Hops in Container or Ground

I bought some established hop crowns and have put them in a large 18" planter each.

Can I keep them in a planter for their entire "life" or is it essential to get them in the ground? Or can I keep them in a planter/container, but a specific shape or size?

 

Hops need a lot of room to grow and in the ground is the best for most cases. Everyone's situation is different. I grow my 8 plant in large pots and 5 gallon buckets. I'm my situation I expect to move again within two years and the soil here is extremely poor.

I would suggest keeping them in the pots you have them in now for this season as you do not want to keep transplanting them and stressing the plants. Next year I would either plant them in the ground or upgrade the pots.

 

It won't necessarily hurt them or stagnate them too much - at least for this year in the planter pots right? These pots are roughly the size of your 5-gallon buckets by the way.. maybe a bit wider at the mouth but certainly as deep

 

@rob6239 It will not hurt them keeping them in pots that large this year.