OK to plant rhizomes in June???

[WarEagleBrewer]

I live in south Alabama. Yes, I know this is a late start....can I order and plant the rhizomes is June? Opinions appreciated!

 

[pegcitybrewer]

I think the Challenge would be finding rhizomes. I would check with local garden centers, they may have hops in their perennials section. Not sure how late you can harvest but I figure you could at least establish your root system this year so that next years harvest is decent. Someone with more experience may wan to chime in and say otherwise.

 

[WarEagleBrewer]

Freshops.com has them. I wouldn't expect much this year, but I don't want to kill them by planting too late...

 

[brewcat]

Great Lakes Hops sells plants year around.

I planted in the fall last year with great results. I will be doing that again.

Find a variety that does well in the heat. Some varieties will slow considerably in hot weather.

 

[Robx]

Sure, why not.

If you're a hobbyist making a multi-year investment in hop growing and there's at enough time for the hop plant to gather more energy + store it to the crown + rhizomes than it expends in sending up early shoots - DO IT!

I think the plant would need at least a month or so of photosynthesis (depending on environment) to recuperate the energy it takes the rhizome to send up the shoots. After that it's all gravy getting stored in those roots.

 

[bionut]

This time of the year hops are pretty big, don't know where you will find any rhizomes, maybe some plants. But yes, if you find it, either plant or thizome, plant it. It's a really hardy plant.

 

[TeeJo]

Go for it, I have planted hops in the ground in late August and had them survive and flourish.

They'd have done much better, even, had I remembered to keep the water on them!

TeeJo

 

[B-Hoppy]

I think the plant would need at least a month or so of photosynthesis (depending on environment) to recuperate the energy it takes the rhizome to send up the shoots. After that it's all gravy getting stored in those roots.

Right on with your assessment of carbohydrate accumulation, and it holds very true with mature plants: https://catalog.extension.oregonstate.edu/sites/catalog/files/project/pdf/fg79.pdf.

The issue in this case is that a rhizome has to expend energy and both directions during it's establishment year so there isn't much of an excess by the end of the season. One of the best ways to prove this to yourself is to dig up a rhizome at the end of the first year. You'll see a ton of beautiful new roots attached to a rhizome about 2x the size of what you originally planted. Dig one up at the end of year two . . . that's a very different story, ha!

Plant your rhizomes and get it on! ps: tell Dave I said 'hey'!

 

[Calder]

I planted some in May last year and are going great this year.

Do it.

RiteBrew has them on clearance.