How long can I keep Rhizomes in the fridge before planting?

Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum

Help Support Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

Stevorino

Well-Known Member
Joined
Feb 5, 2008
Messages
937
Reaction score
2
Location
Alpharetta, GA
I got my order of rhizomes from Freshhops this weekend -- how long can I keep them in the fridge? I'd like to wait at least until this weekend...but may keep them in there longer...

When is it safe to plant these puppies?
 
They can keep in the fridge for several months. Just watch for any mold. In theory, once the ground is thawed (I assume a non-issue for you) they can be planted. They will just lie there dormant until conditions are right to sprout. However, the danger to this is during this time there is the possiblity of the rhizome rotting, as at this stage (new plant) it is less well able to defend itself. If you've got a great location that is properly drained, you probably won't have a problem. I'd say in general, once it is time to plant peas in you area, you're definitly safe and the rhizomes will probably start growing fairly quickly.
 
I wouldn't go over a month in the fridge and you can plant them as soon as the ground thaws.

Alpharetta, GA? Do you even know what frost is down there?
 
I got word that my Rhizomes are on the way, and with tomorrows overnight temperature expected to be -4*f, I know what frost is.
It will likely be the better part of two months before I will plant.
Can I start these guys in pots to give them a head start and then transplant them later? How quickly do they grow to un-managable size? How much dirt/how big of pot should I use. (I only have 4 Rhizomes coming)
Jim in MN
 
I got word that my Rhizomes are on the way, and with tomorrows overnight temperature expected to be -4*f, I know what frost is.
It will likely be the better part of two months before I will plant.
Can I start these guys in pots to give them a head start and then transplant them later? How quickly do they grow to un-managable size? How much dirt/how big of pot should I use. (I only have 4 Rhizomes coming)
Jim in MN


Not sure how far north you are of me Jim, but here in southern MI I'll be planting as soon as I have a week or two of around or above freezing nighttime temps. These hops are really hardy and a little freeze won't hurt them. I would put them in the ground with a slight freeze coming before I'd keep them in the fridge for two months. Mine will be here within the week and it looks like 40's during the day and around freezing at night next week. If the following week mostly looks the same they'll be in the ground and I won't worry one bit. We had two days of nice weather last week and the ones that I planted last year are already sprouting.
 
Plant them as soon as you can - they are living plants and should not really be kept in the fridge for too long. They can survive a frost underground, but once the shoots start popping up, they will die in the next frost. So make sure winter is gone before then.
 
Jim, I would not worry about planting them in pots early to get ahead start. I did it, but when transplanting them into the ground most if not all of the roots ripped off. If you are worried about them being in the fridge you could plant them in pots, but I don't think it gives you ahead start.
 
I would get them in the ground as soon as possible. Put some straw or mulch over them and they will be fine.
 
fwiw, when i ordered from freshops last week, i asked if they'd be okay in the fridge till may and dave, the proprietor, said they'd be fine. no personal experience, just what he said.
 
they'll keep fine in the fridge for about a month or so. put each in a plastic bag and put those in a bag with a lightly dampened paper towel - you know wet it and then wring it dry. But as previously stated, watch for mold!!

The other thing to consider though is why not pot them and let the sprout in a sunny window. Use a 10-12 inch pot, cover with saran wrap to keep in moisture until it sprouts and when you're ready to plant out side, you'll have a head start. mine were at about a foot tall when i planted and the head start did them some good.
 
I'd wash them with a mild bleach solution first. The mold will induce rot if you don't remove it.

Regarding pots, I would strongly recommend that people who are considering starting rhizomes inside use the plantable peat pots. As someone mentioned earlier, it's very easy to damage the root structure during a "conventional" transplant.
 
Regarding pots, I would strongly recommend that people who are considering starting rhizomes inside use the plantable peat pots. As someone mentioned earlier, it's very easy to damage the root structure during a "conventional" transplant.

GearBeer, can you get peat pots big enough? That would be an excellent solution and i completely agree with it, but given the size of the cutting i got last year, the peat pots I've seen would be too small.

I've found watering the soil in the pot about 30 min to an hour before transplanting works fine though, keeps the soil sticking together. carefully work a dull knife around the edge of the soil, smack the thing on the bottom a couple of times and then turn it upside down and you should be good to go. Naturally you have to exercise some care when ever transplanting, but mine were all good.

peat pots would be ideal though. dry out faster than two MFs though.....
 
I have 2 of each strain in plastic baggies in the crisper in my fridge. I'm going to put a paper towel in now. If I have to wait for the last frost that's going to be a while in NJ...
 
I'd plant them right away. Less risk to them. If the forecast calls for frost, then you can cover with an upside down pot or anything else to keep them safe.

I planted mine in pots and wish I hadn't. They didn't end up doing any better than the ones that I planted later.

My hops are just poking through the surface, and it's been freezing at night and 40's here the past few days. I gotta get some mulch on them babies!
 
The peat pots I found are marginal but they are large enough for giving the rhizomes a few week or a month boost.
 
I looked for peat pots but couldn't find anything even close to big enough. The ground here is still frozen so I potted them. I'll be careful planting.
 
I got some pots, maybe 12 inch and some potting soil. Roots down shoots up 2 inches below the surface of the soil and an inch of mulch on top. I'll figure out a long term solution by the weekend. I hop I don't kill it when I transfer to the ground is all.
 
Hey guys! Growing in Maine here. I am wondering, if I plant rhizomes in August/September will they make it through winter or do I really need to wait until next spring?:rock:
 
Back
Top