Here is the basis of my 2010-2011 hop plantation, the rhizomes have been stored in the fridge, but were starting to shoot, so it was time to get planting.
Another 1/2 dozen rhizomes are still in my parents fridge, but so far all the rhizomes have survived the 'winter' well and look happy/healthy/ready to grow.
Since mum's vegies didn't grow well last year, the hops had to move, luckily my sister has some room to plant them.
The idea is to have two lines of hops - running north to south - along the western boundary fence and up the hill (to the garden shed in the picture).
The soil is a fertile red clay type (good for growing potatoes it seems) and there is a vineyard/winery just a few km up the road, so hopefully it will be fine for the hops.
Each rhizome will be planted in a hole about 500x500x500mm, back-filled with a mix of native soil and mushroom compost (1/2 cubic m from garden supply place).
At present there are 20 varieties to plant, so they'll take up about 40m of fence-line.
Each row will have 2 plants of the same variety placed 1.5m apart (this year there is only 1 of some varieties).
The cattle press and remaining poles are cemented into the ground and will be removed soon.
Today we planted; Golding, Fuggle, Target, Challenger, Williamette, 2x Mt Hood, Chinook, Liberty, 2x Cascade, 2x Columbus, and by the time it got dark we were almost 1/2 way up the hill:
Next weekend (Fathers day BBQ), hopefully the rest will get planted.
Then on the to-do list:
grass/weed suppressing ground cover/mulch
trellis frame & support wires
automatic drip watering.