Hops in pots

[llgriffin]

So im going to attempt growing some hops this year, i dont have the option of planting in the ground. ive read that guys can have success in pots. Any advise on this and whats a good size for the planters, i was thinking 2x2 x3 ft deep.

 

[Snowden]

So im going to attempt growing some hops this year, i dont have the option of planting in the ground. ive read that guys can have success in pots. Any advise on this and whats a good size for the planters, i was thinking 2x2 x3 ft deep.

Chip Walton from Brewing Tv and Chop and Brew has a couple of hop growing videos on YouTube where he shows how he grows hops in pots. In those videos it looks like he has them in a 10 gallon container, so 2x2x3 should give you ample room for an extensive root system to develop and for there to be enough soil around the roots to retain moisture. Watering is likely going to be your biggest challenge with a pot/planter set up.

 

[Matty_O_FoodsnBrews]

Double post.

 

[Matty_O_FoodsnBrews]

Triple post.

 

[Matty_O_FoodsnBrews]

I am also interested in growing potted hops. If anyone has any success stories, please drop some knowledge. @Snowden Chop for Chop, Brew for Brew!

 

[sablesurfer]

Going on my third year with hops in pots. Not sure if I will put them in the ground, or if I will partially bury the pots this year. (I have a very strong dislike to introducing invasive species to new environments, so have no desire to just let these go.)

Things about pots:
1) Water, Water, Water. They will not be able to develop tap roots and will rely on you for their life. If it hasn't rained, and top inch of soil is dry, put water on them. (Also in pots water drains out the bottom, which is good, as hops do NOT like boggy ground.
=== As for tap roots, they are wild plants, and three of my six pots had at least a 3/4" root straight out drain hole and into ground when I went to move pots up against house for winter.

2) Fertilizer. They are in a contained environment and these are VORACIOUS beasties. I have had success so far with organic bone meal at start of spring (just put some down tonight) and then blood meal for rest of spring and summer.
=== I actually think I fertilized too long last summer and got a lot more 'plant' than hops. The plants will flower when they are stressed, so as to attempt to replicate, so if they are fat and comfy they will just keep growing. I will probably stop the blood meal when they reach 10ft or so this year.

3) Insulate them over winter. I am not sure what would happen if you don't, but I have for two winters and they have been fine. My bines are cut back, leaving about 5-6ft, the pots are moved up against south wall of house. They are then buried under all the oak, maple, etc leaves from front yard for the winter. Seems to work, I am not going to change it yet.

 

[sablesurfer]

So im going to attempt growing some hops this year, i dont have the option of planting in the ground. ive read that guys can have success in pots. Any advise on this and whats a good size for the planters, i was thinking 2x2 x3 ft deep.

My first set of hops all went into those giant blue buckets with rope handles, most parents use as toy buckets. So probably 15 or so gallons. Dirt about half full because after that I found I couldn't move them.

My second set of hops are all cuttings from first set. Those went into those fake rubber quarter barrel pots from Lowes. About two foot tall, three or so in diameter. Those are full with dirt to a few inches from top, easier to move, but still damn heavy.

This will be first full growing season for those, but figure if I keep up the fertilizing then they should be fine too.

 

[SixDemonBag]

I had awesome results using pots this year (Southern Hemisphere) all first year hops....cascade, perle, chinook' pride of ringwood.

Like what has already been said, lots of water and plenty of fertiliser to begin with.

 

[Matty_O_FoodsnBrews]

Totally doing it this year.

 

[HALIFAXHOPS]

I had awesome results using pots this year (Southern Hemisphere) all first year hops....cascade, perle, chinook' pride of ringwood.

Like what has already been said, lots of water and plenty of fertiliser to begin with.

Those are the best potted hops I have seen yet! Whatever you are doing it is spot on!

 

[thaymond]

I've used 15L or 7.5 gallon pots. They worked for one year, and they totally outgrew it. I have seen on some threads that people are using Rubbermaid totes and hope handle buckets with good success.

Use ample fertilizer but keep the numbers relatively low. I use a vigoro 10-10-10 liquid that I dilute with several gallons of water, and use that once per week. I also use blood meal until the cones begin to develop and bone meal after. I set mine last year in raised beds in a soil blend of mushroom compost, manure, and topsoil. They seem to have done very well (5 lbs dry harvest between 4 plants) but ymmv.

 

[huckbof]

I've used 15L or 7.5 gallon pots.

3.785 liters in a gallon

 

[danthebugman]

Last year was my first year growing hops and I used some 18 gallon Sterilite tubs to grow them in. I had ordered 2 each of CTZ, Centennial, and Northern Brewer. The CTZ didn't grow and only one of the Centennial (it was did the best though), but both the Northern Brewer took off. I replanted them in some bigger, sturdier tubs yesterday due to the Sterilite ones cracking in places and the soil had compacted quite a bit. I was surprised with the amount of rhizome growth!!

Here's the tubs I have them in...

I used a combination of top soil, mushroom compost, and cow manure from Lowe's. When I replanted them this year I added some bricks of coconut coir to the mixture to try and help retain some moisture and cut down on watering. We'll see if it works out.

 

[thaymond]

3.785 liters in a gallon

Correct. 30L or 8 gallon pots.

 

[sablesurfer]

.

Hey, SixDemon, did you do any cutting back at the start of the year to get that huge harvest? Last year, my second, I trimmed all the first growth back to ground like the 'pros' do and I didn't see anywhere near that production.

Also, when did you stop fertilizing?