Well, this past week the weather started off really good, but the last few evenings we've seen frost advisories. Call me cautious but my little fledgling hops are likely not ready for the cold, just yet.
Although, they've all shown a fair amount of growth. A steady bit of rain water has been beneficial too.
I've kept them outdoors for the most part save for the last couple of nights. I've seen bine development on yet a 5th plant; Northern Brewer. That just leaves the "C" hops lagging; Crystal, Cascade, and Mount Hood.
I mentioned earlier that I had found out you are supposed to plant the rhizome horizontal, not vertical. So I took a couple of minutes to resolve that with the ones that have shown no growth. While reorienting the rhizomes, I found each had buds on them and they all looked pretty healthy. So, with the Cascade, Crystal, and Mount Hood all replanted I think I can expect to see growth in the coming week.
My next step is fertilizer and repotting. I've decided for this year, at least, to keep the plants in containers. There are a number of folks who have had success doing this, and since the first year isn't about yield containers offer me the flexibility to place my hops while establishing them.
Check out this link: MSU for more information about fertilizing your hops. It would seem that our friends in Michigan are putting some serious thought into Hops.
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