Gridlocked
Well-Known Member
I harvested rhizomes last night for the first time. I was amazingly easy. I ended up with plenty of Cascades (from two mother plants) and a handfull of Chinook (from one mother plant). Odly enough, I could only find one small rhizome from two Centennial ma-ma's. The weather here has been freakishly warm - the warmest winter in literally 150 years so it was interesting but not surprising to see action in mid March.
I was surprised at how much different things were between species. The thickness, quantity, color were all different.
Since I couldn't find much last year as to how to harvest rhizomes, here's my shot at a quick how-to. Imagine taking a spoked bike wheel and removing 2/3 of the spokes at random and bury it 2-4" deep in the ground. The center of the wheel is the crown of the plant. The spokes that are left are the rhizomes. All I did was to dig gently around the plant with the shovel parallel with any rhizome that may be under the dirt. Start by digging an inch or two then go a bit deeper. When you find one, loosen the soil above it and ease it out of the ground - starting at the far end pulling up as you move back toward the crown. Get as close as you can and snip it. Continue around the circle until you're back to where you started.
Also, keep in mind there is a difference between rhizomes and roots. Rhizomes will be shallower but look similar. If you see small, light colored nodes, that's a rhizome. I would describe a node as a half of a curd of cottage cheese or bigger. When you see them, you'll know.
I was surprised at how much different things were between species. The thickness, quantity, color were all different.
Since I couldn't find much last year as to how to harvest rhizomes, here's my shot at a quick how-to. Imagine taking a spoked bike wheel and removing 2/3 of the spokes at random and bury it 2-4" deep in the ground. The center of the wheel is the crown of the plant. The spokes that are left are the rhizomes. All I did was to dig gently around the plant with the shovel parallel with any rhizome that may be under the dirt. Start by digging an inch or two then go a bit deeper. When you find one, loosen the soil above it and ease it out of the ground - starting at the far end pulling up as you move back toward the crown. Get as close as you can and snip it. Continue around the circle until you're back to where you started.
Also, keep in mind there is a difference between rhizomes and roots. Rhizomes will be shallower but look similar. If you see small, light colored nodes, that's a rhizome. I would describe a node as a half of a curd of cottage cheese or bigger. When you see them, you'll know.
