[sparkleberry]

i have a great deck with my los angeles apartment that gets plenty of sun just about all day. i thought i might try growing some cascade hops this season. it seems the rhizomes need plenty of space for the roots to grow. would a planter box of around 36"l x 16"w x 11"h(interior dimensions) be big enough? or would it be better to have something a bit deeper and wider? i'd probably use this box for just one rhizome so there is plenty of room for it's roots. i want to get something that will work for a while as i don't see myself buying a house in la anytime soon.

thanks!

cheers!

[denny]

It would be big enough for a couple years.  After that, it would probably limit the amount the plant produced.

[erockrph]

I'm pretty sure that 11in deep is way too shallow to grow hops. Everything I've heard recommends at least 30-36in for growing hops in a container. I've got mine in 27in pots right now, but this was only my first year growing them. I'm expecting to have to find a permanent location if I decide to keep them long term.

[HobsonDrake]

Size matters.
I have many plants going. One in the ground. Two in half wine barells. And four others in containers about your size. I get very little action out of the small containers. The roots will be shooting out the bottom after the first year.
The wine barells are good but again the roots will try to run out the bottom. But I get a good crop from them (both are Cascade).

[Titanium Brewing]

11" height is pretty tight. Here in LA I started 2 years ago with Cascade, Nugget & Magnum. I use wooden planter boxes that are about 4'x4'x4'. I have a small page about my first year here http://titaniumbrewing.com/?page_id=163. The cascade has now busted the wooden box and I will have to plant them in the ground, also this year I am only doing Cascade because it seem to grew best out of the 5 varities I have tried for our climate. You may also want to consider that these plants will grow rather large, if they take off and an apartment balcony may not be enough room. Here is a pic of what I did this year http://titaniumbrewing.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/20120502-090149.jpg. The small wooden box is what the Cascade is in.

[bigchicken]

I don't know how they'll do in the planter, but only put 1 rhizome in there for sure. I've read they should be planted 10 feet apart. My 2nd year Nugget hops had shoots coming up a couple feet from the rest of the plant. I imagine this year they'll grow even further from the plant site.

[charliemartel]

Different climate, and I've only been growing hops for a year, but here in NC I've got twenty or thirty plants in the 14" clay pots they sell at the hardware store.  I only planted one rhizome in each pot, but for the first year at least they seemed happy enough - the vines all got about 18' tall and most of them set cones.  I was very diligent about watering, fertilizing, and keeping the pests off of them, so that may have been a factor.  I expect I'll have to transplant most of them this year, or un-pot them and prune the roots or something (assuming they overwintered OK)

[morticaixavier]

I don't know how they'll do in the planter, but only put 1 rhizome in there for sure. I've read they should be planted 10 feet apart. My 2nd year Nugget hops had shoots coming up a couple feet from the rest of the plant. I imagine this year they'll grow even further from the plant site.

the 10' apart is for different varieties. you can plant rhizomes 2'-3' apart and they will be fine. If they are different varieties you are going to have a heck of a time sorting them out come harvest time and even more come root pruning time.

[reverseapachemaster]

I grow mine in grow bags, which are five gallon bags with holes in the bottom. I then constructed a raised bed in a corner of the yard and filled in the space between the bags with mulch so it has the appearance of a single raised bed garden but each plant is divided so it cannot intermingle horizontally with other plants but it can grow through the holes in the bottom as deep as it wants. I'm sure after a few years I will need to cut down some of the root ball and replant some of it elsewhere. I'll probably plant some at my parents along the chain link fence at my parents' house when that time comes. For now my plants are pretty small so I'm not too worried. I have four bags for hops and five bags for vegetables in the garden. I grow a rosemary bush on one end and the other four vegetable bags grow a combination of tomatoes and peppers. The vegetables are set up to be a sun shield for the hop roots but the hops can then grow up to the trellis canopy. If I can ever reach a point where I have an actual harvest it's going to be a PITA because the hops will intermingle in the trellis but I had limited options due to the HOA rules on what can stand higher than the fence.

You might consider a similar set up if you are trying to limit the space used and make it look a little nicer. I find the grow bags do not survive well sitting directly in the sun during the summer because they will dry out and crack. When you try to move them they will split apart on you.

[bigchicken]

I don't know how they'll do in the planter, but only put 1 rhizome in there for sure. I've read they should be planted 10 feet apart. My 2nd year Nugget hops had shoots coming up a couple feet from the rest of the plant. I imagine this year they'll grow even further from the plant site.

the 10' apart is for different varieties. you can plant rhizomes 2'-3' apart and they will be fine. If they are different varieties you are going to have a heck of a time sorting them out come harvest time and even more come root pruning time.

That's why I love this forum. I learn something from it every day! I appreciate the info.

[EHall]

if you have room build a 24" cube and go from there...

[sparkleberry]

I have room to build probably a planter cube as big as 36". sound about right for 1 rhizome? now, finding the time to build is another story.

thanks for all the input.

cheers!

[Jimmy K]

The primary limiting limiting factor with a small planter is usually water.  So you can use a smaller planter but you'd need to water it often - like twice a day or more.

[EHall]

how often you water will be determined by type of soil used and how well its mulched. A mix of good potting soil and compost, don't use that commercial stuff with fetilizer already in it. Spread rabbit food all over the top of the soil, then mulch with alfalfa straw to something like 6-10" and water real well... then keep an eye on it to make sure you have good drainage and the soil stays damp, not dry or soaking wet.