I’ve ordered Cascade rhizomes from an organic supplier and one that wasn’t organic. Any thoughts preferences? I’ve heard that the non-organic can not grow as well. Also, how bad can non-organic rhizomes be for you (surely this won’t spark a debate)?
I don’t think there’s any possible difference in the hop flowers whether you start with “organic” or regular rhizomes. In my mind all that matters is what you feed the plants from now on. The tiny little piece of root you start with will soon become a very insignificant piece of the whole root system.
It depends on why you care about organic. if it’s just purely for you peace of mind knowing that what you eat/drink is relatively free of pesticides etc. then non organic root stock is fine. if you want to encourage as much commercial organic agriculture as you can because you want to prevent so many pesticides etc. from being sprayed on the earth in general than organic root stock is the way to go. I don’t think that one will grow any better than the other. that depends far more on how you take care of them once they are your responsibility.
Great response, and something I haven’t thought about. Thanks!
One thing to consider about organic plants is that you run a greater risk of introducing pests that may not currently be an issue in your garden when transplanting organic plants. I’ve (unfortunately) had to stop using a local organic nursery because some bugs were hitching a ride on their plants.
I think this will be far less of a risk from rhizomes or bare rootstock than potted plants, but it is still something to consider.