how to approach my 2nd yr hops

[olotti]

So I have two cascade plants growing in large pots, got them last year and it was the easiest thing to do on short notice, permanent spot coming next year. So they've been outside for a couple weeks now, I moved them into the garage in the winter, and each has purple shoots coming up about 6-8 per plant some even have foliage starting to grow. So first question is how long do I let those purple shoots grow and second when they reach a certain size do I cut them all back or just the longest which I think would be the bull shoots, correct. Right now I added and mixed in compost manure and fresh potting soil just to freshen things up and I'm using fish fertilizer every couple of days, is this appropriate to add during the early growing phase? Thanks for any help.

 

[toadhall]

See thread on maintaining hops. For potted plants with a future in the ground - Do manage the rhizomes - as in remove the ones they are producing as it will definitely crowd a pot and should be done anyway. Distinguish between the rhizomes and the true roots; leave the roots. Rhizomes will be developing small fibrous roots, but they are generally shallow, fairly straight and horizontal, radiate from crown at/just below soil line and have nodes - they are a shoot/stem, just a slightly different one. If you are trying to get a crop, you may want to cut back so as to have them start up a trellis at the correct time - see the thread on cutting back ("Cut back first hop shoots?......") that has been recently active. You may want to cut them back about the first week of May where you are - but that depends on variety and vigor, local climate, and experience (that you don't yet have). Cutting back about first week of May should allow sufficient growth before the solstice; if anything this is probably a bit early, but better early than late. It will make the size of mature plant more manageable. Read those threads I mentioned...