Root pruning

[hellerbrewing]

Ok, since it was nice out I figured I would prune up my hop mounds. I
was digging down around the roots and I noticed that I have somre
pretty large roots that seem to go down away from the mound. I took a
pic:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/26067223@N08/5586148215/

Should I cut these major roots off or are these the ones main ones
that I need? Typically I have just cut off the shoots that run out
away from the main mound, but I have never noticed this large of shoot
before. Also, I have these pretty close to the garage, will they
damage the foundation? Here's a pic of how close they are:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/26067223@N08/5586727690/

 

[B-Hoppy]

Those are roots, yes. They help to provide water and nourishment from the soil so the plant can grow. I've accidentally severed them while pruning back the rhizomes (the ones you cut back that were running away from the crown) and the plants do recover and survive nicely. They are gnarly weeds that seem to thrive in the face of adverse treatment. They may grow up behind the siding on your garage but will not cause damage anything comparable to what some types of ivy do, with their prying tendrils. Hops don't have tendrils, they just have climbing hooks which do not suck the calcium out of the mortar. Just pull them out from under the siding, if they get back there, and things will be fine. A good scolding and a sharp knife should help remedy the situation. Time-outs do not work with hops!

PS: you have nothing to worry about unless you leave the hops unattended for the months of April-June! They're wiley so keep an eye on them.