when to plants hops?

[csu007]

So my cousins have a some hops (not sure the variety) that they want to get rid of. I wanted to know when i should go their house and transplant the hops to my backyard. I live in Colorado and we can get snow until May most years.

[morticaixavier]

you can go and dig them up anytime. They will store in the fridge if kept moist for a few weeks.

there is a fair chance you will not get rid of them though. once established hops can be... resilient.

[tschmidlin]

As long as you can dig them, I think it's fine.  If the ground is too hard though, it will be more of a pain.  Snow is generally harmless, I would move them as soon as the ground is soft.

[csu007]

Thanks i think i will wait until it gets a little warmer. Yeah last year they gave the whole plant to other homebrewer (before i started) and they thought it was gone,but it's back and bigger than before.

[tschmidlin]

Nothing like clearing out the root ball to spur vigorous regrowth.

[csu007]

yeah they were surprised and less than thrilled

[Jimmy K]

It's best to move them when dormant, so before they've started growing in the spring. Wise to wait for the ground to thaw too, unless you like punishment.

[csu007]

So I have some more questions about planting hops. I'm trying decide if I should just a trellis with a pot or we have a dead tree the stump with be about 8-10ft high. My question is what method would see the best growth. I guess for both methods i could use another trellis like the pros do and string them across. I just wanted to know if the hops would climb the tree as well as a trellis

[pinnah]

My question is what method would see the best growth.

Planting in the ground, not a pot, will give the best growth. 

I suggest using the stump as support.  Native hops in the Gunnison Basin grow up rock escarpments.
Don't worry too much about what the pros do, since you are at home and just want to grow a few pounds for home use.

You could try attaching a little metal pig panel upright to the stump,
to give a rigid grid to grow on. 10 feet high plenty.

Hard to go wrong, if you irrigate.

Good luck.

[ccfoo242]

I have a dumb question...they say to wrap the hops clockwise around the twine, would that be clockwise from the top looking down or the bottom looking up?

[corkybstewart]

I have a dumb question...they say to wrap the hops clockwise around the twine, would that be clockwise from the top looking down or the bottom looking up?

They'll let you know-they will coil by themselves so if you try to make them go the wrong way it won't work.

[ccfoo242]

Ok, cool. I have one that's tall enough to start up the twine.

[richardt]

Hops follow the sun's course across the sky while ascending, so they have a "clockwise" growth pattern when viewed from above (i.e., "bird's eye view", or "eye in the sky" view).  Chirality is "left handed" growth (i.e., point the thumb of your left-hand upward and the natural curve of your fingers will indicate the twining pattern of the hop bine).

[csu007]

My question is what method would see the best growth.

Planting in the ground, not a pot, will give the best growth. 

I suggest using the stump as support.  Native hops in the Gunnison Basin grow up rock escarpments.
Don't worry too much about what the pros do, since you are at home and just want to grow a few pounds for home use.

You could try attaching a little metal pig panel upright to the stump,
to give a rigid grid to grow on. 10 feet high plenty.

Hard to go wrong, if you irrigate.

Good luck.

I would like to plant in the ground, but i don't own the house and i also want make sure the plant does well first. I appreciate all the suggestions form everyone. I think i will see if the stump works well enough by itself with any additional trellis support

[tschmidlin]

I would like to plant in the ground, but i don't own the house and i also want make sure the plant does well first. I appreciate all the suggestions form everyone. I think i will see if the stump works well enough by itself with any additional trellis support

It will work a lot better if you tie some twine to the top of the stump for the hops.  The stump is probably too big around for the hops to want to climb around behind it, but i haven't tried it.