[ckpash88]

So I am off to the lhbs to get rhizomes. I live in Minnesota and I am not sure what kind to get. I am not a hop head so high alpha acid hops are not my cup of tea. I like pilsners and blondes but I also want some for APAs. I am getting to different kinds. Any suggestions?


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[pyrite]

Liberty and Magnum do well here in Sothern California. I've used Liberty in a number of lagers, ales, and Ambers.

[ckpash88]

I went with cascade and hallertau.


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[ckpash88]

Now I am just curious with when I should plant them?

How long can they sit in the fridge befor I plant them?


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[Slowbrew]

I have not actually planted hops but did a ton of research a couple years ago.  If you soil is thawed, you can plant them now.  Mulch them in well with composted manure and get your trellis system figured out.

Paul

[tschmidlin]

Yeah, as soon as the ground is soft enough to dig it'll be fine.  They might get moldy in the fridge if you don't have good circulation, I always like to plant ASAP.

[beerstache]

I live in Northern Michigan and my hops are about 3-4" high right now thanks to that early warm spell we had.  I would plant now, but use straw mulch to protect them from any freezing/frost.
I'm growing cascade, nugget and chinook, they seem to do best up here.  I tried fuggles/hallertau and other european varieties and they didnt grow to well.  Stick with domestic.

[ckpash88]

So let's say I plant them tomorrow and they grow a couple of inches and there is a freezeand the tops freeze am I SOL?


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[hopfenundmalz]

My established plants came through the freezes here just fine.

[ckpash88]

I am a little skeptical lol. My ground is soft so I can dig a whole and plant. So if I plant tomorrow and the top freezes after it's sticking out of the ground I will be ok?


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[pyrite]

In my experience, hop rhizomes are very resilient, and can withstand harsh treatment.  Although I don't live in or around your area, I do live in dessert like conditions, where the rhizomes have displayed much strength against the brutal heat.

I say plant away. But if you want peace of mind, you could start them in small pots to develop their roots and move them inside if it freezes.

[tschmidlin]

How big around are they and how many shoots can you see on the rhizomes?  If they only have one shoot, it grows and then freezes and dies, you're probably SOL unless it has been going for a while or is a nice fat rhizome.

If there is more than one bud per rhizome, it should be fine even if it freezes unless it is a crazy hard freeze and all of them have grown above the soil.

I would check the weather for the next week or so.  If you're not expecting a hard freeze, plant them.  Then keep an eye on the weather - once they sprout above the soil, if you are worried about a freeze just cover them with an upturned pot overnight, they should be fine.

Btw, I just checked MN weather - there is a freeze alert for a good chunk of the state, so I would wait until Wednesday or Thursday and then plant them.

[Pinski]

If they're still just beginning to bud out from the rhizome I'd go ahead and plant them 3-4" down. It's going to take them several days to break the surface. 

[jmcamerlengo]

How many rhizomes do you guys normally plant per hop variety? Ive heard 4 rhizomes per hill is the way to go from hopsdirect, but thats in a farming setting.  Is 1 rhizome sufficient to get decent yields of each hop after 3 years or so? What kind of yields do you see from 1 single rhizome after year 1, 2, 3 etc?

[Pinski]

How many rhizomes do you guys normally plant per hop variety? Ive heard 4 rhizomes per hill is the way to go from hopsdirect, but thats in a farming setting.  Is 1 rhizome sufficient to get decent yields of each hop after 3 years or so? What kind of yields do you see from 1 single rhizome after year 1, 2, 3 etc?

I guess it depends on how big of a hurry you're in. First years don't typically produce a lot. If you're dying for at least a brews worth this year you might go two or three.  I've always just planted one rhizome per mound and found that if they make through the first season and winter there's more than enought shoots that come up in year two and after that it's game on.