Winter Hop Growing Op.

Well what is winter like in CA because i think if i tried that in NJ in the winter wouldnt work.

 

If you're not doing this in an artifical light, climate controlled setting, I don't know what difference you're expecting from the dormant hops getting the same amount of light in the field? Assuming you're successful, a hop plant even in it's first year should grow taller than your average residential window height, and I think stunting its height would affect cone production.

If there was a cost effective way to harvest more than once per year, I can't imagine Yakima/Willamette Valley hop growers would sit on it with more craft breweries creating more demand.

That said, it's cool to experiment and I'm interested in hearing updates!

 

The bigger the pot the better. Get a bare root rhizome and start it indoors in soil with good drainage and let us know how it works.

 

Do more research on hops. It might grow, but not set cones. Hops grow up until the solstice, then they stop and set the cones. Harvest is then late August to the end of Sept.

With grow lights you could fool the hops.

 

You may fool the plant, but not the roots. My second year plants have a 2 foot wide crown and roots that I have found 8 feet away from the main plant. Not sure how you are gonna overcome that issue.

 

Upload them to Imgur.com, copy the url, and paste it into the comment box.

 

If you doing a start indoors that is fine. NC might have other issues in the climate and shorter days. You will be able to grow hops, but the yield will be lower.

 

Is anyone trying hydroponic hops?

 

On a small scale anything can work assuming the conditions are favorable, warmth, light, water, etc. But doing it on a commercial scale and then making it profitable is a whole different ball game. Let us know how it goes.

 

I moved from California and had to leave my plants behind made me chuckle a little.

 

OP, did your rhizomes go thru a dormant period? I'd think that the only way to get growth from a new planting is to fool the rhizomes with a dormant period, preferably by putting them in a freezer (or some kind of dry cold storage) for a period of time so that they think winter has come and gone. Then you probably have to fool them with your artificial lighting to mimic a solstice like @hopfenunmaltz said above.

 

I think you'll be fine until the temperature really starts to drop. Here in Seattle my hops are finally forming cones at the moment. Once a frost hits (which it probably will, even in NC) any of your growth above ground will take a huge hit. The root system in the soil should be fine, though.

 

buy a 1000 watt mh/hps setup, get in your garage with supplemental heat, a 10 ft trellis from floor to ceiling, and grow it just like you would ganja. that would probably be the most successful route. otherwise, you will probably be left with a nice houseplant that just hangs out like the spider plant jammed in the corner.

 

i grow hops and they need a rest period
maybe if you have a green house but then they will not grow in the summer