All right, so I live in central Iowa, which isn't ideal for hop growing, but is tolerable. Plus the rhyzome came from someone who's been growing them for... well at least 5 years, and it's Cascade, which I understand to be pretty hardy when it comes to climate.
Anyway, it's covered by newspaper, sitting in my cool garage right now.
A little background: So i'm in iowa, and my parents have a nursery that I plan on planting it in. My dad's the state horticulturist, so between the two of us we're hoping we can figure something out.
I just have a few beginner questions:
1) Is now a good time to put it into the ground? It might freeze one or two more times throughout the year, but nothing we can't foresee and protect against. My dad's already planted his apple trees, which would get rocked by a freeze, but we can protect them using some warm cover.
2) If I can't plant it tomorrow, should I refrigerate it?
3) The LHBS I bought it from just had it sitting in their room temperature store for about 5-6 days, is this going to hurt it at all? It's plainly ready to be planted now.
4) Any suggestions for a simple trellising system for just one plant? What height should it be at?
5) Should I expect a good harvest from a 5 year plant? I know it takes ~3 years to get your first good harvest from a rhyzome, but I was told I should get a good harvest this year since it's 5y.
Thanks a bunch,
-Kelly
Anyway, it's covered by newspaper, sitting in my cool garage right now.
A little background: So i'm in iowa, and my parents have a nursery that I plan on planting it in. My dad's the state horticulturist, so between the two of us we're hoping we can figure something out.
I just have a few beginner questions:
1) Is now a good time to put it into the ground? It might freeze one or two more times throughout the year, but nothing we can't foresee and protect against. My dad's already planted his apple trees, which would get rocked by a freeze, but we can protect them using some warm cover.
2) If I can't plant it tomorrow, should I refrigerate it?
3) The LHBS I bought it from just had it sitting in their room temperature store for about 5-6 days, is this going to hurt it at all? It's plainly ready to be planted now.
4) Any suggestions for a simple trellising system for just one plant? What height should it be at?
5) Should I expect a good harvest from a 5 year plant? I know it takes ~3 years to get your first good harvest from a rhyzome, but I was told I should get a good harvest this year since it's 5y.
Thanks a bunch,
-Kelly