When Your Hops Don't Like To Grow

[yaks]

I've a feeling I took the advice that 'hops love fertiliser' a little too literally. I'm about to uproot my garden and start again though I thought I'd seek some advice before doing anything too drastic. My hops which have been planted in pots for a few months now have stopped growing and the ones I'd planted in the ground in below average soil are thriving.

For the potted plants, I had mixed a good quality potting mix with composted cow manure in about a 3:1 ratio after being warned off dynamic lifter for pH issues. It seems though that the growing tips have become yellow-brown and dry as well as some of the bigger rhizomes after appearing initially very healthy have stopped growing altogether.

The stunted plants seem to be darker green (a few different varieties). The only difference besides the fetiliser is that the plants in the ground recieve less water (drippers instead of jets from a watering system).

Any ideas?

 

[wambesi]

Last year I thought I had dome similar damage to my Chinook. It was stalled for more than a month and then went nuts. Up to you I guess but I decided to wait it out (it being my only plant), funnily enough this year the same one is again very slow in growing, it's still only about 3cm above the ground whereas my POR is over 2m!

 

[raven19]

Keep in mind some Hops will stop and start then stop again depending on many conditions, particularly cold.

They are generally better off in the ground so they have room to expand and grow, and in a pot, they are more likely to dry out.


I would just plant your potted hops in the ground, and not disturb the existing ones if possible.

2c.