I’ve been given 26 very healthy Glacier rhizomes to start my first hop garden. (thanks Neal!)
Time is one thing I don’t seem to have in abundance lately, so I’m wondering how long these things can stay in the fridge before I have to (at the very least) put them in a gallon pot or something.
you should be fine for a month or so in the fridge. if the roots are ‘ragged’ on the ends, it wouldn’t hurt to clip them with a sharp hand pruner to give them a nice clean cut. less surface area to lose moisture from. if you can, just throw them in a tub, bucket, planter with some compost until you can plant them. at least they will have a chance to throw out some roots. these critters want to grow and will naturally do whatever they can to become established so any little help you can give them will ensure a higher chance of survival to the lot. believe me, a little compost, a little water and within a month you’ll probably have a bunch of sprouted hops! hop on!
I think I’m reading Denny’s mind. If you plant 26 make sure you are ready to harvest a couple hundred pounds of Glacier hops when they reach maturity because they will grow like weeds under the right conditions.
In fact the ROT states you will need at least a 7’x7’ spacing for each plant.
A few years down the road you might regret having that many. I have one 10 year old Cascade and last year I got 7 lb. of dried hops from it. I’m REALLY glad that I don’t have more plants to deal with!
most of us who have grown hops realize that the first year there’s not much growth and little maintenance. i think it’d be a great way to get your friends into the hobby. grow them this year and lift them next year with the ability to offer one year plants to your friends! or, hire some cheap labor and start a small glacier yard. i say go for it.
Another option…I don’t even harvest most of my production. They just dry on the bine. :o
But yea, can be lots of work. B-hoppy reminded me of my duties, and this weekend I hacked three full wheelbarrows of rhizomes off my plants ::). Good grief, it was Advil for breakfast the next day.
You know the joke about locking your car during zucchini season? Um yea, I am dribbling rhizomes where ever I go
Hey no problem for me. I really did not realize they would be so many. You couldn’t find any takers on the extras? If you need help with them, I be glad to help you with them. I didn’t mean to unload them on you to be a burden. The hop growing is all new to me too. Sorry.
Hey . . don’t apologize! I’m thrilled to have them. Just wish I had the Beer Garden deck/ trellis/ pergola done so I could get the things in the ground. Oh . . and time . . much more time. This is my first go a growing lupulin as well, so I’m feeling my way through the process.
Curious . . if rhizomes are as abundantly available as Zucchini in season, how come the things cost $4 a whack? ???
Good question? Though if you use only 10 of them as suggested in an earlier post that would leave 16 times $4 would be $64 in your pocket. That could buy some supplies.