drsmurto
Well-Known Member
In lieu of personal responses to PMs......
I sent out 1 batch of rhizomes yesterday, hopefully will get another batch in the post tomorrow.
There is no rush, the way i have packaged these is on the assumption you will take the package(s) out of the satchel and put them straight into a fridge. Leave them there until the last frost or mid/late September, whichever is the latest. All rhizomes have been washed and left in water for 15 mins to ensure they have soaked up plenty of water. They have then been wrapped in very moist coir in a plastic bag which is inside another plastic bag and then taped up to keep the moisture locked in. If you take them out of the packaging you will need to keep them cold and moist.
Most people will not get a yield of flowers to brew with in the first year, some people do and for those this is a bonus. I didn't on any of the rhizomes i have planted over the years. The first year is all about root development.
Ideally, like all plants, these are destined to be planted in the ground. This is where they will perform their best. However, i understand for many reasons (space, renting etc) that many will plant in pots. If so the larger the pot the better. 1/2 wine barrels are perfect for this.
Having said all this I will contradict myself and say that each time i plant new rhizomes, either bought or from cuttings from my own plants, i plant them immediately, ie. in May. Doing so risks them rotting if your soil is not well drained and/or you live in a region that gets a lot of winter rain. All of mine have survived this process and i have done this the first 2 years i started selling them to reassure myself that i was selling viable rhizomes.
If planting in the ground, dig a hole 50 x 50 cm and 30+ cm deep loosening the soil and adding well rotted compost, blood and bone etc. Plant the rhizome horizontally, 5-10cm below the surface. I then cover mine with an additional 5-10cm of horse poo which over winter slowly composts and leaches into the soil. Once planted this is the only things my plants get other than sun and water.
If planting in a pot, good quality potting mix plus the additions as for planting in the ground. If planting in a pot i would definitey not plant until September.
The coir the rhizome is packaged in can be added to the soil or used as a mulch on top.
As for how many bines to allow to grow, how high, etc, have a read of all the varying results in the hop plantation threads. I personally allow the plants to do what they wish as far as number of bines. Whether i would get a bigger yield if i cut back to a smaller number comes down to effort vs reward. I get more than enough hops from my plants without doing much.
These plants can and will grow metres underground and several metres above. Plant individual varieties a MINIMUM of 2m apart, preferably more.
I think that about covers it - there is a good article on hops here - Link - which should answer most questions.
Cheers
DrSmurto
p.s. the plants these rhizomes come from are a minimum of 3 years old (victoria 3 years, cascade 4 years, chinook a mix of 4 and 5 years). Here is what chinook looks like in its 5th season. The frame is 3m high.
I sent out 1 batch of rhizomes yesterday, hopefully will get another batch in the post tomorrow.
There is no rush, the way i have packaged these is on the assumption you will take the package(s) out of the satchel and put them straight into a fridge. Leave them there until the last frost or mid/late September, whichever is the latest. All rhizomes have been washed and left in water for 15 mins to ensure they have soaked up plenty of water. They have then been wrapped in very moist coir in a plastic bag which is inside another plastic bag and then taped up to keep the moisture locked in. If you take them out of the packaging you will need to keep them cold and moist.
Most people will not get a yield of flowers to brew with in the first year, some people do and for those this is a bonus. I didn't on any of the rhizomes i have planted over the years. The first year is all about root development.
Ideally, like all plants, these are destined to be planted in the ground. This is where they will perform their best. However, i understand for many reasons (space, renting etc) that many will plant in pots. If so the larger the pot the better. 1/2 wine barrels are perfect for this.
Having said all this I will contradict myself and say that each time i plant new rhizomes, either bought or from cuttings from my own plants, i plant them immediately, ie. in May. Doing so risks them rotting if your soil is not well drained and/or you live in a region that gets a lot of winter rain. All of mine have survived this process and i have done this the first 2 years i started selling them to reassure myself that i was selling viable rhizomes.
If planting in the ground, dig a hole 50 x 50 cm and 30+ cm deep loosening the soil and adding well rotted compost, blood and bone etc. Plant the rhizome horizontally, 5-10cm below the surface. I then cover mine with an additional 5-10cm of horse poo which over winter slowly composts and leaches into the soil. Once planted this is the only things my plants get other than sun and water.
If planting in a pot, good quality potting mix plus the additions as for planting in the ground. If planting in a pot i would definitey not plant until September.
The coir the rhizome is packaged in can be added to the soil or used as a mulch on top.
As for how many bines to allow to grow, how high, etc, have a read of all the varying results in the hop plantation threads. I personally allow the plants to do what they wish as far as number of bines. Whether i would get a bigger yield if i cut back to a smaller number comes down to effort vs reward. I get more than enough hops from my plants without doing much.
These plants can and will grow metres underground and several metres above. Plant individual varieties a MINIMUM of 2m apart, preferably more.
I think that about covers it - there is a good article on hops here - Link - which should answer most questions.
Cheers
DrSmurto
p.s. the plants these rhizomes come from are a minimum of 3 years old (victoria 3 years, cascade 4 years, chinook a mix of 4 and 5 years). Here is what chinook looks like in its 5th season. The frame is 3m high.
