Too Late?

[Bmorebrew]

This past weekend I managed to get my hands on a pair of Willamette rhizomes and I figured I would plant them now just to get them started for next year. Since the plant spends most of its energy growing its rootstock during the first year, will they grow enough this year to begin putting out for next year? Or will not be until summer 2012 that I can really count on a harvest?

 

[bosox]

I'd say you're probably fine.

 

[Suthrncomfrt1884]

You'll get a crop next year.

 

[B-Hoppy]

you'll never know unless you try it. sometimes the growing conditions have more of an impact than variety on when they'll start producing hops. it's never too late to start developing roots for next season though. stick 'em in the ground and go have a beer!

 

[ThreeDogsNE]

Your choices are pretty limited now. You can either plant those rhizomes and hope for the best, or discard them. I planted some in buckets last year, and brought them in for the winter to grow under lights. It worked reasonably well until I got exuberant with the watering and drowned most of them. This years plantings will stay outside. I lost my Mt Hoods, and their replacement just arrived. I'll be putting them in the ground if the rain ever lets up here enough to allow it. I hope I get a crop next year, but if not, there's always the following year. They'll grow.

 

[Bmorebrew]

OK, sounds positive then. Any idea of the size of the rootstock? Would I be able to transplant them next spring into boxes about 3'x2'x2'? Timing might be an issue with doing that now, I don't have the boxes built and because of my schedule I wouldn't be able to do so for at least three more weeks. But I do have the space to plant them in the yard this afternoon.

 

[uechikid]

Plant them. You could transplant after the growing season this year. I have some cuttings in a 12" pot that have really taken off. I want to put them in a larger container but don't want to interfere with the root development. I'll just wait until late fall and transplant then. I wasn't planning on getting any cones from these this year anyway.

 

[Steelers77]

Put them in, I have some that I transplanted last year around this time and they did nothing. This year they are 20ft tall, I can't believe it!

 

[Suthrncomfrt1884]

I wouldn't suggest putting them in 3' boxes. The roots will be fairly cramped in those boxes after a year or two of growth and it'll end up stunting the growth of the plant.

My buddy tried to grow some on his roof. He put them in 2'x2' planters and they did horribly. Mine are planted in my back yard and already this year are approaching 20'. It's a little more than I wanted to deal with heighth wise, but it'll pay off. Most of mine are in the third and fourth years, so they're doing a little better than expected. I've got burrs on my cascade already where I didn't have them until mid july last year. I expect two harvests.

 

[skx]

I planted my Goldings and Northern Brewers rizhomes a week ago. They are about 2 inches tall at the moment.

Didn't figure i would get a crop this year anyways.

 

[j-crash]

never too late... plant 'em!!

 

[GilaMinumBeer]

I wouldn't suggest putting them in 3' boxes. The roots will be fairly cramped in those boxes after a year or two of growth and it'll end up stunting the growth of the plant.

Boxing them in wasn't the issue. Perhaps they did become root bound but it wasn't the boxing in that caused that to be a problem.

Annual root pruning actually increases the vigor of these plants and prevents them from becoming root bound.

Boxing them in makes root pruning easier.