Hop Plants

[stew.w]

what do you guys do with your hop plants over winter?
dig them up and put them in the fridge? can you do this for that long?
i'm in canberra so it get pretty damn cold here over winter, what should i do with them?

cheers,

Stewart

 

[Smashin]

Leave them in the ground isn't a bad idea......

I only dig mine up to split then straight back in they go. Just cover them with plent of mulch and they'll be fine.

Smashin

what do you guys do with your hop plants over winter?
dig them up and put them in the fridge? can you do this for that long?
i'm in canberra so it get pretty damn cold here over winter, what should i do with them?

cheers,

Stewart

 

[Steve]

what do you guys do with your hop plants over winter?
dig them up and put them in the fridge? can you do this for that long?
i'm in canberra so it get pretty damn cold here over winter, what should i do with them?

cheers,

Stewart

mate, if you have them, leave them in the ground unless you are wanting to split and share the rhizomes or upgrade from a pot to the ground. LEAVE THEM ALONE, THEY ARE PLANTS AND BELIEVE IT OR NOT ACTUALLY ENJOY BEING IN THE GROUND AND NOT DISTURBED! You didnt tell me you have hop plants?

 

[stew.w]

yeah i got a chinook rhizome of colin for $10 last year.
didnt get much off it this year, was a smallish rhizome but i'd say next year it should be good.
i am going to move it to a half wine barrel i got, should i do it now or later?

 

[Steve]

yeah i got a chinook rhizome of colin for $10 last year.
didnt get much off it this year, was a smallish rhizome but i'd say next year it should be good.
i am going to move it to a half wine barrel i got, should i do it now or later?

If its in a little pot now leave it there over winter but bring the pot under shelter out of the frost and then transfer to your barrel in September.

 

[jyo]

yeah i got a chinook rhizome of colin for $10 last year.
didnt get much off it this year, was a smallish rhizome but i'd say next year it should be good.
i am going to move it to a half wine barrel i got, should i do it now or later?

I would do it end of August. This will give your rhizome plenty of time to gather up energy reserves over winter, then make a fresh start for Spring. I think it's better to transplant most things when they are ready to start growing, not when they are going dormant, also reduces the risk of root rot over winter with the freash cuts to the rhizome. Works for my bonsai too. :icon_cheers:
Cheers, John.

Edit- Beaten by Steve

 

[chris.taylor.98]

What about the vines.

Is it best to just let them die off, or should you cut them back?

 

[MarkBastard]

What about the vines.

Is it best to just let them die off, or should you cut them back?

That's what I'm wondering too.

At the moment anything I cut back just results in fresh growth somewhere else! The buggers just don't get that it's coming into winter!

 

[cdbrown]

I've read elsewhere that they will just die back, then when they do cut it off.

At least now I know what to do with mine - leave them in there little pots and transplant in August. By that stage hopefully I've worked out the best place to put them and got the Mrs approval.

 

[drsmurto]

what do you guys do with your hop plants over winter?
dig them up and put them in the fridge? can you do this for that long?
i'm in canberra so it get pretty damn cold here over winter, what should i do with them?

cheers,

Stewart

They go dormant over winter, the colder the better so leave them in the ground.

 

[raven19]

What about the vines.

Is it best to just let them die off, or should you cut them back?

A horticulture mate of mine recommended leaving them until all leaves are gone - the plant is apparently drawing back energy from the growth for the winter.

As such I have my hops wilting away and shall only cut them back once all leaves are dead.

 

[pdilley]

In Canberra I notice a heavy cropper is already very brown and dry and pulling energy into rhizomes already. No or small croppers still are hanging on with partial die back. I wait until the stems are brown and hard and just crumble and snap them off and add them to the top soil to put back carbon into the soil.

Cheers,
Brewer Pete

 

[Stinger]

Leave the bines attached until they wither and die, the rhizomes will be storing the extra energy so they can survive winter.

I saw an article that suggested growing a green manure crop over winter to add some organic matter and goodies back into the soil which sounds like a good idea.