Other plants in the same planter

[norwegiangeek]

So I'm curious if there's any reason not to plant other plants in the same planter with some rhizomes. This will be my first year growing and I thinking of throwing some pumpkins or some peppers in the same planter.

I'm assuming since the hops are growing vertically that they won't care much what's around their base but I just wanted to see if anyone had any advice on what not to plant, or what grows well with hops.

Cheers.

 

[GVH_Dan]

I wouldn't plant another perennial, but an annual would probably be fine. The only down side is it may steal some of your nitrogen at the wrong time and that could effect cone production.

 

[cheezydemon3]

Marigolds or other insect repelling plants are frequently planted with hops, but even those will steal nutrients.

 

[GilaMinumBeer]

Ayup. Competition for nutrient is the main thing but, there is also teh consideration of attracting pests that would otherwise look elsewhere. There are companion plants that have limited use.

 

[johnnyboy1965]

Nasturtiams will grow up nicely through your bines with the added benefit of attracting blackfly.
Plus you can pick and pickle the seeds (capers)

 

[Randar]

You can plant cover or beneficial under-crops. It is common for commercial places to plant cover crops like clover, hairy vetch, peas, beans/legumes, barley, winter wheat, buckwheat, etc. Of course, in commercial farm operations they are likely to plant nitrogen fixers or soil loosening cover crops.

I plant a combo of early snap peas and edamame soy bean bushes under mine.

In a planter you could do just about anything you want, but there is no reason you couldn't plant marigolds, aster, daisy (which attract beneficial insects) in the same pot. It's a good idea to plant something relatively short in height and dense in cover to prevent wind/sun from drying out the planter during the hot/dry months. It will reduce your watering requirements quite significantly.

 

[cheezydemon3]

In a planter you could do just about anything you want, but there is no reason you couldn't plant marigolds, aster, daisy (which attract beneficial insects) in the same pot. It's a good idea to plant something relatively short in height and dense in cover to prevent wind/sun from drying out the planter during the hot/dry months. It will reduce your watering requirements quite significantly.

Right...lol. That's what I meant.

Marigolds etc attract good bugs. Thanks for the correction.

 

[Retrofit]

I think all of these guys are talking sense. Crap, I can't belive beer has turned me into a gardener.

Your hops are going to suck up a lot of water and a lot of nutrients from the soil they live in. If you plant items that suck up a lot of water and nutrients to grow, say something physically large like pumkin. Both will be strained and likely not grow well.

Beyond the physical size of it, perennials often grow root, lets call it "stalks" that keep growing over the years. If your ever growing rhizome is fighting for space withe a growing root 'stalk', underneath the ground you could have two plants fighting for space. This supports the idea that two perennials are probably a bad idea.

I'm a big advocate of cover crops and I think annuals (which could be considered a cover crop) can help to. I've got Winter wheat growing in my back yard right now. I think you could grow something with hops that maybe helped get rid of bugs?

If you could find the magic plant that is so stinky that it Japanese Beetles couldn't get near it I would buy a billion of those. Really all I want to say is all of the above posts are not guys talking 'theory'. Look at their suggestions, consider your envirnoment, and plant something LOCAL, and complimentary. Likely an annual that doesn't fight (above or below) with your hop.

LAST BIT

My new hop garden will be adjacent to my raised garden and the plan is for complimentary plants next to each other "above ground", but "below ground" cinder blocks will seperate them. The idea is my hops will have exclusive rich soil, but they will still reap the benifits of something that might assist in keeping the pest free.

OK this is the last bit. Maybe the trick isn't to find a plant that will get rid of say Japanese Beetles, but find a plant that will attrack bugs that EAT Japanese Beetles. Sometimes you have to think how two positives can cancel a negative. "Farming" is freaking HARD. I just want beer! Why am I hop farming????

 

[Randar]

Maybe the trick isn't to find a plant that will get rid of say Japanese Beetles, but find a plant that will attrack bugs that EAT Japanese Beetles. Sometimes you have to think how two positives can cancel a negative. "Farming" is freaking HARD. I just want beer! Why am I hop farming????

Japanese beetles:

There isn't a native predator of Japanese beetles that can control them in any real volume. I have seen birds eat them but not enough to make a dent.

Honestly, if you plant pole beans in the vicinity or have rose bushes or birch trees, they will probably leave your hops alone. (I am sure there are other preferential crops too, but those are the things they really swarm in my area)

The best thing to do is to religiously apply grub and larvae killer to as large a radius area to your hops as possible (and make sure you tell all your neighbors the same). An instant-kill brand int he spring and a slow release version in the early fall (the larvae grow and feed most during the late summer and early fall months).

Or, you can put out one of the bigger japanese beetle traps, but put it down wind from your crop so the pheromones don't linger in the direction of the hops.

Other than that, you can try unleashing a swarm of praying mantis on them...

 

[Retrofit]

Thanks for the tips Randar, the Beetle traps have worked for me, but I'd love to plant some stuff that 'trumps' hops and "pulls" them away. I'll think about I can add to my growing garden, hop season is almost begining!

 

[Morbeer]

If you have watering issues you can add silica crystals to the soil, once hydrated they will cut down on the amount of watering you have to do, then your planter would be able to support marigolds or other annual. Personally I would plant portulaca, it is a low growing annual succulant with low fert/water needs, and they look pretty!

 

[Randar]

Thanks for the tips Randar, the Beetle traps have worked for me, but I'd love to plant some stuff that 'trumps' hops and "pulls" them away. I'll think about I can add to my growing garden, hop season is almost begining!

If you plant a few tipi's of pole beans 20 ft from your hops they will mostly leave your hops alone. They swarm the pole beans and don't really seem to affect production, and it makes it very convenient to use a tupperware full of soap water and be able to kill most of them in my garden in one fell swoop (knock them off the plant into the soap water and they will drown)

 

[derekbooth]

I'm interested in growing a couple hop varieties. I'd like to run a string trellis from the ground to my roof, but there is no soil directly adjacent to my house. If I get a large enough planter (say 10 gallon or so?), would it be safe to plant the hop rhizome in the planter and leave it there... forever?

 

[GVH_Dan]

I'm interested in growing a couple hop varieties. I'd like to run a string trellis from the ground to my roof, but there is no soil directly adjacent to my house. If I get a large enough planter (say 10 gallon or so?), would it be safe to plant the hop rhizome in the planter and leave it there... forever?

Check out this thread: https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f92/anyone-do-earthbox-65389/Just make sure you have a different box for each variety or you'll never know what you have.

 

[Randar]

I'm interested in growing a couple hop varieties. I'd like to run a string trellis from the ground to my roof, but there is no soil directly adjacent to my house. If I get a large enough planter (say 10 gallon or so?), would it be safe to plant the hop rhizome in the planter and leave it there... forever?

Sure, why not? Get one of those half-barrel planters and go to town! Raised planters always require more fertilizing because the nutrients will leach as water drains, but it works.

 

[Randar]

Check out this thread: https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f92/anyone-do-earthbox-65389/Just make sure you have a different box for each variety or you'll never know what you have.

The raised beds half way down are the way to go. Not sure about rubbermaid stuff that will likely disintegrate under constant UV exposure.

 

[derekbooth]

Sure, why not? Get one of those half-barrel planters and go to town! Raised planters always require more fertilizing because the nutrients will leach as water drains, but it works.

Thats an excellent idea. Seems fitting for hops to grow from a barrel too!