hop growers - when to plant?

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So being new to brewing I thought it be cool to grow my own to brew my own.... So I order 4 rhizomes that arrived this week and need some help from any other growers out there.

So right now my rhizomes are chilling in the fridge and I'm wondering when I should plant. I'm in pa and its suppose to get down to 8F tonight, so free from frost is still a long way out. I'm thinking mid to late may to put them in the ground, but I'm wondering whether I should start them in a pot indoors and when ?
 
Just got an email today that mine have been mailed. :D I think i'm going to start mine indoor first since Colorado can't make up its mind on if its want to be Spring or Winter still.
 
Yeah that is my problem too.. I just don't want to start them too early...if that is possible?
 
Smitty - I know planting time here and don't let April fool you. First week in May is time to plant here. Planting in April will break your heart - we will get frost in April.
 
Nosybear said:
Smitty - I know planting time here and don't let April fool you. First week in May is time to plant here. Planting in April will break your heart - we will get frost in April.

Yeah, I hadn't planned planting outside til May but can these be planted right away indoors?
 
My centennial are in the mail also. Never done hops before but if they are treated like any other perennial, if you start them indoors don't transplant til all danger of frost is past. The new young growth will get bit. If you put them directly in the ground they can go in 2-3 weeks prior to last frost. Our last frost is usually about the end of May here in Montana so I think I will start mine indoors mid April so they don't get too leggy before transplanting.
 
I live in Missouri, weather here goes up and down allot right in the jet stream, and right now starting to plow the garden for potatoes, got the tomatoes planted indoors thinking about doing the same for hops for the next month...thinking about the south side of the house with lattice ?
 
I don't see why you couldn't start them indoors. I'd do research, though. Some plants don't like being transplanted.
 
I planted last May, however I did not have good results. On Long Island, NY. This year I will test soil and so on. Since they are perennials I left them in the ground. Does anyone know if that was a mistake?
 
ub2 , as far as leaving then in the ground you did right. the roots take a year or so to get established, thus why they say do not expect much the first year. here in minnesnowda it was -10 just 7 days ago but everything under ground is at 32. what I do to my hop plants is put about 10" of leaves on them before first frost in the fall. that will help them from getting frost burnt, and also gets them going in the spring time when the sun starts to heat thing up.
 
I was thinking about growing my own hops as well. This thread has been helpful. However I have a question. I once heard that hops are bad for dogs is that true?
 
Greta's Brew said:
I was thinking about growing my own hops as well. This thread has been helpful. However I have a question. I once heard that hops are bad for dogs is that true?
Yes that is true. There are several sources you can Google about thee specifics, but it seems some dogs are attracted whereas others could care less.
 
Greta's Brew said:
However I have a question. I once heard that hops are bad for dogs is that true?

Yes, hops are very bad for dogs. From what I've researched dogs don't really care for hops except when they've been boiled the the wort. That is when most people have had they're dogs eat the hops and had issues. I've got two huskies and the hops I'm going to grow will be completely gated off and will put up some netting to keep them from blowing in the yard.
 
After talking to the guys at the Brew Hut and doing some research online it looks like it will be just find to start growing the hops indoors and transplanting them later on. I don't want these things to sit in my fridge for the next month or so til the nightly freeze stops so I'm going to put them in some small pots. One thing that was mention when you transplant is to pull everything from the pot and put it in the hole where it will stay, don't shake off all of the mulch and dirt from the pot. Also, putting a layer of leaves or mulch on top will be beneficial as well.

Getting some pots tomorrow and putting the rhizomes in the dirt! :D
 
Thanks guys for the info, I think I'm going to put mine in pots and start them indoors this week. Seems like some things I find says to start them indoors others say not to. I figure they will do better in a pot than in the fridge.

Here is a pretty good info sheet I found on midwest, it says not to start them indoors:

http://www.midwestsupplies.com/media/pd ... w_what.pdf

I'll keep you guys posted with what I end up doing and how everything turns out.
 
I think you may have misread a bit. It says its ok to start them indoors then transplant them later once the ground is going to stay warm. It does say not to grow them indoors which is what I've been told. It takes two to three times as long to get the plant established and producing hops.

I placed mine in pots today and will bring them in at night when its too cold at least for another month or so.
 
Yeah that is what I am talking about a lot of contradictory info out there, at the beginning of the article it says:
"Ideal planting is February - April. Since we get the rhizomes late in their planting cycle, you should plan to get them into the ground pretty quickly. They should be refrigerated in a water misted ziplock bag until they are ready to go into the ground. You may plant the rhizomes in pots and move them into the ground in June when the ground has warmed. "

but at the end it says:

"Due to the timing of when we receive our hops there are several states still dealing with winter at the time. You do not want to plant hops in frozen ground. So, a lot of people ask if they should just get them started inside until the ground is warm enough to plant. Again, no, it doesn’t work. Just leave the rhizome in the fridge until you can plant it outdoors."

I still think I'm going to start them indoors, put them outside during warm days and move them inside on cool nights until danger for frost is over. Then I put them in the ground.
 
well all I can say is they need direct sunlight so plant indoors in the same soil you will be putting in the ground and in direct sunlight undisturbed so roots can start growing like a tree or bush would, with plenty of water and once roots are growing wrap that soil in burlap like a tree and plant in a large hole filling in the rest with the same soil after the ground warms up


http://www.homebrewery.com/pdf/How%20to ... izomes.pdf
 
Both of the cascade rhizomes have just broken the surface...barely! The centennials are falling behind. Don't they know this is a race...slackers! :D
 

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