used to expand a commercial plot.

These are some of the rhizomes I trimmed today. May propagate some for a couple friends.

 

[OleBrewing]

Hops are a very invasive species. But as far as "suckers" like some trees I don't think they run across the land. The vines will grow roots when laying on the ground and there is enough moisture, that is their spreading power. The roots will go deep in search of moisture. My main problem is vines snaking along the ground and setting up camp. To keep them in place one has to be vigilant with a trellis.

 

[ehall]

if you have a 'cement' pool, you have nothing to worry about, it'll never make it through that.

 

[B-Hoppy]

It looks like what you've chopped off is actually just a root. I can't tell real well by the picture but it doesn't look like there are any buds on it. The rhizomes will have rings of buds/eyes (little white nubs) around the structure at intervals from say 2-6 inches all along it's length - and generally a real tight cluster at the terminal point. The pic shows the terminal point of a rhizome on the right and on the left a length with some buds at intervals and just below my little finger is another node along the length of it. If you dig them earlier in the season the buds will look like little tiny nubs on the rhizome, these have obviously started to elongate at this point.

One massive rhizome had already made it’s way under the neighbors fence. Several others were also trimmed. Though less impressive than this one.

 

[Kaz15]

It looks like what you've chopped off is actually just a root. I can't tell real well by the picture but it doesn't look like there are any buds on it. The rhizomes will have rings of buds/eyes (little white nubs) around the structure at intervals from say 2-6 inches all along it's length - and generally a real tight cluster at the terminal point. The pic shows the terminal point of a rhizome on the right and on the left a length with some buds at intervals and just below my little finger is another node along the length of it. If you dig them earlier in the season the buds will look like little tiny nubs on the rhizome, these have obviously started to elongate at this point.

Thanks for the reply. It’s very possible that is a root. I also trimmed a handful of ones just like in your picture.

 

[NitrogenWidget]

my hartwick and arcadian are on their 3rd yr i think and I have them boxed in and they are popping out in the corners of the planter box.
I doubt they will go another 4 inches and start pushing through the stone simply because the 3 landscaping timbers are cold compared to the sun heated mulch on top of them so they stick to the box.
I hope.