Too Late To Dig Up The Hops?

[watertrade]

HI folks,
I have 4 rhizomes that have been in the ground since last winter. Last year they hardly grew at all, probably 1.5 meters at the best.
I think it is in part due to my crappy ground preparation before planting them. The ground is very heavy with clay and I only turned over and fed a small area.

What I would like to do is dig up the rhizomes. Put a lot of work into the garden and re plant... with the hope they have a 2nd chance and thrive for years....

Do you think I have left it too late now that the coldest part of the year is over and things are warming up.?

Would like any help you can offer.
Cheers

 

[Tony]

go for it

better now that leaving it till it is hot.

you will basicly be cack to fst year hops but hops are a long term thing i think

I havnt grown them but have read plenty on it.

No room

cheers

 

[capretta]

where are you? if you fill in your details someone from your area may have a better idea?

i reckon it would be ok where we are as it still hasnt warmed up, just get onto it this weekend and start working on that trellis!!

 

[Cannabaceae]

HI folks,
I have 4 rhizomes that have been in the ground since last winter. Last year they hardly grew at all, probably 1.5 meters at the best.
I think it is in part due to my crappy ground preparation before planting them. The ground is very heavy with clay and I only turned over and fed a small area.

What I would like to do is dig up the rhizomes. Put a lot of work into the garden and re plant... with the hope they have a 2nd chance and thrive for years....

Do you think I have left it too late now that the coldest part of the year is over and things are warming up.?

Would like any help you can offer.
Cheers

If there is no new growth, there will be no problem. Even if they are actually starting to grow you can still move them ok, you will just notice a lot of very very fine rootlets growing out from the larger roots, these will be unavoidably damaged when you dig them out. It will take a couple of weeks to regrow them, so your plant will only be set back a little.
I moved a hop once by digging a wide trench round it, then went all around digging underneath with a sharp spade, which cut off a few of the very deep roots, which doesn't really matter. I was able to lift it out, just cutting off a few roots with a knife to free it. If you try to hard to pull the rhizome out, you will find the smaller horizontal roots tend to stay in the ground and rip big strips off the side of the main downward roots.
I then trimmed the spade chopped roots with a sharp knife.

Put them in a plastic bag with a little water misted/sprinkled over them and store in a cool area, while you
re-do your garden.

They will definitely get a 2nd chance, they are as tough as old boots

 

[braufrau]

Mine haven't sprouted yet. Should I be worried?
Its a cool climate here.

 

[watertrade]

Thanks guys,
I will see what i can do this weekend or maybe next.

I'm in canberra so its still pretty cool.

I had some hops in sydney that went ok in their first year. not very productive but definantly healthy. My canberra hops didn't do much at all. So I figured it must be the soil prep. My trellis was great, unfortunatly because of poor growth all it was good for was annoying ther neighbours... it was worth it...

 

[mika]

Mine haven't sprouted yet. Should I be worried?
Its a cool climate here.

Mine have only just started to show signs of life and a couple are still dormant. I think it's like that old hair shampoo advert.