I'm in PA. It was cold Monday, Tuesday when I got it, it was warm, same with Wednesday, and thursday.... and we had snow today. . . .
Soil Temperature vs. Air Temperature, there is a difference
Please understand that we (humans) live above ground. When the air temperature suddenly takes a dive or skyrockets, we respond accordingly by turning the heat up or seeking air conditioning, the crowns of hop plants live below ground, very different. The soil acts as a huge buffer against temperature swings so the hops (along with whatever else resides in the soil) are protected from experiencing those extremes. As the soil gradually warms, the plant is triggered to begin to come out of dormancy and start growing. If the warming of the soil is sudden, growth commences quickly. If that plant (established crown or freshly planted rhizome) experiences temperatures that warm very slowly, growth will reflect that and be somewhat retarded. This is the exact reason that when growers dig rhizomes to sell, they clean and grade them as quickly as they can and then they store them refrigerated immediately. They're trying to keep those cuttings as close to dormant as they can because if they were allowed to warm up slightly in storage, their buds will begin to elongate. When a rhizome is shipped with buds that are an inch or more long, those buds are almost certainly going to break off during shipping thus causing a disappointed customer.
"He told me to keep them in water, I currently have them completely submerged in a giant tub in my bathroom right now (nice warm place). Even with the frost/snow out, should I plant it, or let it wait? . . .
Killing Them With Kindness: Abitoic Stress\
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http://journal.frontiersin.org/rese...-plants-physiological-biochemical-and-molecul
Ask yourself this, "Are those crowns experiencing anything different right now than what they were experiencing a few days ago, when they were happily just minding their own business?"
1) They've gone from a temperature of maybe 40F-50F to a temperature of (nice and warm). This means they've experienced a sudden temperature change which they wouldn't have if they'd have been left in the ground - or if they would have been uprooted, had their rhizomes cut back, and then stuck back into the ground at their new location. This can be seen as somewhat of a shock to any plant. Fortunately for you, hops are very forgiving and kind of like to be tortured . . . to an extent.
2) They're "submerged in water". This, again, is quite different than what they were experiencing a few days ago. Different soils have different densities, how can this be? https://image.slidesharecdn.com/021...tion-to-soil-science-30-728.jpg?cb=1391501752 Even though it may seem that while they're in the soil they're surrounded by moisture, they're not because the soil has some pore spaces that can be too small for water to occupy and allow for air (gases) to be exchanged (there are exceptions to this rule though). Being submerged or surrounded by water in a bath tub is kind of a pretty big change from what they were experiencing a few days ago, again, shock.
Whats better, planting the crown, or planting the rhizomes? Can I keep the crown and trim off a few rhizomes? Or should I leave it as a whole?