Growing Hops in planters

[knownikko]

FWIW, I planted some cascade and willamette last year in large ceramic containers and they did about as well as everyone says first year plants will do. They sat outside all winter with a layer of leaf mulch over them, and as of a couple days ago have broken ground again.

I plan on letting them do their thing this year in the containers. Next year I hope to be a little more settled somewhere I can plant in the ground and will probably dig up the crowns to harvest some rhizomes.

 

[CowtownCJ]

Hi all

I just planted my first rhizomes two weeks ago in large planters and know I'm getting ready to build my trellis but I have some questions. Since my plants are in a pot not in the ground how tall should I expect them to get? What are some of the trellis designs that you all have used for hops in pots?

Thanks

 

[Rhoman]

My first year Centennial, two Cascades and a Tettnanger are all about 15 feet above their containers (18" planters) - hop burrs are all over my Centennial and I'm expecting them soon on the Cascades... be prepared for a lot of growth!

 

[jabbott]

I've been growing hops in an Earthtainer over the last couple of years and it has certainly been interesting. I chose Willamette and Golding varieties. The first year, the Willamette variety seemed to grow the best, but the opposite happened this year. I've lived in apartments (and now a condo) so the amount of vertical growing room and available sunlight for the hops has been fairly restricted. Because of that, they tend to grow in any direction they can, and I think their growth has been somewhat stunted. I included photos below of the yield and the plants after two years of growing (I did not get any yield the first year). The total weight of the hops was only 1/8 oz -- not enough for the types of beers I want to brew!

I think given better sunlight and vertical growth area, the hops would have done much better. Next year I'm going to see if I can put the Earthtainer at ground level next year and run a few lines of paracord down to it from the 2nd floor.

This was my first time growing hops, so I'm not entirely sure how it compares to growing in the ground. I was shocked at the beginning of the second growing season -- the hop vines had started growing a few inches out of the soil, even though we had a long, cold winter (-14F one day) and I hadn't even watered them yet! Hops are amazingly hardy as a plant.

Here is a time-lapse video I posted last year of the hops as they were growing. I had no idea they rotated to find things to latch onto!

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CI7KU1Nf-bc"].[/ame]

Anyway, the whole experience has been fun, although not the yield needed for homebrew and certainly not cost effective (the Earthtainer was pretty costly and time consuming to assemble). Maybe next year the yield will be better!

FYI - I did my first homebrew this August called The Savior and it turned out great! It is a Cherry Russian Imperial Stout. I ended up using a lot of other hops from the homebrew store, as well as a lot of Chinooks that a friend grew here in Boulder. My hops were a small contribution but the end result was very tasty and worth every minute of the effort.

 

[larrybrewer]

That is an awesome time-laps video!

I have noticed the hops in my yard love to spread out and shoot up everywhere. Yours are probably forming a root ball inside that container. I got about that size yield my first year in the ground. This year I got about the same (it was a poor growing season I guess). I need to look into fertilizer or nutrients of some kind for next season.

 

[ChshreCat]

I'm getting ready to grow hops for the first time this spring. Probably going to give earthtainers a try.

 

[larrybrewer]

If your aim is to get hops for brewing, putting them into the ground is a much better choice (if you have that option).

 

[ChshreCat]

Not really an option for where I want to put them. Best planting spots don't have much sun. Best spots for sun don't have anywhere to plant. Catch 22!

 

[jabbott]

That is an awesome time-laps video!

I have noticed the hops in my yard love to spread out and shoot up everywhere. Yours are probably forming a root ball inside that container. I got about that size yield my first year in the ground. This year I got about the same (it was a poor growing season I guess). I need to look into fertilizer or nutrients of some kind for next season.

Thanks, the video was fun to make.

As for growing in ground vs. container, yeah the ground is definitely better if you have that option. I unfortunately don't (land in Boulder County is about $1+ million an acre).

 

[Glongo]

Where do I get sprouts or seeds to grow my own hopps? anyone have any good suppliers?

 

[Glongo]

My first year Centennial, two Cascades and a Tettnanger are all about 15 feet above their containers (18" planters) - hop burrs are all over my Centennial and I'm expecting them soon on the Cascades... be prepared for a lot of growth!

Where do you get the hopps plants to start off?

 

[Jagdad]

Check out this placehttp://www.greatlakeshops.com

 

[JDoubleDuBB]

Northern Brewer and places like www.freshops.com have hop rhizomes in stock and ready to ship right now. Tis the season!

 

[Greenbudobeer]

I didn't want to deal with my crappy clay dirt so I made my boxes and trellis into one so it could be mobile with it was growing. Took a lot of time and a lot of money (cedar is expensive,200$) but I really like how the turned out. I plan to take a couple out to my buddy's house when he gets out of the hospital( 75% of his body was burnt when a 55gallon drum of acetone blew up in his face) so he can have something to look forward to.

Box is 20 in. in x 20 in 2ft tall
trellis is 8 foot from the top of the box and its span is 8 ft

I'm hopping for short, happy, bushy plants. I've got teamaker, cascade, Chinook, and mt hood going in them.

 

[chungking]

I live in Florida. I would like to plant then in the ground, but the soil where I live is very sandy and dry. Would it better to plant in pots or in the ground? I'd rather plant in the ground, but if everyone recommends not doing so, ill reconsider...

 

[MaltedBayerl]

Dig a hole and fill it with a good planting mix.

 

[DisturbdChemist]

how far down do you plant them? I'll got some in and need to research more how to take care of them

 

[fayderek14]

I think im gonna try to plant some rhizomes in planters within the next few weeks. Besides the rhizomes and the half barrel what else should I be buying? Is there a certain soil that is ideal? So I need anything to keep the pests off of the bines?

 

[TrickyDick]

Can you train the vines onto SS wire? I am in FL, have a great location for morning sun, afternoon shade, and 30' to eaeves on roof. Want to use pulleys, with SS wire, and as they train up the wire, will lower as needed to keep off the roof, as well as to harvest. I have my half barrel type planters ready, and eye bolts on the eaves. I need some pulleys and some wire. Twine I fear will never survive more than one season and I do want to get onto a 30' ladder.

Ay suggestions?

TD

 

[JDoubleDuBB]

Can you train the vines onto SS wire? I am in FL, have a great location for morning sun, afternoon shade, and 30' to eaeves on roof. Want to use pulleys, with SS wire, and as they train up the wire, will lower as needed to keep off the roof, as well as to harvest. I have my half barrel type planters ready, and eye bolts on the eaves. I need some pulleys and some wire. Twine I fear will never survive more than one season and I do want to get onto a 30' ladder.

Ay suggestions?

TD

Get some of the wire with the rubber/plastic sheath on it. That might work better.

 

[FuzzeWuzze]

Can you train the vines onto SS wire? I am in FL, have a great location for morning sun, afternoon shade, and 30' to eaeves on roof. Want to use pulleys, with SS wire, and as they train up the wire, will lower as needed to keep off the roof, as well as to harvest. I have my half barrel type planters ready, and eye bolts on the eaves. I need some pulleys and some wire. Twine I fear will never survive more than one season and I do want to get onto a 30' ladder.

Ay suggestions?

TD

I thought of doing that myself, but quite a few people discouraged lowering the plant. For one your going to end up with a big rotten mess of hops on the ground(or in your planter) and that in lowering it down, you would likely snap or crack the bine at the bottom from all the weight coming down...essentially killing that bine for the season.

My eaves are only 17', so i am planning on running my wire up through the eye bolt and back down in a V. When they get to the top, ill have to get on the ladder again and train the bines back down towards the ground...or just let them bundle up at the top if they dont make it up over my gutters.

 

[TrickyDick]

I thought of doing that myself, but quite a few people discouraged lowering the plant. For one your going to end up with a big rotten mess of hops on the ground(or in your planter) and that in lowering it down, you would likely snap or crack the bine at the bottom from all the weight coming down...essentially killing that bine for the season.

My eaves are only 17', so i am planning on running my wire up through the eye bolt and back down in a V. When they get to the top, ill have to get on the ladder again and train the bines back down towards the ground...or just let them bundle up at the top if they dont make it up over my gutters.

I am planning to mostly do it the lowering for harvesting. I've got nearly 30 feet of vertical space to eaves. More if I pull the planters away from the house! DOH, gonna be hard to move them now full of wet dirt 6x64qt bags. I will not be getting onto any ladder. I would sooner have my kids do it and catch them if they fall. Being kids however they are going to be more agile, light and would have fun probably.

But you raise an interesting point. Will they grow downward??

Also, I think I decided to use the pulleys to connect a rod on either end with some SS wire to the pulleys, then use twine to tie to the rod to the planters


TD

 

[cram]

Also those cedar or redwood nursery boxes work great...sometimes you can find them on the cheap or free when someone buys a tree that comes in it, plants it in the ground, and doesn't need the nursery box anymore. Wine barrels look nice and are the right size for growing hops but they eventually will rot out.

 

[benzy4010]

So yes you can lant two of the same rhizome in a large half barrel sized pot? At last for the first year or so?

 

[MmmBe3R]

Anybody trying indoor ?? With hydroponics I've grown tons of plants herbs and fruits. Sturdy plant/ stress resistant, any plant that I've dealt with can be manipulated growth wise just gotta put in the time

 

[FoCobrewguy]

I am planning to mostly do it the lowering for harvesting. I've got nearly 30 feet of vertical space to eaves. More if I pull the planters away from the house! DOH, gonna be hard to move them now full of wet dirt 6x64qt bags. I will not be getting onto any ladder. I would sooner have my kids do it and catch them if they fall. Being kids however they are going to be more agile, light and would have fun probably.

But you raise an interesting point. Will they grow downward??

Also, I think I decided to use the pulleys to connect a rod on either end with some SS wire to the pulleys, then use twine to tie to the rod to the planters

TD

From my experience hop bine won't grow down or be trained to grow down. I let my bine grow about a foot over the top and then wrapped it going down a parrellel cable. The bine just turned around and grew back up now there is a big ball of bine tangled at the top of the trellis. Just my experience.

 

[FoCobrewguy]

Did some searching this morning as I'm likely going to be planting my rhizomes in half-barrels once they come in.

Incidentally, Chris Colby from BYO was interviewed by James Spencer of Basic Brewing Radio on this week's podcast, discussing container growing.

http://cdn1.libsyn.com/basicbrewing/bbr02-05-09container.mp3

I'm trying to visualize the set-up. Were you orienting the pots around a center stake and running twine to the top to allow the bines to climb?

I did something just like this. Seemed to work well will let the hops get establisged until I can find a more permanent home. Let me know if you want more details.

 

[pumpkinman2012]

I'm a first year grower, I planted my rhizomes in 20 gallon pots, these are the size that nurseries use to transport trees.
As a new hops grower, I made the mistake of letting too many bines grow, although the cones are smaller then they should be, there are plenty of them. Currently the bines have traveled up about 16 ft.

 

[Alaskan_Brewer]

This is an older thread, but I'm hoping to get some life out of it... I've had cascade growing for three years, and haven't had much luck. For the last two years the plant has been in a half whisky barrel, and I probably didn’t water or fertilize enough so the yield was weak. This year I was going to dig for rhizomes, and didn't find any, lots of shoots coming out of the ground, but nothing else growing with eyes (nothing that looked like the pictures online).

I was going to split the plant, and put it directly into the ground around my house to treat the roots better, but then remembered that I've got a 70 year old home and the dirt at the foundation is almost surely leaded. I assume hops would absorb some of the lead from the soil, and would then be unusable in brewing (I use enough hops and drink enough homebrew that I would surely be poisoned)... so back to the containers.

I've currently got a crown with a dozen or so shoots all standing about 4" out of the dirt. I'm thinking about splitting the crown in two and planting in two sides of a horse trough (which might be deeper than the whisky barrel).

I think part of my problem was also not thinning the plants as they grew, does anyone know the best way to do this?

 

[cram]

If you use the horse trough, just be sure to drill holes for drainage. The holes should be large and numerous enough so that roots will not clog them up. I find it helpful to elevate containers off the ground an inch or two--doing so helps avoid competing roots from working their way up your planters and allows you to better monitor watering and drainage issues.

If you were to cut a section of your plant that contains both a growing shoot and a section of root, then the likelihood it will grow into its own plant is high. The shoots alone will grow most of the time. (You can also pinch off a growing tip and bury 3/4 of the shoot horizontally and the buried portion will start to root and then you can cut that section off in a couple weeks and use that to start a new plant.) If there are in fact a dozen or so shoots, then you can probably divide it in more than two pieces if you are trying to expand the hop yard.

As far as thinning the plants, I like to choose between two and four bines per crown (two for a younger plant and four or more for a monster, established plant) and then cut back the rest at that time and as new ones come up. It can be a chore to keep up with all the shoots, but it's worth it in that the chosen ones will likely go higher, have more lateral growth, and yield more. When choosing the bines, I tend to look for the thickest ones with the most distance between leaf nodes. Generally, I want the three to hit the lines at roughly the same time, so they can grow up the lines together. If one gets too much of a head start, the others tend to get tangles a bit in the vegetation from the lead bine. It doesn't always work out where you have three perfect candidates all at the same time, though.

Also, think about where you are growing the hops and how much sun does it get during the day, the more sun, the better. They are hungry and thirsty plants. In a well-draining container, it's almost impossible to over-water hops. Hope this helps.