Growing Hop Rhizomes

[BrewByBerg]

Hey guys I have just received about 5 hop rhizomes and am moving into my new house in a couple weeks. I do not have room for a full planter to grow my hops, but what about growing them in large enough half barrels? (I have attached a photo)
I know people say it'll cramp the growth but these seem bigger than most pots I see people use. Let me know what you think? Thanks!

View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1425766484.620760.jpg

 

[TeeJo]

They will grow just fine.

I would figure that sometime about the end of the second year or so, you might want to pull them up and see if the pots are completely rootbound or not.
Worry about that only if they turn out to be. Then you can decide to split the crown or root prune.

You want to get yourself set up with some form of drip irrigation, so they don't run dry if you forget.

Hops are pretty durable.

TeeJo

 

[BrewByBerg]

They will grow just fine.

I would figure that sometime about the end of the second year or so, you might want to pull them up and see if the pots are completely rootbound or not.
Worry about that only if they turn out to be. Then you can decide to split the crown or root prune.

You want to get yourself set up with some form of drip irrigation, so they don't run dry if you forget.

Hops are pretty durable.

TeeJo

Is there a specific brand of soil that you know is a good ph for growing hops?

 

[thaymond]

You can get a ph meter to test your soil. If you're just starting, you can treat the soil with lime to adjust ph. I have had great success with a soil cocktail using existing soil. Mushroom compost, manure, topsoil in equal parts mixed with a scoop of blood meal and turn that into the soil bed. I'll regularly fertilize with vigoro 10-10-10, and a slurry of blood meal (1 tbsp per gallon) weekly. Once I see the cones developing I switch blood to bone meal slurry (1tbsp per gallon) weekly. I'll use 1 gallon per plant, then about another gallon or two watering it down with the hose. I'll also hit the plants with water once per day (usually in the morning) to soak the ground, that's just what they've needed from me.

 

[swmalone]

I just received my rhizomes and I also plan to place them in half whiskey barrels. My Father-In-Law has had some hops in whiskey barrels for a couple of years and they do pretty well considering he has them for decorations and doesn't really take care of them.

 

[TeeJo]

BrewByBerg, I think you are trying too hard!

Seriously, I started my hops with dirt from my garden.

I would think that about any bag of potting soil mix you came up with, would be pretty good digs for your plants.

They are durable as heck, but will do better if you keep them fed, as well as watered. But it's not quite the complicated science that it comes out sounding like when a bunch of Doctoral level plant biologists start writing down what the plant needs. Y'know, unless you are running a hop yard and your income depends upon top levels of production, etc.

I have access to sheep manure that ranges in age from fresh, to so aged that it is completely broken down to dust, as well as chicken house diggings (mixed manure and grass hay bedding), that get tilled in to my garden plot each spring.For me, that's the extent of it. Good garden, not too many weeds, lots of growth.

Couldn't tell ya the PH, nor am I concerned if I lose out on a couple percentage points of possible production. Pretty casual gardener here.

TeeJo

 

[BrotherGrim]

The half whiskey barrel planters may not be ideal, but that is what I went with. I planted my rhizomes late spring last year. They should have been in the ground at least a month earlier, but I planted them as soon as I got them. They have not started yet this year, but I am hopeful. Here is the planter and a shot of the hops around mid summer.

Good luck and enjoy!

 

[BrewHound]

I'm with Teejo all the way on this topic. All plants, hops included) will strive to grow and often we fiddle with them too much. Prepare a good space (planter if that's what you have) give them plenty of water and watch them take off! I'm in Texas and even with my hops in the ground I need to water daily, so if possible place your barrels where they'll be easy to water and once the vines begin climbing try to keep the barrels from direct sunlight. That'll help limit evaporation.